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How to Bulk Edit Menu Items

Edit many menu items at once in Creator — either with the in-app multi-select tools on the All Items page, or by exporting your menu as a CSV, editing it in a spreadsheet, and re-importing it. Includes column requirements, common errors, and rollback tips.

Last updated on July 23, 2026

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Always export your current menu before any bulk operation. A bad import can overwrite items, change prices, or break links to dotcodes and containers. The export gives you a rollback file.

📋 Overview

Bulk editing in Creator follows a simple three-step flow:

  1. Export your current menu as a CSV
  1. Edit the file in a spreadsheet app
  1. Import the updated file back into Creator

The export gives you a rollback file. The spreadsheet view makes large changes easy to review. The import preview tells you exactly what will change before you commit.

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Tip: Treat your menu spreadsheet as a version of your menu, not a one-off. Save each edited copy with a date in the filename so you can roll back to any point in time.

1️⃣ Export Your Menu First

⚠️

Export your menu before making any changes — the CSV is your rollback file if something goes wrong during import.

For step-by-step instructions, see How do I export my menu?.

2️⃣ Edit Items

  1. Open the exported CSV in a spreadsheet app — Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers
  1. Make your changes — update prices, taxes, tags, station assignments, availability, or any other supported field
  1. Do not change Item IDs or column headers — these are how Creator matches your edited rows back to existing items
  1. Save the file as CSV (Comma-separated values) when you're done — not .xlsx or .numbers
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Renaming a header or blanking out an item_id will cause the import to create duplicate items instead of updating the originals. If in doubt, leave structural columns alone.

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Required columns when re-importing:

  • item_id or pos_id (one is required)
  • price (required)
  • name (optional but strongly recommended)

Other columns are optional and depend on what you're updating (tags, dotcode, daypart, etc.).

3️⃣ How to Import Menu

Step 1. Open Menu Transfer → Import

  1. In Creator, click Menu Transfer in the left sidebar
  1. Select the Import tab
  1. Click Browse (or drag the file into the upload area) and select your edited .csv
  1. The file name appears in the upload field once it's ready
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Step 2. Preview the import

  1. Click Preview Import
  1. Creator shows a summary: how many items will be Added, Updated, or Removed
  1. Review the preview carefully — confirm the counts match what you expected
Notion image
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If the Updated count is much higher than expected, your CSV may be matching items by name where you intended to add new ones. Cancel and inspect the file before applying.

Step 3. Apply the changes

  1. Click Apply Changes to commit the import
  1. Creator processes the file and shows an Import Successful confirmation
  1. Changes sync to the kiosk automatically within a couple of minutes

To verify, run a test transaction or open a recently-changed item to confirm the price/details look right.

Notion image
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For full import details (matching logic, supported fields, edge cases), see How do I import menu items?.

💡 Tips

  • Test on one item first. When trying a new CSV layout, import a single-row file to confirm the columns map the way you expect.
  • Keep one source of truth. If the same items live in your POS or a master spreadsheet, treat that as the source and re-export from there each time — don't edit the CSV by hand for some changes and the master for others.
  • Watch out for duplicates by name. If two items share a name, CSV import may only update one of them. Use item_id or pos_id to disambiguate.
  • Date your filenames. Saving each edited file as menu_2026-04-28.csv makes it easy to roll back to a specific point in time.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Import fails with a "missing required column" error

Issue: Creator rejects the file before processing.

Fix:

  1. Open the CSV and confirm a header row is present (first row should contain column names like item_id, price, name)
  1. Confirm at least one of item_id or pos_id is present, and that price is present
  1. Save the file as CSV (Comma-separated values) — not .xlsx or .numbers

Items I expected to update were added as duplicates

Issue: The import created new items instead of updating existing ones.

Fix:

  1. Items match on item_id or pos_id first — if those columns are missing, Creator may treat the row as a new item
  1. Add the item_id column from your exported menu to the CSV
  1. Delete the duplicates created by the bad import (see How to Delete Menu Items)
  1. Re-import with item_id populated

Kiosk still shows old prices after import

Issue: Import succeeded in Creator but the kiosk still shows the old menu.

Fix:

  1. Wait 1–2 minutes — sync is automatic
  1. If still stale, enter Manage Mode on the kiosk and press Sync DB — see How do I access kiosk manage mode?
  1. Wait approximately one minute for the sync to complete

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

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