Supplier import
What the import expects from a supplier file. One row per material or certificate; one supplier record per name.
Overview
Upload a CSV, TSV, TXT, XLSX or XLS file (first sheet only) through Import from File on the Suppliers tab of Libraries, or Import Suppliers on Partners. Rows that share a supplier name become one supplier record: its identity fields are read from the first row, and every row may add one certificate and one material. A supplier that already exists under the same name is updated, never duplicated. Column names are recognised automatically (case, spaces and punctuation are ignored), and any column can be re-mapped in the wizard before importing.
Requesting data from one supplier
This file is for building your supplier library from a list. To collect certificates, materials or packaging details from a supplier already in the library, open Libraries, choose Collect Data on the supplier and pick Request Data to send or download its data request: an Excel workbook tailored to what that supplier does, with its own instructions. The returned file imports through Upload Returned File. That workbook is documented for suppliers in Filling in a data request.
Columns
Only the supplier name is required. Empty cells are skipped, so a file with nothing but names and countries imports as well as a full one.
| Column | Required | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supplier name | Yes | Oriental Textiles | Groups rows into one supplier record; repeat it on every row of the same supplier. |
| Local name | No | 东方纺织 | The name in the local language. |
| Country | No | China | Country name or ISO code. |
| Capability | No | Fabric mill | Business areas, several per cell separated by commas or semicolons. |
| Address | No | 123 Textile Rd, Shanghai | Street address. |
| Postal code | No | 200000 | Postal code. |
| No | contact@oriental.example | General contact email. | |
| Phone | No | +86 21 1234 5678 | Contact phone. |
| Website | No | https://oriental.example | Website. |
| Unique operator identifier | No | DK12345678 | Economic Operators only: the EORI or registration number shown on the passport. |
| Certification | No | GOTS | One certificate per row; repeat the supplier on the next row for another. |
| Cert body | No | Control Union | Issuing body. |
| Cert number | No | GOTS-2025-001 | Certificate or licence number. |
| Cert expiry | No | 2027-06-30 | ISO or day-first date. |
| Material / component name | No | Main Shell Fabric | Creates a fabric or yarn in the library; leave blank for a supplier-only row. |
| Type (woven/knit) | No | woven | woven or knit. |
| GSM | No | 180 | Fabric weight in grams per square metre. |
| Width (cm) | No | 150 | Fabric width in centimetres. |
| Composition | No | 60% Cotton - Organic 38% Cotton 2% Elastane | Percentages with fibre names or ISO fibre codes. |
| Fabric or yarn supplier name | No | Yangtze Textiles | The trader the fabric or yarn is bought from, if known. Not a production tier. |
| Fabric or yarn supplier country | No | China | Country of that supplier. |
| Business partner role | No | Economic Operator | Fill to also grant partner access: Economic Operator, Business Partner, Assembly Factory or Packaging Supplier. Owners only; an invitation is emailed. |
| Partner login email | No | ops@oriental.example | Required with a role; the first login of the partner organization. |
| Partner contact name | No | Li Wei | Prefills the name on their sign-up form. |
| Partner packaging types | No | Packaging Supplier only: Garment Protective Bag, Hangtag, Silk Paper, Shipping Box, Moisture Control Material, comma-separated. |
Capabilities
The capability cell names the supplier's business areas, several per cell separated by commas or semicolons. These are the names the app offers; other spellings are kept as entered.
| Business area | Covers |
|---|---|
| Assembly Factory | The factory making the finished garment |
| Wash Plant | Internal or external garment washing plant |
| Fabric Supplier | Fabric trader, non-producing entity |
| Dye / Print Factory | Woven dye or print mills |
| Weaving Mill | Woven fabric weaving |
| Spinning Mill | Yarn spinning |
| Raw Material / Fiber Producer | Earliest industrial stage, e.g. viscose fibre production or cotton ginning |
| Yarn Supplier | Yarn trader, non-producing entity |
| Dye Factory | Yarn dyeing factory |
| Knitting Mill | Circular knit knitting factory |
| Raw Materials Processing | Yarn raw material processing |
| Thread Supplier | Sewing thread supplier |
| Button Supplier | Button supplier |
| Zipper Supplier | Zipper supplier |
| Packaging Supplier - Garment Protective Bag | Supplies garment protective bags |
| Packaging Supplier - Hangtag | Supplies hangtags |
| Packaging Supplier - Silk Paper | Supplies silk paper |
| Packaging Supplier - Shipping Box | Supplies shipping boxes |
| Packaging Supplier - Moisture Control Material | Supplies moisture control material |
| Economic Operator | The EU business responsible for the product |
| Business Partner | Partner organization, garment trading company or buying house |
| Other | Any role not listed above |
Certificates
One certificate per row: name, issuing body, number and expiry. Repeat the supplier name on the next row for another certificate; rows with the same certificate name and number are merged. Expiry dates accept ISO dates (2027-06-30) and day-first dates with dashes or dots (30-06-2027, 30.6.2027); two-digit years are not read. A certificate within 60 days of its expiry is flagged in the library and in the weekly alert email.
Materials and components
A row with a material name creates a fabric or yarn in the library, linked to the supplier: its type (woven or knit; fabrics default to woven), weight in grams per square metre, width in centimetres and composition. The composition follows the same spellings as the purchase order import, percentages with fibre names or ISO fibre codes: see the composition rules. A sub-supplier name and country record where the material itself comes from.
Business partners
A role in the business partner role column also grants the supplier access to your Seamdex organization: the supplier record is created or matched as usual, and a partner access grant linked to it invites the login email. Roles: Economic Operator, Business Partner, Assembly Factory and Packaging Supplier. A Packaging Supplier also needs its packaging types (Garment Protective Bag, Hangtag, Silk Paper, Shipping Box and Moisture Control Material), comma-separated.
Only owners can add business partners; a file with partner rows uploaded by another user is stopped before anything is written. Each partner row emails an invitation, so one file holds at most 50 partners and the wizard asks for confirmation before sending them. Grants start without a scope; the owner assigns purchase orders, styles or batches on the Business Partners page.
Supplier portal uploads
A supplier invited to the portal does not use this file. It downloads its own data request there and uploads the completed workbook, which lands on its assigned record; a supplier can never grant access.
Checks before importing
After the file is read, the wizard shows what will happen: how many suppliers, materials and certificates it found, and how many business partners it will invite. It refuses to import while a partner row carries an unknown role, a missing or invalid login email, a login email shared by two suppliers, a Packaging Supplier without packaging types, or more partners than the limit. Packaging types it does not recognise are listed as notes.
Purchase orders and their products are imported separately: see the purchase order import guide.