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How can I import new menu items?

Add brand-new menu items to a Mashgin location by importing them via CSV. Covers the import template, required columns, and how to verify the new items show up correctly.

Last updated on July 26, 2026

🆕 Overview

Importing via CSV is the fastest way to add many items at once — useful when standing up a new location, expanding a menu, or rolling out items across locations. Each row in the CSV becomes a new item.

💡

Tip: Export your current menu first and use it as a starting template. The export has the exact column headers Creator expects — just clear the rows and add your new items. See How do I export my menu?.

✅ Before You Start

  1. Export your current menu as a template — see How do I export my menu?. Even an empty menu export gives you the right column headers.
  1. Open the file in a spreadsheet app and add your new items as new rows.
  1. Leave item_id blank — Creator assigns IDs automatically for new items. Never reuse an ID from another menu; it can collide with an existing item.
  1. Required columns: name and price (in dollars, e.g. 5.00). Commonly added: category, tags, pos_id, description, dotcode.
  1. Test with a small batch first. Import 2–3 items before doing a full menu — it confirms your column mapping is correct and avoids a painful rollback.
  1. Save the file as CSV (not .xlsx or .numbers) when ready to import.

📁 How to Import

Step 1 — Open Menu Transfer → Import

  • Confirm you're in the correct location at the top of the screen
  1. In the left sidebar, under Menu Transfer select Import Menu
  1. Click Browse (or drag the file into the upload area) and select your CSV
Notion image

Step 2 — Preview the import

  1. Click Preview Import
  1. Creator shows a summary: items to be Added, Updated, and Skipped
  1. Confirm the Added count matches the number of new rows in your CSV
Notion image
⚠️

If Updated is greater than zero, your CSV is matching some rows to existing items — usually because a name in the file matches an existing item exactly. Review and decide whether that's intentional before applying.

Step 3 — Apply and verify

  1. Click Apply Changes to commit the import
  1. Wait 1–2 minutes for the kiosk to sync automatically
  1. Open All Items in Creator and confirm the new items appear with the correct prices, stations, and tags
  1. Walk up to the kiosk and confirm the new items show up at checkout

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Items don't appear on the kiosk after import

Issue: Items show up in Creator but the kiosk doesn't show them at checkout.

Fix:

  • Confirm the item has a station assigned — items with no station are hidden from the kiosk
  • Wait 1–2 minutes for the kiosk to sync, or manually sync the kiosk
  • Confirm the item is active in Creator

CSV upload is rejected

Issue: Creator rejects the file before processing.

Fix:

  • Confirm the file is saved as CSV — not .xlsx or .numbers
  • Confirm the first row contains column headers (name, price, station, etc.)
  • Confirm name, price, and station are present for every row

🔗 Related Articles

🖐️

Need help? Contact support at 📧 help@mashgin.com or call (855) 475-0889

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How do I import menu items? How to Import Menu Items for Price Mode