# Content model worksheet: from one spreadsheet to a structure you can import

Open your product spreadsheet next to this page. Add a row to the worksheet for every column you find, give each concept a level and a decision, and give every column you drop a row in the exclusion record with a reason. The counts at the side and the import checks update as you go.

## How to use it

1. List every column in your file. Do not skip the embarrassing ones.
2. For each column, ask what it really is: a category, an attribute, a note, or a dead concept.
3. Give it a level from the guide below.
4. Write two or three real example values from your file, including the inconsistent ones.
5. Decide: import as it is, transform into something cleaner, or drop. If you transform, write what the transformation is in the note.
6. Anything dropped goes into the exclusion record under the worksheet, with a reason.

## Level guide

- **Level 1**: the top grouping. Changes rarely. Most files have one or two candidates.
- **Level 2**: groups items by how they are used, sold or found. Only keep it if it drives navigation or filtering.
- **Level 3**: the individual item. The thing a customer buys or a user looks up.
- **Attribute**: a property of an item, such as colour, size, material or weight. Attributes are cheap. Levels are not. If in doubt, make it an attribute.
- **Not a concept**: internal notes, legacy identifiers, stale columns. These are dropped or archived.

Three levels is usually enough. If you find yourself at four, check whether the fourth is really an attribute.

## The worksheet

One row per column in your file. The first seven rows are examples from an imaginary file: overwrite them with your own concepts or remove them. For every Transform row, write what the transformation is in the note.

| Concept | Level | Example values from your file | Source column | Decision | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product family | Level 1 | Outdoor, Indoor, Accessories | B (Range) | Import |  |
| Use case | Level 2 | Home, Office, Travel, Office/Home | C (Type) | Transform | Split combined values into separate entries |
| Product | Level 3 | Every row in the sheet | A (Name) | Import |  |
| Colour | Attribute | Navy, navy blue, NVY | H (Col) | Transform | Map all variants to one approved list |
| Size | Attribute | S, M, L, 38, 40 | I (Size) | Transform | Agree one sizing convention first |
| Legacy article number | Not a concept | Mixed formats from two old systems | D (Old SKU) | Drop | Keep in archive |
| Supplier note | Not a concept | Free text, mostly empty | P (Notes) | Drop |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Exclusion record

Every column marked Drop gets one row here. This is the document you point to when the decision is questioned later.

| Source column | Reason dropped | Where the archive lives | Decided by | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D (Old SKU) | Identifiers from a retired system, no longer referenced anywhere | Shared drive, read only export |  |  |
| P (Notes) | Empty in most rows, content not relevant to customers | Shared drive, read only export |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |

## Before you import

- [ ] Every column in the file has a row in the worksheet
- [ ] Every row has a level and a decision
- [ ] Every Transform row says what the transformation is
- [ ] Every Drop row appears in the exclusion record with a reason
- [ ] The full original file is exported and archived as read only
- [ ] The hierarchy has no more than three levels, or the fourth has been justified in writing
- [ ] The person who knows the products best has reviewed the worksheet

Take the completed worksheet and the exclusion record into the conversation with whoever will run the import. The worksheet is your content model, and the exclusion record is the document you point to when a dropped column is questioned later.