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Bulk Edit

Bulk Edit lets you update many items at once, each with its own value, in a spreadsheet. Unlike the standard bulk edit tool, which applies one value to every item you select, Bulk Edit lets each row have its own price, quantity, tags, and more.

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What is Bulk Edit?

Bulk Edit opens a spreadsheet so you can update items in bulk, with a different value for each one. Just click into any row to edit fields like Item Name, Quantity, Price, Min Level, Tags, Notes, and most custom fields.

This updates items you already have. To add new items, use Bulk Import instead.

Who can use Bulk Edit

Bulk Edit is available on paid and trial plans. It isn't available on the Free plan.

Role
Can turn on/off
Can use
Owner
Yes
Yes
Admin
Yes
Yes
Any other role with item edit permissions
No Can request access
Yes Once enabled

Once turned on, anyone with item edit permissions can use Bulk Edit, based on their existing folder-level permissions.

Turning on Bulk Edit

If you're an Owner or Admin, go to Labs and turn on the toggle for Bulk Edit. You'll see a confirmation message letting you know it's ready to use.

If an Owner or Admin later turns Bulk Edit off, they'll be asked to share why before the change is saved.

Using Bulk Edit

Once Bulk Edit is on, you can launch it from several places, depending on what you're already doing:

  • Select item(s) or folder(s) with the checkbox, then click Edit in the toolbar
  • From Advanced Search results, select item(s) and click Edit
  • From the ... menu on the Items page, select Bulk Edit [LABS], no selection needed
  • From the ... menu on a specific folder, select Bulk Edit [LABS], no selection needed

Confirming which items are included

Before the spreadsheet opens, you'll see a screen showing which items you're about to update:

  • If you selected specific items, those exact items are included.
  • If you selected a folder, or launched from a folder, all of that folder's items are included. The Include subfolder items checkbox is checked by default, so subfolder items come along too. Uncheck it if you only want that folder's own items.

The item count updates as you toggle the checkbox. To work with different folders, click the pencil icon to open the folder picker.

⚠️ You can include up to 2,000 items in a single Bulk Edit session. If you reach this limit, you'll see a warning and any items beyond it will be disabled for editing.

Editing items in the spreadsheet

Once you've confirmed which items to include, the spreadsheet opens with one row per item. Click into any cell to edit it, and use Tab to move to the next cell.

Undo a change

Press Cmd/Ctrl+Z, or use the undo button in the toolbar, to revert your last change.

Search within the spreadsheet

Use the search bar at the top of the spreadsheet to find items by name, SID, barcode/QR, tags, notes, custom fields, or folder. Enter at least 3 characters to search, and use AND, OR, or quotation marks for an exact phrase, just like search elsewhere in Sortly.

Fixing an invalid value

If a value doesn't meet a field's requirements, for example, a negative quantity, that cell is highlighted in red with a tooltip explaining the issue. Fix the value directly in the spreadsheet and it will be checked again automatically.

💡 Leaving a cell blank means "don't update this field." Sortly will never overwrite an existing value with a blank one.
⚠️ If any single field in a row is invalid, that entire row is skipped when you apply your updates. The rest of your valid rows will be updated.

Confirming and applying your updates

There's no separate preview screen in Bulk Edit. The spreadsheet itself is where you review your changes before applying them.

  1. 1Click Update Items

    When you're ready, click Update {n} Items at the top of the spreadsheet.

  2. 2Type CONFIRM

    A confirmation window opens, showing how many items you're about to update. Type CONFIRM in the field provided to turn on the Apply Updates button. This step can only be completed once per session.

  3. 3Wait for it to finish

    Sortly applies your updates while you wait. Larger sessions take a little longer, but the update finishes on its own, even if your connection drops midway through.

  4. 4Review the results

    Once complete, you'll see a summary showing how many items were updated and in how many folders. If some items couldn't be updated, for example, because someone else edited or deleted them during your session, that count is shown here too.

