How to Organise an Auto Parts Catalogue for Your Website

Before uploading hundreds of product photos, give each item a stable internal code. Match that code to the product name, vehicle details, reference numbers and photos in one spreadsheet. This gives you and your website builder a shared way to identify the part being discussed.

You may already have most of the material: supplier price lists, photos from your shop and product names in WhatsApp conversations. Start by bringing a small selection together. You do not need to finish the whole catalogue before finding out whether your information is ready for a website.

Give each distinct part its own row

Use one row for each distinct item you sell. If two parts have similar names but are not interchangeable, keep separate records. If one part fits several confirmed vehicle applications, keep those applications with the same product rather than creating a new item for every vehicle.

Your internal stock code identifies that record. An OE reference number is a number used by the original vehicle manufacturer to identify a part. These are separate fields: your shop code should not be entered as an OE number just because the original reference is missing.

Keep the internal code stable when you improve a name, replace a photo or add confirmed vehicle details. Otherwise, an old photo folder and a newly edited spreadsheet can end up referring to the same product by different codes.

Build a spreadsheet your website builder can use

These nine columns are a useful starting point. The example, DEMO-001, is a fictional, incomplete record. It shows how to mark missing information; it is not a product ready to publish.

The publication status is for you and the person preparing the website. It is not a product specification to display to customers. Likewise, “to be confirmed” is a reminder to complete the spreadsheet, not a vehicle application.

Clean up part names, photos and missing details

A list containing several rows called “Shock absorber” needs more context. Add confirmed distinctions such as front or rear, left or right, and vehicle model where relevant. Similar names do not prove that two rows are duplicates. Compare the codes, photos and application details before merging them.

For photos, check the item first and rename the file second. Calling a file DEMO-001-front.jpg will not fix a photograph of the wrong version. If you have several views, use the same internal code with different endings, such as -front and -side. Keep the original files as well.

Leave an unknown OE field empty. If an important fitment detail is missing, record what needs checking rather than filling the gap with “universal”. The product name and a similar-looking photo are not enough to establish compatibility.

Plan how buyers will find the part

Some buyers know the vehicle but not the part number. For them, a route such as brand → model → parts category can be useful. Others arrive with a reference number and need a search field that can find it.

We used brand, model and category pages when organising the Brace Auto Parts catalogue. Its Jetour X70 page is one example of a vehicle-based entry point.

Several routes can lead to the same product page. Keep one main product record, and agree with your website builder how changes will reach the relevant pages. Search, category pages and an editing panel should be included explicitly in the agreed website scope.

From spreadsheet row to product page

The customer's page needs a clear name, a matching photo, confirmed vehicle and reference information, the sales unit, and a way to enquire. Your internal preparation notes stay out of that public description.

For a real example, open this Chery QQ radiator tank page. It puts the product name and reference in the heading, shows the part, lists vehicle information and provides a WhatsApp enquiry button. It also explains what the buyer should send for a fitment check.

That is the useful connection between the spreadsheet and the website: confirmed information becomes something the buyer can read and share. It does not turn missing data into verified specifications. Our Brace website case study shows the wider project.

Carry the product into the WhatsApp conversation

An enquiry button can open WhatsApp with the product name and page address already in a draft. The buyer can review, edit and send it. Here is an illustrative message using our fictional record:

Hello, I would like to ask about Front brake pads (DEMO-001).
Product page: [product page URL]
Quantity needed:
Vehicle / year / version:
VIN or photo of the old part, if needed:
Destination city or country:

The website can supply the product information; the buyer supplies their requirements. A VIN is the vehicle identification number. Depending on the part, you may need it, an OE reference or a photo of the old component to check the application.

The button prepares the message; it does not send it automatically, confirm fitment or calculate a final quotation. Your team still checks what the buyer needs. A buyer enquiring about several products can also start with an Excel or PDF list.

Try ten products before preparing hundreds

Choose ten representative items, including one with several photos and one with information still to check. Use them to test your preparation process before repeating it across the catalogue.

1. Complete the spreadsheet and match each row to its photos.
2. Ask the website builder to prepare the pages for records that are ready; keep unfinished ones out of the public catalogue.
3. On a phone, follow the agreed browsing route and try reference search if it is included.
4. Open the enquiry button, inspect the draft and send a test message to your own business number.
5. Change one product detail through the agreed update process, then check that the page shows the change.

Decide who keeps the catalogue current

Your shop supplies the product facts. Website updates can be handled through an agreed administration panel or by sending the revised information to your website provider. I can handle those updates for you, or include a product panel in the agreed scope.

A catalogue does not automatically track stock sold at the counter. If you need inventory synchronisation, discuss that separately. For a catalogue without it, agree how to flag discontinued products, replace photos and review any displayed prices.

If you already have a spreadsheet or a folder of photos, send a small sample through Parts Trade Web Studio. We can look at how to organise it and discuss a free website preview before you prepare the rest.