Overview #

Items can be associated with each other in eCat by 'Collection' or 'Category'. Adding a field named 'RelatedItems' to your product file provides another way to flexibly associate products with each other. When the field is populated it displays 'Related Items' tabs in the eCat (iPad) and eCat Online web catalog product detail views.

Related Items #

When related item data is populated, eCat (iPad) and eCat Online show Related Items tabs on the product detail view. You can define:

1. A primary Related Items list (RelatedItems)
2. One or more additional related item groups (RelatedItems2, RelatedItems3, and so on), each with its own tab and label

This is useful for cases such as:

• The same item in different sizes or finishes (where each has its own product number)
• An item and its matching accessories (e.g., a fan and compatible light kits, remotes, and blade options)
• Items that can be substituted for one another
• Separate groupings on one product — e.g., coordinating seating vs. matching lighting

Implementation #

Add reserved columns to your products.csv file. These are built-in product file fields — you do not need to create custom fields in the eCat Admin Console for them to work.

Primary Related Items (RelatedItems) #

Add a column named RelatedItems to your product file. Populate it with a comma-separated list of valid BaseItemCode values (product numbers) for items you want shown on the Related Items tab.

Best practice: Include every related BaseItemCode in each product's list, including the product's own BaseItemCode. That way, users can navigate between related items in any direction.

Products are displayed in the order listed in the field.

Additional Related Item Groups (RelatedItems2, RelatedItems3, …) #

You can add multiple separate related item tabs per product by using numbered columns:

Each numbered group gets its own tab in eCat and eCat Online, separate from the primary Related Items tab.

Custom tab labels (optional)

By default, additional tabs are labeled Related 2, Related 3, etc. To use a custom label, add a companion column:

Tab name columns can appear anywhere in the header row — before or after the corresponding items column.

Example: Fan with accessories and finish options

In this example, a fan product would show up to three tabs:

• Related Items — other finish variants
• Controls & Remotes — compatible controls
• Light Kits — compatible light kits

Import rules and validation #

• All BaseItemCodes in any Related Items column must exist in your product file (or already be in the catalog). A warning is written to the import log for any code that is not found; that code is skipped.
• Invalid codes are removed from the imported list; valid codes are kept.
• RelatedItems and RelatedItems2 (and higher) are handled separately. The primary RelatedItems column always feeds the Related Items tab; numbered columns create additional tabs.
• Column order in the CSV does not matter for tab names and item lists, as long as both columns are present in the header.
• Empty values: If a numbered column is blank for a product, that tab is not created for that product.
• Updating your product file: If your CSV includes any RelatedItems2/RelatedItems3/… columns, each product row replaces the additional related item groups defined by those columns. To keep multiple groups on a product, include all numbered columns you want to maintain on every import. If those columns are omitted entirely from the file, existing additional groups are left unchanged.

Where tabs appear #

Related item tabs appear in the product detail view in:

• eCat (iPad)
• eCat Online

Tabs shown for a product can include:

If only one tab has items, it is shown without a tab bar. If multiple tabs have items, users can switch between them.

In eCat Admin Console → Product Preferences, you can choose whether the Collection or Related Items tab appears first in eCat Online when both are present.

Tips #

• Use descriptive tab names when you have multiple groups — e.g., "Matching Seating", "Coordinating Tables", "Accessories" — so reps can quickly find the right items.
• Avoid duplicate tab names on the same product. Duplicate names may cause one of the tabs to be skipped in eCat.
• Keep lists manageable. Each tab works best as a focused, curated list rather than a large dump of every loosely related SKU.
• Sync after import. After updating your product file, run your normal import and have eCat users sync so new tabs appear on device.

Summary of product file columns #