> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.mathership.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Adding Products
> Add new products to your vendor catalog
# Adding Products
Vendors can add products to their Mathership catalog so connected customers can view and order them.
A product usually represents one orderable item, such as a crate, box, bottle, package, case, or individual unit.
## What adding a product means
When you add a product, Mathership creates a new catalog item for your vendor company.
This product can then be used in:
* Your vendor product list
* Customer-facing product catalogs
* Customer product searches
* Order creation
* Order email attachments
* CSV and PDF order exports
## Who can add products?
Products can only be added by vendor users.
A vendor can only add products to their own vendor company.
Vendors cannot add products to another vendor company's catalog.
## Product information
When adding a product, Mathership can store information such as:
| Field | Meaning |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Product name | The visible name of the product |
| Product number | Your internal article or item number |
| Packaging | The order unit or packaging description |
| Stock | Current stock value |
| Price | Product price used for order totals and exports |
| Product description | Optional additional product information |
| Product image | Optional image for the product catalog |
The exact fields shown can depend on your user interface and product configuration.
## Product name
The product name is the main name customers see when browsing or ordering products.
Use clear and recognizable names.
Examples:
| Product name |
| -------------------------- |
| Mineral water 0.75 L |
| Tomato passata 6 x 2.5 kg |
| Coffee beans 1 kg |
| Apple juice crate 12 x 1 L |
## Product number
The product number is used to identify the product internally.
It can appear in product lists, order details, and order exports.
Examples:
| Product number | Product name |
| -------------- | ------------------------- |
| 100245 | Mineral water 0.75 L |
| 88421 | Coffee beans 1 kg |
| 55012 | Tomato passata 6 x 2.5 kg |
Product numbers help vendors and customers identify products more reliably, especially when product names are similar.
## Packaging
Packaging describes how the product is ordered.
Examples:
| Packaging | Meaning |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Crate | Ordered by crate |
| Box | Ordered by box |
| Bottle | Ordered by bottle |
| Bag | Ordered by bag |
| Case | Ordered by case |
| 6 x 1 L | One order unit contains 6 bottles of 1 liter |
Packaging is important because customers need to understand what quantity they are ordering.
## Stock
Stock can be stored on the product.
If no stock value is entered, Mathership can treat the stock as zero.
Stock values can help vendors manage availability and product planning.
Stock handling may depend on how your vendor account and product workflow are configured.
## Price
A product can have a price.
If a product has a price, Mathership can use it for order totals, order emails, and exports.
Example:
| Price | Quantity | Line total |
| ----: | -------: | ---------: |
| 12.50 | 2 | 25.00 |
| 8.00 | 5 | 40.00 |
If no price is available, Mathership can still create products and orders.
Missing prices do not prevent products from being added.
## Product description
A product description can be used for additional details.
Examples:
* Organic product information
* Flavor or variety
* Packaging notes
* Storage information
* Additional customer-facing product details
Keep descriptions clear and useful.
## Product images
Products can use images to make the catalog easier to browse.
A product image may come from:
* An uploaded image
* An image URL
* An automatically selected product image
Images help customers identify products faster, especially in larger catalogs.
## Automatic product images
Mathership can support automatic product image handling.
If automatic image handling is used, Mathership may try to find a suitable image for the product.
If a custom image is uploaded or provided manually, that image can be used instead.
## Adding a product
To add a product:
1. Go to **Vendors**
2. Open your vendor company
3. Go to **Products**
4. Select **Add product**
5. Enter the product information
6. Save the product
After saving, the product becomes part of your vendor catalog.
## Required product information
At minimum, a product should have enough information for customers to understand what they are ordering.
Important fields usually include:
| Field | Why it matters |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Product name | Customers need to identify the product |
| Packaging | Customers need to understand the order unit |
| Product number | Helps with internal identification |
| Price | Allows order totals and exports |
| Stock | Helps with availability and planning |
## After a product is added
After the product is created, it can be:
* Shown in the vendor catalog
* Found through product search
* Added to customer product lists
* Ordered by connected customers
* Included in order details
* Included in email attachments and exports
* Updated later by the vendor
## Product visibility
Added products belong to the vendor company.
Customers can only order products from vendors they are connected with.
Products from one vendor company are not automatically available to customers of another vendor company.
## Search behavior
Once a product is added, it can be found through product search.
Search can include values such as:
* Product number
* Product name
* Packaging
* Product description
This helps customers and vendors find products faster in larger catalogs.
## Product availability
Adding a product does not always mean it should be orderable at all times.
Vendors can manage product availability separately.
Typical availability values are:
| Availability | Meaning |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Available | Product can be shown as available |
| Not available | Product can be marked as unavailable |
Use availability when a product is temporarily out of stock or should not currently be ordered.
## Bulk adding products
Products can also be added in larger quantities through upload or bulk upload features.
This is useful when a vendor wants to import an existing product list instead of entering every product manually.
Bulk upload can include:
* Product names
* Product numbers
* Packaging
* Stock
* Prices
* Product descriptions
## Common problems
### Product cannot be added
Check that:
* You are logged in as a vendor
* You selected your own vendor company
* The required product fields are filled in
* The product data is valid
### Product is added to the wrong company
Products are connected to a vendor company.
Check that you opened the correct vendor company before adding the product.
### Product image is not shown
Check that:
* The image was uploaded correctly
* The image URL is valid
* The product image was saved
* Automatic image handling did not override the image
### Product price is missing
A product can still exist without a price.
However, missing prices can affect order totals and exports.
### Product does not appear in customer catalog
Check that:
* The product belongs to the correct vendor company
* The customer is connected to the vendor
* The product has not been deleted
* The product availability is correct
## Best practices
### Use clear product names
Choose names customers can recognize quickly.
### Keep product numbers consistent
Use the same product numbers as in your internal system.
### Describe packaging clearly
Customers should immediately understand what one order unit contains.
### Add prices when possible
Prices help customers and vendors understand order totals.
### Keep images useful
Use images that clearly show the product.
### Review new products after adding them
Open the product list after adding new products to confirm that the data looks correct.
## Related pages
Update product details, prices, stock, packaging, and images.
Remove products from the active catalog.
Upload product data from a file.
Add or update many products at once.
Mark products as available or unavailable.
Add uploaded, linked, or automatic product images.
Define packaging levels for products.
Use AI to help parse product packaging.