Product list
The Product list section centralizes your entire catalog: every item you sell, whether physical, digital, recurring, informational or tied to an event, is created and managed here. Come here whenever you launch a new item, import an existing catalog, update a price, adjust stock, change photos, reorder how items are displayed, or temporarily remove a product from sale.
Each row of the table shows the Product name, its Status, its Quantity and its Price. For a product with no stock limit, the quantity shown is Unlimited. Click on a row to open the product page and edit it. The small quick-edit button lets you correct a price or stock level without opening the full page.
Create a product
Click Create a product then choose the type that matches what you sell, since each type opens a tailored form:
| Type | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Physical product | Material item shipped to your customers | Clothing, accessories, books |
| Digital product | Downloadable content delivered to the customer after purchase | Ebook, printable PDF file, audio |
| Event | Registration for an online or in-person event, with a date and location | Webinar, workshop, conference, show |
| Subscription | Service billed on a recurring basis, delivered to the customer regularly | Monthly box, subscription newsletter, coaching |
| Informational page | Detailed presentation with no direct purchase option | Service page, presentation of an offering |
Then confirm with Validate to open the creation form.
Edit products
Rather than opening each product page one by one, this view gathers your whole catalog into an editable table: one row per product, its variants below. Come here for batch touch-ups, whenever an inventory count forces you to correct stock levels, a new price list applies to a whole range, the end of a season leads you to hide several products or your items need to be filed under the right categories.
To get there, open the More actions menu and choose Edit products.
Each product is edited directly in the table:
- Status switches from Available to Hidden or Inactive in one click.
- Categories can be checked and unchecked to re-file the product.
- Tag edits the text shown on the product thumbnail, the same one as in Create a label.
- Quantity adjusts the stock. Leave the field empty for unlimited stock.
- Price is the sale amount including tax.
A product with several variants unfolds into one row per variant: Quantity and Price are then set variant by variant, while Status, Categories and Tag stay at the product level. A product with a single price is edited entirely on its own row.
Each changed value stays highlighted until it is saved, and the Save button counts the pending changes. Click Save to apply everything at once: only the changed values are sent to your store. If you click Back without saving, you are asked to confirm so you do not lose your changes.
Import products with the assistant
Rather than creating each product by hand, the assistant rebuilds your entire catalog from a CSV file. Come here when you migrate from another e-commerce solution or when you receive a supplier's catalog: instead of re-entering each product one by one, you import the file and the assistant automatically derives every product, its variants, its prices, its images and its stock.
To start an import, open the More actions menu and choose Import with the assistant. The same function is offered at the end of your store setup, with Import my products, and when your catalog is still empty, with Import products.
The assistant only accepts CSV files exported from your e-commerce solution (Shopify, PrestaShop, Squarespace, Etsy or Big Cartel) or a supplier catalog. You can drop up to 8 files, within a total limit of 18 MB.
For an accurate import, lay out your file with one row per product or variant and one column per piece of information (name, description, price, stock, reference, image…). Adding a column for your Categories and your Faceted filters is optional. For example:
| name | price | stock | reference | category | brand | filter | size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew-neck tee | 19.90 | 50 | 3401234567890 | Clothing > Tees | Vivlab | Organic cotton | M |
| Crew-neck tee | 19.90 | 35 | 3401234567891 | Clothing > Tees | Vivlab | Organic cotton | L |
| Ceramic mug | 12.00 | 120 | 3409876543210 | Accessories | Vivlab | Ceramic |
Download this example as a CSV file
Repeat the same name across several rows to create variants, changing only the column that differs (here the size): the assistant groups these rows under a single product, each keeping its price, stock and reference. The category column links the product to your Categories, and the brand and filter columns to your Faceted filters. Enter the name or identifier of an entry you have already created and the assistant attaches the product to the matching ones.
Add an image column with the address (URL) of each photo: Vivlab downloads them and hosts them automatically on its platform, with no manual upload on your part.
WARNING
Your Categories and Faceted filters must already exist in your store to be assigned from the file. Create them first from your Categories and your Faceted filters: the assistant ignores any value that does not exist yet.
Once your files are added, click Analyze. The assistant reads their content and lists the detected products, each with its name, its image, its number of variants and its price range. Check the products to add to your catalog, uncheck the ones to leave out, then click Create: the assistant creates each product and shows the progress row by row.
Imported products behave like products entered manually. Then open each product page to check a price, complete a description or enable an option.
TIP
The assistant only uses the information present in the file: it does not invent prices or stock. Review the list of detected products before confirming it, then refine each page after creation.
Sync Faire
Once the Faire connection is set up, the Sync Faire option appears in the menu next to Create a product. Come here to push your Vivlab products to your Faire shop, or to adjust from Vivlab the listings already on Faire (price, stock, status, category) without going back to the Faire interface.
The screen opens on two tabs:
- Synced with Faire lists the products already on Faire. Edit the Category, Wholesale price, Suggested retail price, Stock or Status of a product or variant, then click Save: only the modified values are sent to Faire.
- Not synced lists the Vivlab products that are not yet on Faire. Check the ones to push, fill in the Faire Category and the Wholesale price for each variant, then click Import: Vivlab creates the listings on Faire with their images, variants and stocks.
Click a row to expand the product's variants and adjust their price, stock or status individually.
WARNING
Faire requires the suggested retail price to be between 1.25 and 10 times the wholesale price. A variant outside this range is flagged in red and blocks saving until it is corrected.
