Drafts let your team stage new product content, such as seasonal titles, event bullets, or updated descriptions, in Pattern PXM without changing the content that's live on your products today.
A draft is a named set of staged attribute values (for example, "Christmas" or "Halloween") that sits alongside your live, approved content. Draft values never go live on their own, and they never syndicate to your channels. When the content is ready, you can send it for approval or make it live.
Ready to get sign-off? See PIM Approvals: Review and Approve Product Information in PXM.
Key concepts
Approved values — your live product content. Approved values are what your channels receive when you syndicate.
Draft — a named set of staged values, such as "Christmas" or "Halloween." You can have several drafts at the same time.
Draft value — the staged value for one attribute in one draft. For any attribute on a product, such as Title, PXM holds one approved value plus up to one staged value in each draft.
Draft Data import — an import type that writes values from your spreadsheet into a draft instead of your live content.
Note: Drafts aren't the same as multi-select attributes, and they're separate from the "Draft" status you may see on a syndication job.
Who can use Drafts
Drafts are included with every Pattern PXM account, alongside PIM Approvals and Image Approvals.
Importing to a draft: users who can import product data can choose Draft Data as the import type.
Writing to approved (live) content: requires permission to approve content. Without it, the Approved option isn't available when you import and you'll only see Draft. That's expected. Ask an Admin or Super Admin on your team if you need that access.
Sending a draft for approval: only users with the Admin or Super Admin role can start an approval.
Learn more about roles in User Roles and Permissions in Pattern PXM.
Stage content in a draft
The most common way to add content to a draft is a Draft Data import from a spreadsheet of your existing products and attributes.
Open Upload / Import.
On the upload settings screen, select the Data Import tab.
Choose the Draft Data import type.
Under Set Draft for Import, pick an existing draft, or click Create a new draft and give it a name you'll recognize later, such as the event or season. If you don't see named drafts on your account, contact your Customer Success Manager.
Upload your Excel file and click Launch Import.
A Draft Data import writes only to the draft you chose. Your live content doesn't change, and no syndication starts. A standard Data import (or choosing Approved) updates your live content instead, and may start automatic syndication if that's turned on for your account.
If some rows don't import
Draft Data imports update attributes that already exist on your products. If an attribute in your file isn't on a product yet, that row usually fails and the import shows needs review. The rest of the file can still import successfully. To stage a value for a new attribute, add that attribute to the product first (a blank value is fine), then import again.
Importing into the same draft again
Attributes included in the new file replace the values already staged in that draft.
New columns in the file are added to the draft.
Staged attributes that aren't in the new file stay as they are.
Blank cells don't clear a staged value, and you can't delete a single staged value through an import.
View draft values on a product
Open the product and go to its Attributes.
Use the Draft picker at the top right to switch from your approved values to a draft.
Pick the draft you want to see. If the fields are empty, nothing has been staged in that draft for this product yet.
Note: Draft values show on the Attributes tab and in Export Global Attributes when that attribute already exists on the product. If you imported to a draft but don't see the fields, check that the attributes exist on the product and that the import didn't show needs review.
Send draft content for approval
Use a draft to choose exactly which attributes reviewers see. You'll need a draft that already has staged values.
Open the Products tab and select the products you want reviewed.
Open the Batch Action menu (the three-dot menu in the bottom-right action bar) and click Start Approval Flow.
Choose Select specific attributes.
Under Select Draft, pick the draft that holds your staged content, then click Continue.
Choose the attributes to review. Use Search Attributes to find them, or Select All.
Click Continue to Review. The preview shows only the draft values for the attributes you selected. Then click Send for Approval and finish setting up your approval steps.
The rest of the process (steps, approvers, watchers, and reviewing) works the same as any approval. See PIM Approvals for the full walkthrough.
Note: When you select several products, the attribute list only shows draft attributes that exist on every selected product. If an attribute is missing, add it to each selected product first.
Make draft content live
Draft values never go live by themselves. To move them into your approved content, either:
Complete an approval whose workflow saves approved content to your products' approved values, or
Re-import the values as Approved, or with a standard Data import, which writes them straight to your live content.
Making content live doesn't clear the draft. The staged values stay in the draft, so you can keep using it as a reference or update it later.
Export and publish draft values
When you export or publish, PXM uses your approved values unless you choose a draft.
Export Global Attributes: use the Select Draft picker (it defaults to Approved) to export a draft's values.
Publish to Channel: when mapping attributes, choose the draft as the source. If you don't, your approved values are used.
Drafts and syndication
Your regular syndication uses approved content only.
A Draft Data import never starts syndication.
Completing an approval doesn't automatically syndicate. Publishing to a channel is still a separate step.
Draft content only goes to a channel if you choose the draft as the source when you publish.
Tips and best practices
Remember a draft isn't live. Staged values stay in PXM until you approve them or import them as Approved.
Always pick the draft when you export. If you forget, your approved values are exported instead.
"Needs review" on an import isn't an approval. It means some rows didn't import. It's separate from reviewing an approval.
"Mark draft content as approved" is only a label. This import checkbox tags the staged content. It doesn't make it live or send it to your channels.
Name drafts by purpose. An event or season name, such as "Christmas" or "Prime Day July," makes the right draft easy to find.
Prepare ahead of events. Stage event content in its own draft early, get it approved, and make it live when you're ready, without touching your everyday listings.
Setting up your first draft? Your Customer Success Manager can help you plan your drafts and first import.
FAQ
Can one attribute have several draft values at the same time?
Yes. Each attribute can have one value per draft, plus the one approved value. Pick the draft to see its values.
Will draft content syndicate to my channels?
No. Your regular syndication uses approved values only. Draft content only goes to a channel if you choose the draft as the source when you publish.
Does a Draft Data import change my live product content?
No. It only writes to the draft you choose. Your approved values stay exactly as they are.
I imported to a draft but don't see the fields. What happened?
Draft values show when the attribute already exists on the product. Check whether the import shows needs review, add any missing attributes to the product, and import again.
I checked "Mark draft content as approved." Is my content live?
No. That checkbox only labels the draft. To make the content live, complete an approval that saves to approved values, or re-import it as Approved.
Why can I only choose Draft when I import?
Writing to approved content requires permission to approve content, so without it you'll only see Draft. Ask an Admin or Super Admin on your team to check your role.
My import says it needs review. Is that an approval?
No. It means some rows didn't import, usually because the attribute doesn't exist on that product or the value is blank or invalid. Fix those rows and import again. The other rows still import.
I made my draft content live. Why do I still see it in the draft?
Making content live doesn't clear the draft. The staged values stay there until you replace them.
Can I remove one attribute from a draft?
Not through an import today. Blank cells don't clear staged values. Contact support if you need a staged value removed.
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Need help?
Want help setting up your first draft or planning content for an upcoming event? Reach out to your Customer Success Manager or email pxmsupport@pattern.com.