> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mercurjs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import and export products via CSV

> Install the product-import-export block and give vendors CSV import and export drawers on their product list.

Bulk catalog operations belong to vendors, not the operator — a seller migrating from another platform needs to bring hundreds of listings with them. The `product-import-export` block adds CSV import and export to the Vendor Portal: API routes, workflows built on Medusa's product CSV steps, and drawer UIs wired into the product list.

<Info>
  **This block is also a masterclass in Mercur's extension model.** It ships backend workflows and routes into your API package, and it overrides the vendor `/products` page by dropping a route file that [re-composes the built-in page's compound slots](/rc/resources/tutorials/recompose-a-page) — adding Import/Export buttons while keeping the stock table untouched. After installing, read its source; you own every file.
</Info>

## What you'll build

A vendor product list with **Import** and **Export** header buttons, a working CSV round-trip, and the block's source code in your project.

## Install and wire the block

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the block">
    ```bash theme={null}
    bunx @mercurjs/cli@rc add product-import-export
    ```

    The CLI copies the block's files into the directories mapped by your `blocks.json` aliases — workflows and routes into the API package, pages and hooks into the vendor app.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install its dependencies">
    The block uses Medusa's CSV flows and `multer` for uploads. Install them in the **API workspace**, not the project root:

    ```bash theme={null}
    cd packages/api
    bun add @medusajs/core-flows multer @types/multer
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register the middleware">
    The import route needs its upload middleware. Add it to your API's `middlewares.ts`:

    ```typescript packages/api/src/api/middlewares.ts theme={null}
    import { defineMiddlewares } from '@medusajs/medusa'
    import { productImportExportMiddlewares } from './vendor/products/middlewares'

    export default defineMiddlewares({
      routes: [...productImportExportMiddlewares],
    })
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Regenerate types">
    The block added `POST /vendor/products/import` and `GET /vendor/products/export`. Regenerate the route map so the vendor app's typed client knows about them:

    ```bash theme={null}
    bunx @mercurjs/cli@rc codegen
    ```

    <Note>
      No new modules and no migrations — the block reuses Medusa's built-in product CSV steps, so there's nothing to add to `medusa-config.ts` for this one. Always read a block's post-install output: each block declares its own setup steps.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run a round-trip">
    Start the project and open the Vendor Portal's **Products** page — the header now shows Import and Export next to Create.

    1. **Export** — opens the drawer at `/products/export` and downloads the seller's current products as CSV.
    2. Edit the CSV: tweak a title, add a row.
    3. **Import** — the drawer at `/products/import` accepts the file, validates rows, and shows an import summary before applying.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Verify

1. The Products header shows Import and Export buttons; the rest of the page (search, filters, pagination) behaves exactly as before.
2. The exported CSV contains the seller's products — and only theirs; the workflow scopes to the authenticated seller.
3. After importing the edited CSV, the changed title appears in the product list.
4. The block's source lives in your repo (e.g. `packages/api/src/workflows/import-seller-products.ts`, `apps/vendor/src/routes/products/page.tsx`) — run `bunx @mercurjs/cli@rc diff product-import-export` to compare against the registry later.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I customize the CSV columns or validation?">
    Yes — the block is source code in your repo. The import workflow (`import-seller-products.ts`) and its validation step are yours to edit; the drawer UI under `routes/products/import/` includes the CSV template helper you can extend.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I already customized my /products page — will the block overwrite it?">
    The block ships its own `routes/products/page.tsx`. If you already have one, the CLI asks before overwriting (or use `--overwrite` explicitly). Merge by hand in that case: keep your composition and add the block's Import/Export buttons to your `HeaderActions`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does import respect the product approval flow?">
    Imported products enter through the same vendor create path as manual submissions — so they follow the [product-request pipeline](/rc/resources/tutorials/handle-product-requests) and land as `proposed` for operator review, not as instantly published records.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Re-compose a built-in page" href="/rc/resources/tutorials/recompose-a-page">
    The page-override technique this block uses, explained step by step.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build your own block" href="/rc/resources/tutorials/build-a-block">
    Package a feature like this one and publish it to your own registry.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>