> ## 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

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>