This guide outlines how to upload product images to Google Drive, generate the correct download links, and import them into Acenda using a CSV file.
There are three main steps to this process:
Configure Google Drive permissions.
Prepare your CSV file (converting links to direct download format).
Import the file into Acenda.
1. Upload and Configure Permissions
Before importing, your images must be hosted online and publicly accessible so the Acenda system can download them.
Upload Images: Drag and drop your image folder or individual files into Google Drive.
Set Permissions:
Right-click the folder containing your images and select Share > Share.
Under General Access, change the setting from "Restricted" to Anyone with the link.
Ensure the role is set to Viewer.
Click Done.
Note: If you skip this step, Acenda will not be able to access the files, and the import will fail.
2. Prepare Your Spreadsheet (CSV)
You will need to create a spreadsheet that maps your SKUs to their corresponding image URLs.
1. Set up the Headers
Open a new Excel or Google Sheets file. In the first row, add the following headers:
Required:
skuimages.default.main.url
Optional:
images.default.swatch.urlimages.default.1.alternate.urlimages.default.2.alternate.url(You can add up to 15 alternate images by incrementing the number)
2. Copy Image Links
You need to copy the direct links from Google Drive into your spreadsheet.
Bulk Copy: Highlight your images in Google Drive (up to 390 at a time).
Right-click, select Share, and then click Copy links.
Paste these links into an empty column in your spreadsheet.
Tip: If the links paste into a single cell separated by commas, use the Excel function
=TEXTSPLIT(A1, ", ")to separate them into individual cells.
3. Match Images to SKUs
Ensure every image URL is in the same row as its corresponding SKU.
4. Reformat the Links (Critical Step)
Standard Google Drive "View" links will not work for importing; they must be converted to "Direct Download" links.
Use the Find and Replace tool (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) in your spreadsheet to make the following changes to the image URL columns:
First Replacement:
Find:
file/d/Replace with:
uc?id=
Second Replacement:
Find:
/view?usp=drive_linkReplace with: (Leave this blank to delete the text)
5. Final Clean Up
Remove any temporary columns (such as filenames or raw comma-separated links).
Test a link: Copy one of your updated URLs and paste it into an Incognito/Private browser window. It should download the image or display it directly without asking you to log in.
Save: Save the file as CSV UTF-8.
3. Import to Acenda
Log in to Acenda and navigate to Import/Exports > Import.
Click + New Import.
Import Type: Select Catalog.
File Selection: Drag and drop your CSV UTF-8 file into the upload box.
Map Fields:
Ensure the headers (e.g.,
images.default.main.url) match the Acenda fields on the right.If they don't match automatically, select the correct field from the dropdown.
Ensure the checkbox to the left of each attribute is checked.
Import Settings:
To add new products only: Leave checkboxes unchecked.
To update existing products: Check Overwrite any records that have the same ID.
Click Start Import.