> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.indaggo.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Inventory Import & Export

> Bulk import and export products, aliquots, locations, and categories

## Inventory Import

## Getting Started

The lab inventory spreadsheet allows you to import your chemical and biological materials into our system with ease. The template consists of **two sheets**: one for products and one for aliquots (individual portions of products).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download our import template spreadsheet">
    The template contains two sheets: **Products** and **Aliquots**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the Products sheet">
    Add each unique product (as received from vendors)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the Aliquots sheet">
    Add individual aliquots/parts associated to each product
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload the spreadsheet and review">
    Verify all information is correct before submitting
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit and start tracking your inventory digitally!">
    Access your complete inventory through Indaggo
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Understanding the Two-Sheet System

<Info>
  **Products Sheet:** Contains the base product information as received from vendors (e.g., "Sodium Chloride Solution" from Fisher Scientific)

  **Aliquots Sheet:** Contains the individual containers or portions you've created from each product (e.g., "NaCl-A1" - a 250mL aliquot in Fridge 1)
</Info>

## Products Sheet - Column Reference

The **Products** sheet defines each unique product as purchased from vendors.

### Required Fields

<Warning>
  All required fields must be completed for successful import.
</Warning>

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Product Name">
    Full product name or description as received from vendor.

    ```
    Examples:
    - "Sodium Chloride Solution"
    - "Ethanol 200 Proof"
    - "Bovine Serum Albumin"
    - "Mouse IgG Antibody"
    ```

    <Note>This should match the vendor's product name exactly</Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Vendor/Source">
    Supplier or manufacturer name.

    ```
    Common vendors:
    - Fisher Scientific
    - Sigma-Aldrich
    - Thermo Fisher
    - Bio-Rad
    - VWR
    - In-House (for internally prepared materials)
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Catalog Number">
    Vendor's catalog or part number for reordering.

    ```
    Examples:
    - S271-500
    - E7023
    - 161-0719
    ```

    <Tip>This is crucial for reordering the exact same product</Tip>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Category">
    Product classification using hierarchical format with " / " separator.

    ```
    Format: MainCategory/Subcategory/Subcategory2/...

    Examples:
    - Chemical/Salt
    - Chemical/Solvent
    - Chemical/Buffer
    - Biological/Protein
    - Biological/Antibody
    - Biological/Antibody/Biotin Antibody
    - Biological/Reagent
    ```

    <Note>Use forward slash (/) to separate category levels</Note>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Optional Fields (Custom Attributes)

Any additional columns beyond the required fields will be imported as **custom attributes** for the product.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Concentration">
    Product concentration or strength.

    ```
    Examples:
    - "5.0 M"
    - "100%"
    - "10 mg/mL"
    - "1X"
    - "Powder"
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Serial Number">
    Unique serial identifier if provided by manufacturer.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="CAS Number">
    Chemical Abstracts Service registry number (for chemical compounds).

    ```
    Examples:
    - 7647-14-5 (Sodium Chloride)
    - 64-17-5 (Ethanol)
    - 67-68-5 (DMSO)
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Info>
  **Custom Attributes:** You can add any additional columns (e.g., "Hazard Level", "Storage Temperature", "Purity") and they will be imported as searchable attributes.
</Info>

## Aliquots Sheet - Column Reference

The **Aliquots** sheet defines individual containers or portions of products.

### Required Fields

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Product Name">
    **Must match exactly** with a Product Name from the Products sheet.

    ```
    Example:
    If Products sheet has "Sodium Chloride Solution",
    Aliquots sheet must use "Sodium Chloride Solution"
    ```

    <Warning>This field links the aliquot to its parent product</Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Product Catalog Number">
    **Must match exactly** with the Catalog Number from the Products sheet.

    ```
    Example:
    If Products sheet has "S271-500",
    Aliquots sheet must use "S271-500"
    ```

    <Note>Used together with Product Name to uniquely identify the parent product</Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Aliquot Name">
    Your internal identifier for this specific container or portion.

    ```
    Examples:
    - "NaCl-A1"
    - "EtOH-B2"
    - "BSA-Stock"
    - "mIgG-I1"
    ```

    <Tip>Use a consistent naming scheme for easy tracking</Tip>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Aliquot Lot Number">
    Manufacturer's lot or batch number.

    ```
    Examples:
    - LOT-2024-001
    - L21012703DVAK
    - 284928
    ```

    <Note>Important for quality control and traceability</Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Aliquot Amount">
    Quantity of this aliquot (numeric value only).

