Import a Category Listing Report

Before you can edit, optimize, or version-track your listing copy in RankASIN, you need to import your current live copy from Amazon. The Category Listings Report (also called the flat file) is the source — it's the same file Amazon uses to accept listing updates, and it contains every editable field for every SKU in your account.

Prerequisite: You must have Brand Registry access to download the Category Listings Report. The report is gated behind Brand Registry and is not available to ungated sellers.

1. Download the report from Seller Central

   Go to Seller Central → Inventory → Download Inventory → Category Listings Report.

   Select the category that matches your products, then click Request Download. Amazon queues the report — generation can take 5 to 30 minutes depending on catalog size. You'll receive an email with a download link when it's ready.

   Amazon offers three formats: CSV, TSV, and XLSM (Excel with macros). RankASIN accepts all three.

   XLSM is the richest format but requires special handling. RankASIN automatically strips Amazon's hidden VBA macro rows and config sheets before parsing — you don't need to do anything special with the file.

2. Open Listing Optimization in RankASIN

   Navigate to Listing Optimization in the sidebar. Click Import to open the import panel.

3. Upload the file

   Drag the downloaded file into the upload area, or click to browse. RankASIN auto-detects the format (CSV, TSV, or XLSM) and begins parsing.

   The parser:

   • Strips Amazon's example and template rows automatically — the placeholder data Amazon includes to demonstrate the file format is filtered out before import.
   • Groups rows by productIdValue — the value in the product_id column, which may be an ASIN or a UPC. Both identifiers are valid; RankASIN treats them interchangeably as the unique product key.
   • Extracts both the submittable title (item_name) and the customer-facing display title (::title) from XLSM files. The display title is used only to detect mismatches — it is not shown in the editor.

4. Review the preview

   After parsing, RankASIN shows a preview: one card per product, listing the SKU, ASIN/UPC, and a summary of the key fields found. Verify the products look correct before committing.

   If you uploaded an XLSM with Amazon's hidden configuration rows, they'll be absent from the preview — they're stripped during parsing and never stored.

5. Click Import

   Confirming the import creates:

   • One flat_file_imports record tracking the upload metadata.
   • One listing_baselines row per SKU — your current live copy, stored as the baseline for comparison.

   For existing ASINs, the import matches by asin_code or upc. For unknown SKUs, RankASIN auto-creates the ASIN record, populating asin_code, parent_asin_code (defaults to the child ASIN for single-variation products), sku, and title.

After import

Once the import is complete, the listing editor shows your live copy as the baseline for every field. You can immediately start editing, adding comments, or comparing against the research and keyword classification data in the sidebar.

Title/Item-Name mismatch warning: If your ::title (the customer-facing display title Amazon generates) differs from your item_name (the submittable field), RankASIN displays an amber warning at the top of the Title section. This can indicate that Amazon has auto-edited your title, or that a previous flat file submission didn't take. Check the live listing in Seller Central to confirm which version is live.

Image fields are imported as read-only references. You can see current image URLs in the editor, but images are managed through Seller Central or Brand Registry — RankASIN doesn't upload images.

Re-importing: You can import a new Category Listings Report at any time to refresh the baseline. Re-imports match against existing records and update only fields that have changed, without overwriting data you've added manually in RankASIN (such as strategy brief notes or listing comments).