Reorder products
The Reorder products button lets you choose the catalog's display order on your store. Three modes are available: automatic sort by update date, by creation date, or Manual order to drag and drop each product to the desired place. Manual sort is useful for showcasing new arrivals or best-sellers.
Product page
Clicking on a product gives you access to all its settings, organized into several sections.
The Product status controls its visibility: Available to display and sell it, Hidden to remove it from the catalog while keeping a working direct link, or Disabled to make it completely unavailable.
Then fill in the Product name, used as the title and URL, then add the Product images (drag and drop to reorder, the first one is used as the thumbnail) and the Product description in the rich-text editor.
The Product pricing defines the prices and the variants offered (sizes, colors, formats). For each price, enter the Amount including tax, the available Quantity (empty = unlimited stock) and the Product reference.
The Product categorization links the item to the rest of the catalog: select the Categories it belongs to and check the values of Faceted filters to let visitors refine their search.
Enrich the product page
This section gathers all the optional add-ons that complement the product page. Each option is enabled with a switch and stays off until you need it. Some options only appear for certain product types (physical, digital, event, subscription, informational page), this is noted each time.
Create a label
The label tells the visitor about a new arrival, an exclusive or a promotion right on the product thumbnail in the catalog. Type the text to display (for example New, Limited edition, -20%) then choose its color. The available colors come from your theme and your brand to stay consistent with your visual identity.
Flag a promotion
Displays a strikethrough price next to the sale price to highlight a discount. Enter the initial price: it must be strictly higher than the product's amount including tax, otherwise the promotion won't appear. This option is not available for informational pages.
Customize the SEO description
Lets you write specific text for search engines, separate from the description visible on the product page. Aim for between 150 and 200 characters for optimal SEO, with a strict 250-character limit. This option is not available for informational pages.
Set a VAT rate
Applies a custom VAT rate to this product, different from your store's default rate. Useful for products subject to a reduced rate (books, food, press). Enter the rate as a percentage (for example 5.5). This option is not available for informational pages.
Insert a .pdf document
Adds a downloadable PDF document on the product page, in addition to the description. Handy for attaching technical instructions, a care sheet, a size guide or detailed documentation. One PDF per product; to replace it, delete the previous one first.
Add a YouTube or Vimeo link
Embeds a presentation video directly on the product page. Paste the full video URL (for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...): the preview appears immediately below the field so you can check the rendering before saving.
Add a weight to the product
Sets the weight in kilograms used to automatically calculate shipping fees when your shipping options depend on weight. Available only for physical products. Decimals are accepted (for example 1.25) for greater precision.
Add custom text fields
Asks the customer to enter information at checkout (first name to engrave, gift card message, custom-fit clothing size, requested delivery date). Add as many fields as you need with Add and name each one based on what you expect from the customer. The answers entered then appear on the order. This option is not available for informational pages.
Add options to the product
Creates lists of choices the customer must make before adding the product to the cart (packaging color, scent, level of personalization). For each option, give it a name (for example Color) then list its values (for example Red, Blue, Black). Unlike the variants defined in Product pricing, options don't affect price or stock: they only collect the customer's choice. This option is not available for informational pages.
Link the product to specific shipping options
Restricts the shipping methods available for this product, overriding your global store list. Essential for bulky, fragile or refrigerated items that require a specific carrier. Select up to 8 shipping options. Available only for physical products.
Link other products
Suggests up to 8 related products on the page to increase the average basket (cross-sell, matching accessories, frequently bought together). Search each product by name then add it to the list. This option is not available for informational pages.
Add a link in a button
Displays a button below the description that links to an external or internal URL, in place of the buy button. Fill in the Button text (for example Learn more, Contact us) and the Button link. Available only for informational pages, since they have no buy button by default.
Type-specific specifics
Digital product
For a digital product, you attach to the page the downloadable files the customer will receive after their purchase (PDF ebooks, patterns, audio, video, print files, wallpapers). A few important points:
- Automatic download: at the end of the order, the customer receives a confirmation e-mail containing an individual download link.
- Live updates: if you replace a file with a new version, all customers who already bought the product automatically get the update on their next download. Handy to fix a typo in an ebook or deliver a new season of content, but use with care.
- File name: give your files a clear name (e.g.
yoga-beginners-guide-v2.pdfrather thandocument_final-2.pdf): that's the name the customer sees when downloading.
Subscription
A subscription product charges your customer on a recurring basis, according to the frequency and duration you set in the Product pricing.
- Fixed or indefinite duration: you can fix a number of cycles (e.g. 12 months for a yearly box) or let the subscription run indefinitely until the customer asks to stop.
- Customer-initiated cancellation: for an indefinite subscription, the customer must contact you directly to cancel ; make sure to explain the process on your Contact page or in your terms.
- Automatic renewal: each due date is billed automatically on the card the customer registered. You see the state of every subscription from the Subscription section.
Event
An Event product looks like a physical product but represents an enrolment on a given date (workshop, conference, session, tasting, concert) rather than a shipment.
- Date and place in the description: clearly indicate the date, time and address in the Product description: that's what the customer will find in their confirmation e-mail.
- Limiting seats: use the Quantity field in Product pricing to set the number of available seats. When stock reaches zero, the listing automatically goes to sold-out state.
- Communicate with attendees: the buyers list is available from the Order list. For a group message (reminder, venue change), export the attendees' e-mails to contact them outside of Vivlab.