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Import and manage item and inventory master data

Import items, SKUs, prices, and location-level inventory from CSV, then manage duplicate checks, pricing, and starting stock in Sanka.

Last updated: May 16, 2026

This guide walks you through importing item, SKU, price, and inventory master data into Sanka from CSV, then managing it as item data for quotes, orders, purchasing, inventory, and billing. As an example, a beauty wholesale company imports item master data, sales prices, purchase prices, and location-level starting stock from existing spreadsheets. Ask Claude or Codex to review the CSV first, then confirm the data before creating or updating records.

Overall Flow

Item master data includes item names, SKUs, sales prices, purchase prices, tax settings, and location-level stock.
  1. Review the CSV: Check items, SKUs, prices, inventory, duplicate candidates, and missing fields.
  2. Import items: Create or update item records.
  3. Import inventory: Register stock quantities by location.
  4. Review operations: Confirm fields used by quotes, orders, purchase orders, and inventory workflows.
Sanka uses item records as the base data for quotes, orders, purchase orders, inventory, and invoices. When you use an AI agent, start with a review step so SKU duplicates and missing prices are visible before the import runs.

Before You Start

Confirm that you have:
  • Connected Claude or Codex to Sanka
  • Prepared an item master CSV and, if needed, an inventory CSV
  • Included a unique item identifier such as SKU, item number, or item ID
  • Decided which fields to use for sales price, purchase price, tax settings, and unit
  • Registered inventory locations in Sanka
  • Permission to run CSV imports
If you have not connected an AI agent yet, start with Claude setup or Codex setup.

1. Ask AI to Review the CSV

Open a new chat in Claude or Codex, then share the CSV column names and a few sample rows.
Sample prompt
/sanka I want to import item master and inventory data into Sanka from CSV. Review the column names, identify which fields should go to item records, which fields should go to inventory records, duplicate SKUs or item numbers, missing prices or tax settings, and rows that cannot be associated with a location. Do not run the import yet.
Claude
I want to import item master and inventory data into Sanka from CSV. Review the column names, identify which fields should go to item records, which fields should go to inventory records, duplicate SKUs or item numbers, missing prices or tax settings, and rows that cannot be associated with a location. Do not run the import yet.
Review item CSV before importing to SankaI reviewed the CSV columns. I can separate item fields, inventory fields, duplicate SKU candidates, and missing price or location values. I will not run the import yet.
Ask for another check...
At this point, do not create records yet. Ask the agent to check:
  • Duplicate SKUs or item numbers
  • Item name variations
  • Missing sales price, purchase price, or tax settings
  • Whether inventory CSV location names match Sanka locations
  • Blank or negative inventory quantities
  • Items that need set or component configuration

2. Prepare the Item CSV

First, prepare the CSV that will create or update item records.
Text
Item name,SKU,Sales price,Purchase price,Tax,Unit,Supplier
Professional dryer HD-200,HD-200,18000,12000,10%,unit,Hana Supplies Inc.
Retail hair brush HB-40,HB-40,2400,1200,10%,piece,Hana Supplies Inc.
Including both sales price and purchase price makes it easier to use the item in downstream quoting, ordering, purchasing, and cost management. When updating existing items, include a field that identifies the record, such as item ID, SKU, or item number. Updating by item name alone can be risky when names vary or multiple items share a similar name.

3. Import Items

After reviewing the item CSV, import it into the Item object in Sanka.
  1. Open the Item object.
  2. Click Import in the top-right corner.
  3. Upload the CSV file.
  4. Map CSV columns to Sanka item properties.
  5. Choose create or update.
  6. For updates, select the key property such as item ID, SKU, or item number.
  7. Review the mapping and run the import.
If you manage kits or assembled items, register the items first, then link parent items and child components. For details, see the item configuration section in Item object.
💡
If you need to upload item images in bulk, import the item master first, then use the product image bulk upload steps in CSV Import so images can be matched by SKU or item ID.

4. Prepare the Inventory CSV

To register starting stock by location, prepare a CSV with item, location, and quantity fields.
Text
SKU,Location,Stock quantity
HD-200,Tokyo warehouse,12
HD-200,Osaka warehouse,8
HB-40,Tokyo warehouse,36
For inventory imports, the item and location must match correctly. If you map by SKU and location name, confirm that those values match the imported items and registered locations exactly. For safer matching, use item ID and location ID.

5. Import Inventory and Review Stock

After reviewing the inventory CSV, import location-level quantities through inventory or inventory transaction import.
  1. Open the inventory or inventory transaction page.
  2. Upload the CSV file from Import.
  3. Map item, location, quantity, and date columns.
  4. Confirm whether the data should be registered as starting stock or as stock movement history.
  5. After importing, review inventory by item and location.
Ask the AI agent to check the inventory CSV before importing:
Sample prompt
/sanka Before importing this inventory CSV into Sanka, check SKUs, locations, and stock quantities. List rows that cannot be associated with an item, rows that cannot be associated with a location, and rows where quantity is blank or negative. Do not run the import yet.

6. Manage Item Master Data

After importing, review items, inventory, and locations in Sanka. Check that:
  • SKUs or item numbers are unique
  • Sales price, purchase price, and tax settings are populated
  • Items are associated with the correct supplier where needed
  • Location-level stock quantities are correct
  • Fields used by quotes, orders, purchase orders, bills, and invoices are complete
  • Kit or component items have configurations where needed
For the full CSV import flow, see CSV import.

Checkpoints

Use logs to review AI checks and CSV import activity. Keeping a record of who imported which CSV and which item or inventory records were created or updated makes price and stock cleanup easier later.
Search Sanka...
Review item and inventory import history in logs

Logs

Search logsAll actionsAll dates
ID / ActionDateTarget / ItemChangeActor
3Imported inventory CSV2026/05/10 14:20InventoryRegistered starting stock for 3 locationsCodex integration
2Imported item CSV2026/05/10 14:05ItemsCreated and updated item master dataCodex integration
1Reviewed CSV duplicate candidates2026/05/10 13:48Import preparationChecked SKUs and locationsClaude integration

You can also review SKU, pricing, and location-level stock in the item and inventory tables.

Can I import items and inventory in the same CSV?

Import item master data and inventory quantities separately. Registering items first, then using item ID or SKU to associate inventory with locations, reduces mapping mistakes.

What if an item does not have a SKU?

Define a unique identifier such as SKU or item number before importing. Updating or associating inventory by item name alone can attach data to the wrong item when names vary or duplicate.

How should I choose between starting stock and stock movement history?

Use starting stock when you only need the opening balance at rollout. Use inventory transactions when you want to preserve inbound or outbound movement history with date, item, location, and quantity.

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