Import Complex Rules Tool for BigCommerce
? Quick Info: Bulk-create, update, and delete your product rules from a spreadsheet.
What it does
This tool updates the complex rules on your BigCommerce products from a spreadsheet. Complex rules (also called product or SKU rules) are the rules BigCommerce uses to adjust a product’s price, weight, purchasing status, and more, based on the combination of options (modifiers) or variants a shopper chooses. For example: “if Size = Large and Color = Red, add $5 and 2 lbs.”
You upload a file, match its columns to the available fields, and the tool applies your changes to each product. For every row it can:
- Create a new rule for a product.
- Update an existing rule (when you include its Rule Id).
- Delete a rule (when you mark the row to delete and include its Rule Id).
Each product is found by its SKU, and each rule is defined by the combination of option modifiers and/or variant SKUs you list. The work runs in the background, and you can choose to get an email when it’s finished. Any rows that can’t be processed are reported back so you can fix and re-upload them.
When to use it
- You want to add or change price or weight adjustments across many products at once.
- You need to enable, disable, or “stop” rules in bulk.
- You’re turning purchasing on or off (with an optional message) for specific option combinations.
- You want to remove a batch of existing rules quickly.
- You’d rather work in a spreadsheet than edit rules one product at a time in BigCommerce.
A good companion is the Export Rules tool: export your current rules first, edit the file, then import it back.
Before you start
- Make sure the products you’re updating already exist in BigCommerce. Rules attach to existing products.
- Prepare your file so that the first row contains the column names (headers). The first row should include columns such as SKU, Rule Id, Price Adjuster, and Weight Adjuster.
- Include a SKU column so each row can be matched to the right product.
- For options-based rules, the modifier names and values in your file must already exist on the product in BigCommerce. For variant-based rules, the variant SKUs must already exist.
- Save the file in a format you can upload (such as CSV or Excel).
- Confirm you’re working in the correct store before you begin.
Step-by-step
1 Open the Import Rules tool from your BigCommerce tools.
2 On the Upload Rules step, read the on-screen note: your file’s first row must contain the column names, including SKU, Rule Id, Price Adjuster, and Weight Adjuster columns.
3 Upload your file.
4 Once the file is uploaded, the Match your file’s columns screen appears. Pick the matching field for each column in your file (most are matched automatically). At minimum, map your SKU column to the SKU field.
5 Continue to the Email Delivery step. Choose whether you’d like an email when the process completes, and confirm the email address.
6 Start the import. You’ll see a confirmation that the process has started.
7 When it finishes, check your email (if you opted in). If any rows had problems, download the errors file to see exactly what needs fixing.
File / field reference
Your file’s first row must be headers. After uploading, you map each of your columns to one of the fields below. You only need to include the columns relevant to the rules you’re changing.
| Column | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SKU | Yes | The product’s SKU. Used to find the product the rule belongs to. |
| Rule Id | No | Include to update or delete an existing rule. Leave blank to create a new rule. |
| Sort Order | No | Numeric. Controls the order in which rules apply. |
| Enabled | No | Yes/No (accepts values like y, yes, true, 1 / n, no, false, 0). Whether the rule is active. |
| Stop | No | Yes/No. Marks the rule as a “stop” rule. |
| Delete | No | Yes/No. Set to yes to delete the rule. Requires Rule Id. |
| Purchasing Disabled | No | Yes/No. Turns off purchasing for the matched option combination. |
| Purchasing Disabled Message | No | Message shown to shoppers when purchasing is disabled. |
| Price Adjuster Adjuster | No | How the price is adjusted (for example, a relative or fixed adjustment, as supported by BigCommerce). |
| Price Adjuster Adjuster Value | No | Numeric. The amount of the price adjustment. |
| Weight Adjuster Adjuster | No | How the weight is adjusted. |
| Weight Adjuster Adjuster Value | No | Numeric. The amount of the weight adjustment. |
| Modifier Name 1–20 | No | The option (modifier) name that helps define the rule, e.g. “Size”. Must already exist on the product. |
| Modifier Value 1–20 | No | The option value paired with the matching Modifier Name, e.g. “Large”. Required whenever its Modifier Name is set. |
| Sku 1–20 | No | A variant SKU that defines the rule instead of a modifier name/value. Must already exist on the product. |
How the rule conditions work: Each rule is defined by the combination of conditions you provide. For each numbered slot (1 through 20) you provide either a Modifier Name + Modifier Value pair or a variant Sku — not both in the same slot. When creating a brand-new rule, you need at least two conditions in total (two modifier pairs, two variant SKUs, or a mix).
Price or weight: When creating a new rule, include at least a price adjustment or a weight adjustment, unless the rule is defined purely by Enabled, Stop, or Purchasing Disabled (or you’re updating an existing rule by Rule Id).
Troubleshooting / FAQ
A row says the SKU wasn’t found.
The product SKU in that row doesn’t match a product in your store. Check the SKU and re-upload the affected rows.
A row says a modifier or variant SKU wasn’t found.
The Modifier Name, Modifier Value, or variant Sku you listed must already exist on that product in BigCommerce. Create or correct the option/variant first, then re-upload.
A row says a modifier name or value is missing.
Modifier Name and Modifier Value go together. If you fill in one, you must fill in the other for the same number. Also, don’t put both a Modifier Name and a Sku in the same numbered slot — choose one.
My delete didn’t work.
To delete a rule, the row must be marked to delete (yes) and must include the rule’s Rule Id. Without a Rule Id, the tool doesn’t know which rule to remove.
It says I need at least two conditions.
New rules need at least two valid conditions (modifier pairs and/or variant SKUs). If you’re updating an existing rule, include its Rule Id.
The tool says it can’t read my columns.
Make sure the very first row of your file contains the column names, including SKU, Rule Id, Price Adjuster, and Weight Adjuster columns. Re-upload after fixing the header row.
Where do my results go?
If you chose email delivery, you receive a note when the import completes. Any rows that couldn’t be processed are listed in a downloadable errors file.