Managing the Product Catalog

The product catalog is your curated library of the goods you trade - each product tied to the shipper that supplies it, with an optional product code and HS code. Unlike parties, the catalog is curated rather than learned: products are only added when you choose to, which keeps it a clean, trusted reference for classifying line items during review.

Before you start

• You know which shipper supplies each product
• You have product codes (SKUs) and HS codes ready, where you use them (both are optional)
• For bulk loading, a spreadsheet of your products

Steps

1. Open the Products page

Products in the sidebar lists your catalog. Each row shows the Shipper, Description, Code, HS Code, and when it was last Updated. Click any column header to sort by it; click again to reverse the direction. Use the search box on the right to filter by description, code, or shipper.

2. Add a product

Click Add Product and fill in:

• Shipper - start typing to search your parties; pick an existing company, or choose Add as a new shipper to register one without leaving the form.
• Description - what the product is (required).
• Product Code (SKU) - the supplier’s part number (optional).
• HS Code - the classification, if you already know it (optional).

The catalog holds one product per identity within a shipper - matched by product code when one is present, otherwise by description. Adding a product that already exists for that shipper is rejected so the catalog stays free of duplicates.

3. Import products in bulk

For a large catalog, click Import:

1. Download the template as Excel or CSV.
2. Fill in one product per row.
3. Upload it. CargoLint first runs a validation pass (a dry run that writes nothing) and reports, per row, whether it would be created, is a duplicate, or has an error - plus how many new shippers it would create.
4. Review the summary, then import to commit. Duplicates are skipped, missing shippers are created automatically, and valid rows still import even if others have errors.

Note: The import file is capped at 50 MB, which comfortably covers hundreds of thousands of rows.

4. Edit or delete a product

Use the pencil icon on a row to edit any field, or the trash icon to remove it. Deletes are permanent and take the product out of the catalog immediately.

5. Reuse the catalog during review

The catalog earns its keep in the Review Queue. As you review a document’s line items, CargoLint matches each line to the catalog by shipper plus code or description. When a line matches a catalogued product, its saved HS code is offered; when the line carries a different code, you’re prompted to update the catalog; when the product isn’t catalogued yet, you’re prompted to add it. This keeps the same product classified the same way across every shipment.

Tip: Build the catalog from your review work - each time you confirm an HS code, save it to the catalog so the next document that carries the same product reuses it automatically.

Tip: Because the catalog is curated, it never fills up with noise from one-off documents. Add deliberately and it stays a reliable source of truth.

What’s next

• How to Manage HS Codes - Find and verify the right classification for a product
• Managing Parties - The shippers and consignees the catalog draws from
• Products and Parties - The concept behind the catalog and parties: curated vs learned
• How to Review Documents - Where catalogued products are recalled and saved