    ```
    Examples:
    - 250
    - 500
    - 100
    - 1
    ```

    <Warning>Enter only the number, not the unit</Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Aliquot Unit of Measurement">
    Unit for the amount (must be recognized by the system).

    ```
    Supported units:
    - Volume: µL, uL, mL, L
    - Mass: mg, g, kg
    - Count: unit, units
    ```

    <Note>Use standard abbreviations for best results</Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Aliquot Location">
    Physical location using hierarchical format with " > " separator.

    ```
    Format: Building > Room/Area > Storage Unit > Shelf > Container

    Examples:
    - "Lab-A > Fridge 1 > Shelf 2 > Box A"
    - "SW426 > Fridge G > Shelf 3 > Box 435"
    - "UTSC > IC > IC-230 > Box 1"
    ```

    <Tip>Use greater-than symbol (>) to separate location levels</Tip>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Optional Fields

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Aliquot Cost">
    Cost of this specific aliquot (numeric value).

    ```
    Examples:
    - 15.50
    - 320.00
    - 85
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Aliquot Expiry Date">
    Expiration date in YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY/MM/DD format.

    ```
    Examples:
    - 2025-12-31
    - 2026/06/30
    ```

    <Note>System will track expiring items and send notifications</Note>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Info>
  **Custom Attributes:** Additional columns (like "Concentration", "Serial Number", "CAS Number") from the Products sheet can be repeated in the Aliquots sheet for aliquot-specific values.
</Info>

## Example: Complete Import

Here's how a typical import scenario works across both sheets:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Scenario">
    **You purchased:**

    * 1 bottle of Sodium Chloride Solution (500mL) from Fisher Scientific
    * You divided it into 2 aliquots of 250mL each for different locations

    **Result:**

    * **1 row** in Products sheet
    * **2 rows** in Aliquots sheet
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Products Sheet">
    | Product Name             | Catalog Number | Vendor/Source     | Category      | Concentration | CAS Number |
    | ------------------------ | -------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------- | ---------- |
    | Sodium Chloride Solution | S271-500       | Fisher Scientific | Chemical/Salt | 5.0 M         | 7647-14-5  |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Aliquots Sheet">
    | Product Name             | Product Catalog Number | Aliquot Name | Aliquot Lot Number | Aliquot Amount | Aliquot Unit | Aliquot Cost | Aliquot Location                   |
    | ------------------------ | ---------------------- | ------------ | ------------------ | -------------- | ------------ | ------------ | ---------------------------------- |
    | Sodium Chloride Solution | S271-500               | NaCl-A1      | LOT-2024-001       | 250            | mL           | 15.50        | Lab-A > Fridge 1 > Shelf 2 > Box A |
    | Sodium Chloride Solution | S271-500               | NaCl-A2      | LOT-2024-001       | 250            | mL           | 15.50        | Lab-A > Fridge 1 > Shelf 2 > Box A |
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Common Scenarios

### Scenario 1: Single Product, Multiple Aliquots

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Description">
    **You bought:** 1 bottle of antibody (1mL total)

    **You divided into:** 5 aliquots of 200µL each

    **Result:**

    * 1 product row
    * 5 aliquot rows
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Products Sheet (1 row)">
    | Product Name       | Catalog Number | Vendor/Source  | Category            |
    | ------------------ | -------------- | -------------- | ------------------- |
    | Mouse IgG Antibody | 5415S          | Cell Signaling | Biological/Antibody |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Aliquots Sheet (5 rows)">
    | Product Name       | Product Catalog Number | Aliquot Name | Amount | Unit | Location                  |
    | ------------------ | ---------------------- | ------------ | ------ | ---- | ------------------------- |
    | Mouse IgG Antibody | 5415S                  | mIgG-1       | 200    | µL   | Lab-I > Freezer B > Box 8 |
    | Mouse IgG Antibody | 5415S                  | mIgG-2       | 200    | µL   | Lab-I > Freezer B > Box 8 |
    | Mouse IgG Antibody | 5415S                  | mIgG-3       | 200    | µL   | Lab-I > Freezer B > Box 8 |
    | Mouse IgG Antibody | 5415S                  | mIgG-4       | 200    | µL   | Lab-I > Freezer B > Box 8 |
    | Mouse IgG Antibody | 5415S                  | mIgG-5       | 200    | µL   | Lab-I > Freezer B > Box 8 |
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Scenario 2: Multiple Products, Single Aliquot Each

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Description">
    **You have:** 3 different products, each kept as one container

