---
title: Prepare Point-of-Sale (POS) Data for Upload
description: Access and preparing Point-of-Sale (POS) Data for Upload into Vividly
---

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March 19, 2026

# Prepare Point-of-Sale (POS) Data for Upload

## Access and preparing Point-of-Sale (POS) Data for Upload to Vividly

### **Context**

The **POS (Point-of-Sale) Data Upload** feature allows to import consumer-level sales data from syndicated data providers (such as **SPINS, Circana/IRI, Nielsen**) or direct retailer feeds into the platform for comprehensive sell-through analysis. Unlike accounting source revenue uploads which capture shipment or invoice data from ERP systems reflecting what the manufacturer sold to distributors or retailers, POS data represents actual consumer purchases at the retail shelf level, providing critical visibility into demand patterns, out-of-stock situations, promotional compliance, etc. 

The POS data preparation and upload workflow begins with accessing your syndicated data provider's portal or receiving weekly/monthly data files via email, followed by exporting the relevant time period's data (typically weekly or four-week rolling data covering the analysis period of interest such as the most recent month or quarter), and then navigating to Vividly's **Business \> Point-of-Sale Data** section to upload it.

---

### **Steps on Preparing POS Data for Upload**

1. Log into your account with SPINS, Circana, Nielsen, or other provider.
2. Navigate to the reporting or data export section.
3. Select the appropriate report type and export it.
4. Log into Vividly.
5. Navigate to **Business \> Point-of-Sale Data.**
6. Click **"Load from File"** or **"Upload POS Data"** (button name may vary).
7. In the upload interface, locate and click **"Download Template"** or **"Download Sample File".**
8. The Vividly POS data template will download (typically named "POS\_Upload\_Template.xlsx" or similar).
9. **Save the template** to a location on your computer.
10. **Open the template** in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
11. Adjust your POS data according to that template.
12. **Go back to Vividly and select your data source type** from selection list below the "Upload File" box (SPINS, Nielsen, Circana/IRI, or Other).
13. Click **Choose File** and select your Excel or CSV file (must be single-tab format) or drag and drop it in the "Upload File" area.
14. Click **Next** to proceed to the field mapping step.
15. Map your file columns to Vividly fields:
    
      - **Customer Name** → Map to the geography or customer column from your file.
      - **Product** → Map to the UPC or product code column.
      - **Date** → Map to the week ending date or time period column.
      - **Base Units** → Map to base/non-promoted units column (required for lift analysis).
      - **Incremental Units** → Map to incremental/promoted units column (required for lift analysis).
      - **TDP** → Map to Total Distribution Points column (optional but recommended).
      - **TDP Any Promo** → Map to promoted TDP column (optional but recommended for compliance tracking).
      - **Average Retail Price (ARP)** → Map to price column.
      - **Stores** → Map to number of stores selling (optional).
      - Leave any unmapped fields as "No Match" if not available in your file.
16. Click **Next** to proceed to the error review step.
17. Review any errors (red) or warnings (yellow) that appear:
    
      - **For warnings**: Review flagged duplicate entries. If they are legitimate new entries, proceed with upload.
      - **For errors**: Click **Show rows with warnings and errors only** to filter the view.
      - Click **Download from current view** to export error rows for offline review.
18. ##### Address errors and warnings before proceeding:
    
      - **For Customer Not Found** error:
        
            - Navigate to **Manage \> Customers**
            - Search for and open the relevant customer profile
            - Scroll to **Add Alt Names** and paste the exact customer name from your file
            - Click on **Add Alternative Name**
            - Click **Save Changes**
            - Return to your upload and proceed to the next step
      - **For Product Not Found** error:
        
            - Navigate to **Manage \> Products**
            - Search for and open the relevant product profile
            - Add the missing UPC or product code to the **Alternative Product Codes** section
            - Click **Save**
            - Return to your upload and proceed to the next step
      - **For Duplicate data rows** warning: 
        
            - Delete duplicate rows from your file and re-upload it.
19. Once all errors and warnings are resolved, re-upload and repeat 12-16 steps (or if you choose to proceed with warnings), then click **Submit.**
20. After uploading, verify your data appears in the Point-of-Sale Data table.
21. Navigate to **Insights \> Promotion Analytics \> Bump Chart** to verify your data is populating correctly in analytics.

---

### **Tips & Best Practices**

- **Establish a weekly or monthly upload cadence:** Most brands upload POS data weekly (when new data becomes available from syndicated providers) or monthly. Set a recurring calendar reminder (e.g., "Upload POS data every Monday morning").
- **Maintain a template library:** After successfully preparing your first POS upload, save a master template with proper formatting. For future uploads, copy the master template and paste new data into it. This eliminates repetitive formatting work.

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