How do I import menu items?

📋 Overview

• A Mashgin Cloud/Creator account

• A web browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge, etc.)

• A CSV file with your menu items formatted correctly

🚀 How to Import Menu Items

Step 1. Log in to Creator

1. Open your web browser and go to creator.mashgin.com

2. Enter your email and password, then click Sign In

Step 2. Open Menu Transfer

1. Once logged in, look at the left-hand sidebar

2. Find and click "Menu Transfer"

3. Click "Import Menu"

Step 3. Prepare your CSV file

• The file must be a .csv (comma-separated values) file — not .xls or .xlsx

• Column headers must match Creator's expected field names (e.g. Name, Price, UPCs)

• Each row represents one menu item

• Do not include special characters or line breaks inside cells

Step 4. Upload your CSV

1. Click "Choose File" or drag and drop your CSV into the upload area

2. Select your prepared CSV file

3. Click "Preview” to review your import for accuracy

Step 5. Review and confirm the import

1. Creator will display a preview of the items to be imported

2. Review the list for any errors or unexpected values

3. If everything looks correct, click "Confirm" or "Apply" to finalize

4. If you spot issues, click "Cancel", fix your CSV, and re-upload

Step 6. Verify your items in Creator

1. Navigate back to your main menu list in Creator

2. Confirm the imported items appear correctly — check names, prices, and any other fields you updated

3. Your kiosk will automatically sync with Creator — changes typically apply within a few minutes

💡 Tips

• Always export your current menu before importing a new one — it gives you a backup and a properly formatted template

• If you're updating prices for an existing menu, only include the Name, Price, and UPCs columns to keep things simple

• For large imports (hundreds of items), allow a few extra minutes for the kiosk sync to complete

• If you manage multiple locations, import to each location separately — imports are site-specific

• To add items one at a time instead, see How to add and edit menu items

🛠️ Troubleshooting

The import fails or shows an error

1. Make sure the file is saved as .csv, not .xls or .xlsx

2. Open the file in a text editor and check for stray commas, line breaks inside cells, or special characters

3. Confirm all required column headers are present and spelled exactly as Creator expects

4. Try re-exporting a fresh template from Creator and re-entering your data into it

Items imported but prices look wrong

1. Check that the Price column in your CSV contains only numbers — no dollar signs or currency symbols

2. Confirm there are no blank rows in the middle of your spreadsheet

3. Re-import with a corrected file — importing again will overwrite the existing values

Menu Transfer option is not visible

1. Confirm you are logged in to creator.mashgin.com

2. Try refreshing your browser

3. Contact your manager to confirm your account has the correct permissions

🔗 Related Articles

• How to add and edit menu items

• How do I assign a dotcode to an item on Creator?

• What is Creator?