    **Result:**

    * 3 product rows
    * 3 aliquot rows (one per product)
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Products Sheet (3 rows)">
    | Product Name      | Catalog Number | Vendor/Source   | Category         |
    | ----------------- | -------------- | --------------- | ---------------- |
    | Ethanol 200 Proof | E7023          | Sigma-Aldrich   | Chemical/Solvent |
    | DMSO              | D2650          | Millipore Sigma | Chemical/Solvent |
    | Glucose           | 194683         | MP Biomedicals  | Chemical/Sugar   |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Aliquots Sheet (3 rows)">
    | Product Name      | Product Catalog Number | Aliquot Name | Amount | Unit |
    | ----------------- | ---------------------- | ------------ | ------ | ---- |
    | Ethanol 200 Proof | E7023                  | EtOH-B1      | 500    | mL   |
    | DMSO              | D2650                  | DMSO-F1      | 100    | mL   |
    | Glucose           | 194683                 | Gluc-G1      | 500    | g    |
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Scenario 3: Same Product, Different Vendors

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Description">
    **You bought:** Ethanol from two different vendors

    **Result:**

    * 2 product rows (different vendors = different products)
    * 2+ aliquot rows
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Products Sheet (2 rows)">
    | Product Name      | Catalog Number | Vendor/Source     | Category         |
    | ----------------- | -------------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
    | Ethanol 200 Proof | E7023          | Sigma-Aldrich     | Chemical/Solvent |
    | Ethanol 200 Proof | BP2818500      | Fisher Scientific | Chemical/Solvent |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Aliquots Sheet">
    | Product Name      | Product Catalog Number | Aliquot Name  | Amount | Unit |
    | ----------------- | ---------------------- | ------------- | ------ | ---- |
    | Ethanol 200 Proof | E7023                  | EtOH-Sigma-1  | 500    | mL   |
    | Ethanol 200 Proof | BP2818500              | EtOH-Fisher-1 | 500    | mL   |

    <Note>Different catalog numbers distinguish the same product from different vendors</Note>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Location Management

### Location Hierarchy

The location system follows a hierarchical structure using `>` as separator:

```mermaid theme={null}
graph TD
    A[BUILDING/LAB<br/>SW426] --> B[STORAGE UNIT<br/>Fridge G]
    B --> C[SHELF<br/>Shelf 3]
    C --> D[CONTAINER<br/>Box 435]
    D --> E[SUB-CONTAINER<br/>Rack 2]
```

### Location Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Be Specific">
    Include enough detail to locate items quickly

    ✅ "Lab-A > Fridge 1 > Shelf 2 > Box A"

    ❌ "Fridge"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Be Consistent">
    Use the same naming convention across all items

    ✅ All use "Fridge 1" or all use "Fridge A"

    ❌ Mix of "Fridge 1", "Fridge A", "Refrig 1"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use Separators">
    Always use `>` to separate levels

    ✅ "Lab > Fridge > Shelf > Box"

    ❌ "Lab, Fridge, Shelf, Box"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Avoid Special Characters">
    Stick to alphanumeric characters and spaces

    ✅ "Box 12A" or "Box-12A"

    ❌ "Box#12" or "Box\@12"
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Import & Maintenance

<Info>
  **Important Notes:**

  * The inventory import feature is designed for **initial** inventory upload
  * The spreadsheet import **does not support** updating products or aliquots that have already been imported
  * After import, all updates (amount changes, location moves, etc.) should be done through the Indaggo interface
  * For bulk updates after initial import, contact Indaggo Support
</Info>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Product-Aliquot Linking Issues">
    **Error: "No product assigned for this aliquot"**

    **Causes:**

    * Product Name doesn't match exactly between sheets
    * Catalog Number doesn't match exactly between sheets
    * Extra spaces in Product Name or Catalog Number
    * Product not defined in Products sheet

    **Solution:**

    1. Copy Product Name from Products sheet directly to Aliquots sheet
    2. Copy Catalog Number from Products sheet directly to Aliquots sheet
    3. Check for leading/trailing spaces
    4. Ensure product exists in Products sheet before adding aliquots
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Unit of Measurement Issues">
    **Error: "Unit of measurement is missing"**

    **Common issues:**

    * Using unrecognized units (e.g., "milliliters" instead of "mL")
    * Typos in unit names
    * Mixed case (usually not an issue, but be consistent)

    **Supported units:**

    ```
    Volume: µL, uL, mL, L
    Mass: mg, g, kg
    Count: unit, units
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Missing Required Fields">
    **Error: "Required field is missing"**

    Check these fields are filled for **Products**:

    * Product Name
    * Vendor/Source
    * Catalog Number
    * Category

    Check these fields are filled for **Aliquots**:

    * Product Name
    * Product Catalog Number
    * Aliquot Name
    * Aliquot Lot Number
    * Aliquot Amount
    * Aliquot Unit of Measurement
    * Aliquot Location
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Inventory Export

Export your complete inventory data to Excel spreadsheets for backup, analysis, or migration purposes.