💡 Updates appear in the item's Activity History just like any other edit: a single field change logs as that update (e.g. "Quantity Update"), while multiple fields log as "Update Item" with each change listed underneath.

You can exit a session at any time before applying updates using Exit Bulk Edit. Just keep in mind that Bulk Edit doesn't save drafts. If you exit, refresh the page, or lose your connection before applying updates, you'll need to start the session over.

What you can and can't edit

Bulk Edit supports edits only. You can't create or delete items, move items between folders, or make quantity adjustments like +5 or -10. Every value you enter overwrites the existing one directly.

Field
Editable
Notes
Item Name
Yes
Max 190 characters
Quantity
Yes
Whole numbers or decimals depending on your account settings. No negative values
Price
Yes
No currency symbol. No negative values
Min Level
Yes
Decimals allowed. No negative values
Tags
Yes
 
Notes
Yes
 
Custom field: Small Text Box
Yes
Max 190 characters
Custom field: Large Text Box
Yes
Max 4,000 characters
Custom field: Whole Number
Yes
0 to 2,147,483,647, whole numbers only
Custom field: Decimal
Yes
Up to 6 digits after the decimal point
Custom field: Checkbox
Yes
Check or uncheck only
Custom field: Dropdown
Yes
Existing options only, up to 250. You can't create new options from the spreadsheet
Custom field: Date
Yes
Follows your account's date format
Custom field: Web Link, Email, Phone
Yes
No character limit
SID
No
Shown with a lock icon; used to identify each item
Folder
No
Use Move to Folder outside of Bulk Edit instead
Barcode / QR code
No
Shown with a lock icon
Unit of Measure
Yes
Only units that already exist can be selected; you can't create a new unit inline from the spreadsheet
Variant attributes (size, color, etc.)
No
Visible in the spreadsheet, but locked. Edit the item's variant settings directly to change these
Custom field: Scanner, File Attachment
No
Not supported in Bulk Edit yet

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Bulk Edit different from Sortly's other bulk tools?
The existing bulk edit tool applies one value to every item you select. Bulk Edit lets you enter a different value for each item in a spreadsheet. It's also separate from Bulk Import, which is for bringing new items into Sortly rather than updating items that already exist.
Is Bulk Edit available on mobile?
Bulk Edit is currently only available on web.
How do I get access to Bulk Edit?
If you're an Owner or Admin, you can turn it on yourself from Labs. If you're not, click Request Access to email your company's Owner or Admin.
What can't I do with Bulk Edit?
Bulk Edit only updates items that already exist. It can't create new items, delete existing ones, or move items between folders. It also doesn't support quantity adjustments like +5 or -10, so you enter the new value directly rather than an adjustment. Leaving a cell blank means "don't update this field," so it never overwrites existing data.
Is there a limit to how many items I can include in one session?
Yes, up to 2,000 items per session. If you go over that, you'll see a warning and the extra items will be disabled for editing.
What happens if I exit or refresh the page before applying my updates?
Your edits aren't saved. Bulk Edit doesn't currently support drafts, so if you exit, refresh, or lose your connection before clicking Apply Updates, you'll need to start the session over.
What happens if something changes or fails partway through my session?
If someone else edits or deletes an item while you're in a Bulk Edit session, that item is excluded from your update and counted in the "couldn't be updated" total. If your connection drops before your request goes through, nothing is applied and it's safe to try again. If it drops after your update has already started processing, it finishes on its own.
Can I edit items that are part of a variant group?
Yes. Variant items show up as their own rows and can be edited on the same fields as any other item. The variant itself, such as size or color, stays locked, and Bulk Edit can't create new variant groups or convert items into variants.
Will my changes show up in item history?
Yes. A single-field change logs as its own event, like "Quantity Update." If you update multiple fields on the same item, it logs as "Update Item," with each field change listed underneath.