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

# Getting Started with Products

***

title: "Getting Started with Products"
description: "Learn how to set up and manage your product catalog on Local Pass"
icon: "box"
-----------

# Getting Started with Products

Your product catalog is the heart of your store on Local Pass. This guide walks you through everything you need to know before adding your first product — from how inventory is organized to what your customers will see.

***

## How Your Catalog Is Organized

Every product you create lives inside your vendor account and is organized using two levels of classification:

* **Category** — the broad group your product belongs to (e.g., *Grains*, *Dairy*, *Produce*)
* **Subcategory** — a more specific grouping within a category (e.g., *Artisan Breads* within *Grains*)

Both are required when listing a product. Categories are managed at the platform level, meaning they already exist in the system and you select from a list rather than creating your own. Subcategories work the same way, though you can request a new one if yours isn't listed.

<Note>
  If you don't see a category or subcategory that fits your product, use the **"Don't see your product category? Request one"** link on the product form. Your request will be reviewed by the Local Pass team.
</Note>

***

## Product Statuses

Every product on Local Pass has a status that controls where and how it appears:

| Status        | What It Means                                                                                |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**     | Saved but not visible to customers. Use this while you're still setting up.                  |
| **Published** | Live and visible to customers in your store.                                                 |
| **Archived**  | Hidden from customers but kept in your records. Use this for seasonal or discontinued items. |

When you first create a product — whether manually or via bulk upload — it is automatically set to **Draft**. You control when it goes live by clicking **Publish**.

***

## Where Products Appear

Once published, your products appear in:

* **Your vendor storefront** — the public-facing page customers browse
* **The Local Pass marketplace** — search results and category listings across the platform
* **Your QR Catalog** — a shareable, scannable menu you can display in person

The platform uses your product's **category**, **subcategory**, **name**, and **search keywords** to surface it in the right places.

***

## Before You Add Your First Product

To make sure your first product goes live without any issues, confirm the following:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect your Stripe account">
    Products cannot be published until your payment account is connected. You'll see a warning banner on your Inventory page if this step is missing. Go to your **Settings → Payments** to complete this.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Know your category">
    Browse the category list in advance so you know where your products belong. This saves time when filling out the product form.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Have your pricing ready">
    You'll need a regular price, and optionally a sale price. Prices are entered in CAD.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prepare a product photo">
    A clear photo on a clean background performs best. Supported formats are JPEG and JPG. If you don't have a photo yet, a placeholder will be used automatically — you can update it later.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Ways to Add Products

There are two ways to build your catalog:

### 1. Add Products One at a Time

Use the **Create Product** form to add each product individually. This gives you full control over every field and is the best choice when you're adding a small number of products or need to configure complex options like menu variants.

→ See the [Create / Edit a Product](/products/create-edit) guide for full instructions.

### 2. Bulk Upload via CSV

If you have a large catalog, you can upload multiple products at once using a CSV file. This is ideal for initial store setup or importing an existing product list.

→ See the [Bulk Upload](/products/bulk-upload) guide for full instructions.

***

## Your Inventory Dashboard

Once products are added, you manage them all from the **Inventory** page. From there you can:

* Search by product name
* Filter by status, stock level, category, and subcategory
* Select multiple products to update their status, stock, or discount in bulk
* Access individual product settings with the **Edit** button
* Generate and share your **QR Catalog**

<Tip>
  Use the **Reset** link next to the filters to clear all active filters and return to your full product list.
</Tip>

***

## Next Steps

Now that you understand how the catalog works, you're ready to start adding products.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create a Product" icon="plus" href="/products/create-edit">
    Step-by-step guide to adding and editing individual products
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bulk Upload" icon="upload" href="/products/bulk-upload">
    Upload your entire catalog at once using a CSV file
  </Card>

  <Card title="Product Fields Reference" icon="list" href="/products/fields-reference">
    Detailed explanation of every field on the product form
  </Card>

  <Card title="Best Practices" icon="star" href="/products/best-practices">
    Tips to help your products sell better on Local Pass
  </Card>
</CardGroup>