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CSV and PDF Attachments

Mathership can attach order details to order emails as either a PDF file or a CSV file. This allows vendors to process incoming orders in the format that best fits their workflow.

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What are order attachments?

Order attachments are files added to the order notification email that is sent to the vendor after a customer places an order. They help vendors:

• Review the order
• Print the order
• Archive the order
• Import order data into another system
• Process article numbers and quantities outside Mathership

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When attachments are created

Attachments are created when a customer sends an order. The attachment is generated automatically and added to the vendor order email.

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Available attachment formats

Mathership currently supports two main attachment formats. If no format has been selected, Mathership uses PDF by default.

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PDF attachments

PDF attachments contain the order in a readable document format. Use PDF if you want to:

• Print the order
• Read the order manually
• Archive the order as a document
• Forward the order internally
• Keep a clear visual order summary

PDF is usually the best option for teams that process orders manually.

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CSV attachments

CSV attachments contain order items in a structured table format. Use CSV if you want to:

• Import orders into another system
• Open orders in Excel
• Process orders in an ERP workflow
• Copy article numbers and quantities
• Automate order handling

The CSV can include order item information such as:

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CSV column language

The CSV column names can depend on the customer’s selected language. For German users, the CSV can use German column names. For other languages, English column names may be used.

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Changing the attachment format

The attachment format can be changed in the customer company settings. Available formats are:

• PDF
• CSV

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Why the setting belongs to the customer

The attachment format is stored on the customer company because different customers may have different processing needs. For example:

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File naming

Mathership creates attachment filenames automatically. The filename can include information such as:

• Customer number
• Order ID
• Timestamp
• Customer email
• Mathership reference

Example PDF filename: 4711_order_123_1710000000000_customer_at_example_de_mathership.pdf Example CSV filename: 4711_order_123_1710000000000_customer_at_example_de_mathership.csv This helps vendors match the attachment to the correct customer and order.

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Customer numbers in filenames

If a customer number exists for the vendor-customer relationship, Mathership can include it in the filename. This is useful when vendors use customer numbers in their ERP, accounting, or internal order processing systems. If no customer number is available, Mathership may use the customer company ID instead.

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Missing prices

Attachments can still be created if some products do not have prices. If prices are missing:

• The order can still be sent
• The product line can still appear
• Missing totals may be shown as unavailable
• The full order total may be omitted or incomplete

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Order totals

When prices are available, Mathership can calculate line totals and an order total. If one or more prices are missing, the order total may not be fully available.

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Email recipient

Order emails with attachments are sent to the vendor’s notification email address. If no notification email is configured, Mathership may use the vendor user’s email address.

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Example: PDF order attachment

A restaurant places an order and the customer company uses PDF attachments. This is useful when the vendor prints or manually processes orders.

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Example: CSV order attachment

A restaurant places an order and the customer company uses CSV attachments. This is useful when the vendor imports orders into Excel or another system.

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Example: Missing product price

A product has no price stored in Mathership. The order can still be sent.

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Best practices

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Use PDF for manual workflows

Choose PDF if your team reads, prints, or forwards orders manually.

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Use CSV for system workflows

Choose CSV if you want to import orders into Excel, ERP, or another processing system.

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Keep product data clean

CSV files are only as useful as the product data behind them. Maintain:

• Article numbers
• Product names
• Packaging
• Prices

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Maintain customer numbers

Customer numbers help identify orders in internal systems. Add customer numbers when connecting customers to vendors.

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Test the format before using it operationally

Before relying on CSV import, test the file format with your internal system. Check:

• Column names
• Delimiter
• Article numbers
• Quantity format
• Price format
• Encoding

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Common problems

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Vendor receives PDF but expected CSV

Check the customer company’s attachment format setting. The setting must be changed from PDF to CSV.

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Vendor receives CSV but wants PDF

Change the customer company’s attachment format back to PDF.

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CSV cannot be imported

Check whether your target system expects:

• Different column names
• A different delimiter
• Different decimal formatting
• A specific encoding
• Required article numbers

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Attachment has missing prices

Check whether product prices are maintained for the vendor products. Missing prices can prevent complete total calculations.

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Vendor did not receive the email

Check that:

• The order was sent, not saved as draft
• The order was not only scheduled
• The vendor notification email is correct
• The email is not in spam
• The vendor email address is active

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Filename does not show expected customer number

Check whether a customer number is stored on the vendor-customer relationship. If no customer number exists, Mathership may use another customer identifier.

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