### Overview

The inventory export feature generates a comprehensive Excel workbook containing all your labspace data across four sheets:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Products Sheet">
    All product information including names, catalog numbers, categories, sources, and aliquot counts
  </Card>

  <Card title="Aliquots Sheet">
    Individual aliquots with lot numbers, amounts, expiration dates, and locations
  </Card>

  <Card title="Locations Sheet">
    Storage location hierarchy with parent-child relationships
  </Card>

  <Card title="Categories Sheet">
    Product and equipment categories with parent-child relationships
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### How to Export

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Export Settings">
    Go to **Settings > Advanced > Export Inventory**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the export">
    Click **"Export Data"** and confirm the action

    <Info>
      The export process runs in the background and may take a few minutes depending on your inventory size.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor export status">
    The export will show one of three statuses:

    * **Started** (amber): Export is in progress
    * **Complete** (green): Export is ready to download
    * **Error** (red): Export failed - contact support
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download your data">
    Once complete, click the **"Download"** button to get your Excel file
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Export File Structure

The exported Excel workbook contains four sheets with the following data:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Products">
    | Column         | Description                         |
    | -------------- | ----------------------------------- |
    | Product Name   | Full product name                   |
    | Preferred Name | Custom display name                 |
    | Description    | Product description                 |
    | Catalog Number | Vendor catalog number               |
    | Category       | Product category                    |
    | Source         | Vendor/supplier name                |
    | Aliquot Count  | Number of aliquots for this product |
    | Created At     | Timestamp when product was added    |
    | Updated At     | Timestamp of last update            |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Aliquots">
    | Column       | Description                        |
    | ------------ | ---------------------------------- |
    | Product Name | Parent product name                |
    | Aliquot Name | Unique identifier for this aliquot |
    | Lot Number   | Manufacturer lot/batch number      |
    | Description  | Aliquot-specific notes             |
    | Amount Left  | Current quantity remaining         |
    | Unit         | Unit of measurement (mL, g, etc.)  |
    | Expires At   | Expiration date (if applicable)    |
    | Location     | Storage location name              |
    | Created At   | Timestamp when aliquot was added   |
    | Updated At   | Timestamp of last update           |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Locations">
    | Column               | Description                         |
    | -------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
    | Parent Location Name | Parent in location hierarchy        |
    | Location Name        | Name of this location               |
    | Description          | Location description/notes          |
    | Created At           | Timestamp when location was created |
    | Updated At           | Timestamp of last update            |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Categories">
    | Column               | Description                         |
    | -------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
    | Parent Category Name | Parent in category hierarchy        |
    | Category Name        | Name of this category               |
    | Description          | Category description/notes          |
    | Created At           | Timestamp when category was created |
    | Updated At           | Timestamp of last update            |
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Common Use Cases

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Backup & Archiving">
    Create periodic backups of your inventory data for disaster recovery or compliance requirements. Download and store exports in a secure location.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Data Analysis">
    Export inventory data to perform custom analysis in Excel, generate reports, or create visualizations not available in the platform.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Migration & Integration">
    Export data when migrating to a different system or integrating with external tools like ERP systems or custom databases.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Audit & Compliance">
    Generate snapshots of inventory for regulatory audits, grant reporting, or internal compliance reviews.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Managing Exports

<Info>
  **Export History**: All previous exports are listed on the Export Inventory page, showing file size, creation date, and download status. You can download any completed export or delete exports you no longer need.
</Info>

<Warning>
  **Important Notes:**

  * Exports are stored securely in your labspace's private storage region
  * Large inventories may take several minutes to export
  * You can create multiple exports - each is a snapshot of your inventory at that point in time
  * Deleted exports cannot be recovered
</Warning>

### Permissions

<Note>
  **Admin Access Required**: Only lab administrators and users with appropriate permissions can access the inventory export feature. This is typically found under Settings > Advanced.
</Note>

***

<Info>
  This documentation covers both the inventory import and export processes.

  For technical support, contact the Indaggo Support Team at [support@indaggo.com](mailto:support@indaggo.com).
</Info>