How to bulk import selections from supplier PDF estimates and quotes

The Problem: Manual Data Entry from Supplier Quotes

When a plumbing supplier sends over a 15-page PDF quote for a master bath, or a lighting showroom emails an order estimate, getting those products into your selection library usually means hours of copy-pasting. You have to copy model numbers, search for product pages, download images, and manually type in categories. If you manage multiple custom builds a year, this manual data entry is a massive time sink and a recipe for typos.

Fixture & Finish solves this by extracting product data directly from your supplier PDFs. Our system reads the estimate, identifies the actual products, searches the web to find the correct product links, and prepares them for a bulk import into your library in just a few clicks.

How It Works: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open the Import Flow

1. Navigate to the Selections page from the main navigation menu.
2. Click the Add Selection button in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. In the slide-over panel that appears, select the PDF import option. Depending on your active interface version, this will either be a link reading "Have an estimate or order form? Import from a PDF" inside the panel, or a dedicated PDF tab in the segmented control at the top of the drawer.

Step 2: Upload Your Supplier PDF

1. Click the file uploader and select your supplier PDF (such as a plumbing fixture quote, appliance estimate, or lighting order form).
2. Click Upload.
3. Once the upload starts, the file is processed in the background. You can safely close the panel and continue working on other tasks in Fixture & Finish. The extraction process typically takes a few minutes depending on the length of the document.

File Constraints: The system accepts PDF files only (if you have scanned images, convert them to PDF first). The maximum file size is 25 MB, and you can upload one file per import batch (up to 100 items).

Step 3: Wait for the "Ready to Review" Notification

1. When the background extraction is complete, you will receive an in-app notification. It will read: "Your document import is ready for review. N items extracted, M already in your library."
2. Click the notification to open the dedicated Review Page.

As your document moves through this lifecycle, you will see its status update on the review page from Extracting to Ready to review, then Importing, and finally Imported.

Step 4: Review and Edit Extracted Items

On the review page, each extracted line item is presented as an editable card. The system automatically pre-fills four key fields: Name, Model Number, Web Link (found via automated web search), and a best-guess Category.

For each card, you can perform the following actions:

• Edit Fields: Correct any text directly in the Name, Model Number, Web Link, or Category fields. Note that the Category must be a specific sub-category (e.g., "Faucets"), not a top-level category.
• Visit: Click this button to open the auto-found web link in a new tab. This allows you to verify that the system found the exact product and finish variant from the supplier quote.
• Search: If the auto-found link is incorrect or missing, click this button to open a Google search in a new tab pre-populated with the product name and model number so you can quickly find the correct URL.
• Save: Click the Save button on the card to lock in your edits. (Critical: You must save the row before running the import, or your edits will be lost.)
• Remove: Click this to delete the item from the import list entirely.

Handling Duplicates: If an extracted item matches a model number already in your library, an amber banner will appear: "This was already found in your library — remove from import." It includes a "Review it" link to open the existing selection in a new tab. We highly recommend removing these duplicates from your import list to keep your library clean.

Step 5: Run the Import

1. Once you have reviewed, edited, and saved your items, click the Import Selections button at the bottom of the page.
2. The system will only import items that have both a valid web link and a sub-category assigned. Any items missing either of these, or items you chose to skip, will be left out. The confirmation message will show you exactly how many items are being imported and how many are skipped.
3. This action triggers our automated bulk importer. The system will scrape each product URL to pull in high-quality images, detailed specifications, and pricing.

Step 6: Check Your Results

1. You will be redirected to the bulk import results page and will receive a second in-app notification when the entire batch finishes importing.
2. On the results page, you can click Download results CSV to view a spreadsheet showing the status of each item (Imported or Failed with an error message).
3. All successfully imported products will now appear in your active Selection Library, complete with images, specs, and pricing, ready to be assigned to your projects.

Gotchas & Troubleshooting

• Save your row edits first: The importer only reads saved data. If you edit a URL or change a category on a card but do not click that card's Save button, the importer will use the original extracted value (or skip the item if it was blank).
• Verify your links: Automated web search is highly accurate but not perfect. It may occasionally find a different finish or a similar model. Always use the Visit button to verify the product page before importing.
• Non-products are ignored: The system is designed to extract physical fixtures and finishes. It automatically filters out and ignores non-product line items like labor, taxes, shipping fees, and grand totals.
• Failed items don't block the batch: If a single product URL fails to scrape, only that item will fail. The rest of your batch will import successfully. You can check the results CSV to see which item failed and import it individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a product in the PDF doesn't have a web link?

We automatically scan the web for each selection found in the PDF. If our system cannot find a matching product link online, the Web Link field on that item's card will be blank. Because a valid URL is required to scrape product details, you will need to find the link manually (using the built-in Search button), paste it into the field, and click Save before running the import.

Can I import labor costs or delivery fees from my quote?

No. Fixture & Finish is built specifically to manage physical selections (everything nailed down in the house). The PDF importer intentionally ignores labor, shipping, taxes, and markup lines so your selection library remains clean and focused strictly on physical products.

Is there a limit to how many items I can import at once?

Yes. To ensure system stability and high-speed scraping, bulk imports are capped at 100 selections per PDF upload. If you have an exceptionally large supplier quote, we recommend splitting the PDF or importing the items in smaller batches.

Related Features

• Bulk Import via CSV: If you prefer working in spreadsheets, you can import your selections using our standard CSV template.
• Add a Single Selection via URL: For quick, individual additions, paste any product URL directly into the Add Selection panel to instantly scrape its details.