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Prepare to launch

To set up your initial catalog of products, work with your Instacart representative through the following phases.

Phase 1: Inventory file creation​

You create inventory files in a format that Instacart can ingest. Use the following checklist as a guideline:

  • Create an inventory file.

    • Ensure that your inventory file meets the file requirements.

    • Ensure that the data in the file include the necessary product specifications. If you add custom columns beyond our required columns, provide the names of the columns to your Instacart representative.

    • To expedite the process of creating an inventory file, see if your existing e-commerce platform or point-of-sale (POS) system can export your products to a CSV file. Instacart supports integrations with the following POS systems:

      • BottlePOS
      • Clover
      • Comcash
      • EPOS
      • General Store
      • Heartland
      • Keystroke
      • Korona POS
      • Lightspeed
      • Liquor POS
      • LOC SMS
      • Modisoft
      • Mpower
      • PC America
      • PTech POS
      • Quickbooks
      • Revel
      • RocketPOS
      • Square
      • VendHQ (Lightspeed X)
      • WinePOS

  • If you intend to support SNAP EBT payments, inform your Instacart representative. Instacart needs to configure your site accordingly. To identify SNAP-eligible items, see SNAP EBT requirements.

  • Send your inventory files to your Instacart representative for review. If needed, make any suggested revisions and resend.

  • When the inventory file is approved, set a launch date.

Phase 2: Storefront creation​

Instacart sets up an SFTP server and sets up your storefront. You send your inventory files to the SFTP server and prepare for testing. Use the following checklist as a guideline:

  • Provide your Instacart representative with a list of your private labels. A private label is a brand that you own with products that are not sold by any other retailer. Instacart uses this list to ensure that these products are presented as expected on your storefront.
  • Tell your quality assurance (QA) team to sign up for an Instacart account. Each user must have their own account. Users can go to instacart.com (for testing stores in USA) and instacart.ca (for testing stores in Canada) and click Sign up. After they sign up, provide your Instacart representative with the user email addresses. Instacart gives your QA team access to test your site before launch.
  • Set up SFTP.
  • Upload a test file to the SFTP server at least two weeks prior to launch. This enables you to verify that the storefront contains the items, images, and discounts you expect.

Phase 3: Quality assurance testing​

Your Instacart representative shares a QA Feedback Sheet. You conduct quality assurance testing to verify that your catalog data displays accurately on your storefront. Record any issues in the feedback sheet.

Here are some common things to verify during testing:

  • At least 70% of your products have primary images.
  • Pricing and availability are accurate. If you are not offering in-store pricing, verify that the markup prices are as expected.
  • Sales and promotions are displayed in item tiles and applied during checkout.
  • Product filters show the expected options.
  • Cart functionality works as expected, such as adding and removing items.

Phase 4: Launch​

When all testing is complete, and with your approval, Instacart launches your storefront.

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