Some of my lots did not import into Auction Flex. Why?

The most common cause is a consignor/vendor code in your file that does not exist in Auction Flex. Either add the codes in Auction Flex first, or set a fallback code in Step 4 of the Inventory Import wizard so non-matching rows still import.

A lot imported without a category. How do I fix it?

The category value must exactly match an Auction Flex category. Pick the closest matching category in Lot Lingo and export again — the corrected value will map on the next import.

Why does my description import as one long paragraph?

This is expected. Auction Flex's CSV importer cannot keep line breaks, so descriptions import as running text. Lot Lingo formats descriptions for this automatically.

My photos did not attach to the right lots. What happened?

Confirm the image files are named like {lot}-{number}.jpeg (for example 771-1.jpeg) and that you chose "Assume filename is lot#/inventory#" in Step 3 of the Batch Image Import wizard.

How to Import into Auction Flex — Step-by-Step Guide

After you export your auction from Lot Lingo, you'll bring it into the Auction Flex desktop program in two separate imports:

Lot data — a spreadsheet (.csv) imported through the Inventory Import wizard.
Images — a folder of photos imported through the Batch Image Import wizard.

Which Auction Flex? This guide is for the desktop Auction Flex program. If you use Auction Flex 360 (the cloud version), your import screens will look different.

Tip — back up first. Auction Flex recommends making a backup before any import: Miscellaneous → System Maintenance → Backup.

Part 1 — Import your lots (CSV)

In Lot Lingo, use Auction Actions → Export Lots to download your .csv file, then follow the steps below in Auction Flex.

What the columns are

Your exported file has 12 columns in this exact order. In Step 2 you'll line these up with Auction Flex's field list — top to bottom, same order.

#	Column in your file	Auction Flex field to pick
1	Lot#	Lot#
2	Consignor/Vendor Code	Consignor/Vendor Code
3	Lead/Title	Lead/Title
4	Description1	Description1
5	Quantity	Quantity
6	Ship	Ship (Y/N or T/F or 1/0)
7	Full Category	Full Category
8	Start Bid Each	Start Bid Each
9	Total Reserve	Total Reserve
10	Min Est Each	Min Est Each
11	Max Est Each	Max Est Each
12	Long UDF1	Long UDF1

Step 1 — File Selection

Open Inventory Import. Click the ... button and choose the .csv file you exported from Lot Lingo.

Auction Flex Inventory Import wizard, File Selection step — Step 1 — select the exported .csv file

Step 2 — Field Mapping & Options

Add each field from Available Fields (left) to Fields included with file to import (right) in the same order as the table above. Use the green up/down arrows to fix the order if needed.

Auction Flex Inventory Import wizard, Field Mapping and Options step — Step 2 — map the 12 columns in order

Step 3 — Field Mapping Review

Check Skip First Row When Importing — your file has a header row, and this stops the headers from being imported as a lot. Review the preview grid to confirm each column landed in the right place.

Auction Flex Inventory Import wizard, Field Mapping Review step with Skip First Row checked — Step 3 — check Skip First Row When Importing

Step 4 — Miscellaneous Options

Choose the auction your lots should import into. Leave the "space between description columns" checkbox as-is — Lot Lingo exports a single description column. If a consignor/vendor code isn't found, that record is skipped; enter a fallback code here, or make sure all your consigner codes already exist in Auction Flex.

Auction Flex Inventory Import wizard, Miscellaneous Options step — Step 4 — pick the target auction and consignor handling

Step 5 — Image Options

Select Do Not Use. Images are imported separately in Part 2, so there's nothing to do here.

Auction Flex Inventory Import wizard, Image Options step set to Do Not Use — Step 5 — choose Do Not Use (images come later)

Step 6 — Import Inventory

Click Import Inventory to run the import. When it finishes, Auction Flex shows how many lots came in — for example, 24 Item(s) Imported.

Auction Flex Inventory Import wizard, Import Inventory step — Step 6 — click Import Inventory

Auction Flex import results dialog showing items imported — Import complete — the results dialog confirms the count

Part 2 — Import your images

In Lot Lingo, use Auction Actions → Export Images to download a ZIP of your photos. The files inside are named by lot and photo order — for example 771-1.jpeg, 771-2.jpeg.

Prepare the folder (Windows)

1. Find the downloaded ZIP (for example YourAuctionImages.zip).

The downloaded image ZIP file in a Windows folder — Locate the image ZIP you downloaded

2. Right-click it and choose Extract All… from the menu.

Windows right-click menu with Extract All highlighted — Right-click → Extract All…

3. Pick a folder to extract to (for example C:\Images\YourAuctionImages) and click Extract.

Windows Extract Compressed Folders destination dialog — Choose a destination and extract

4. Confirm the photos extracted and are named like 771-1.jpeg, 771-2.jpeg.

Extracted image files named by lot number and photo number — Verify the files are named {lot}-{number}.jpeg

Step 1 — Folder Selection

Open Batch Image Import in Auction Flex. Click the ... button and select the folder you just extracted.

Auction Flex Batch Image Import, Folder Selection step — Step 1 — select the extracted image folder

Step 2 — Options

Set Assigning Images by → Auction + Lot #, then select your auction. Choose an Existing Image Mode: "Remove Existing Images Prior to Importing" for a clean import, or "Append" to add to what's already there. The two checkboxes are optional.

Auction Flex Batch Image Import, Options step — Step 2 — assign by Auction + Lot # and pick an image mode

Step 3 — Auto-Assign Options

Select Assume filename is lot#/inventory#. This matches Lot Lingo's file naming so each photo attaches to the right lot automatically.

Auction Flex Batch Image Import, Auto-Assign Options step — Step 3 — Assume filename is lot#/inventory#

Step 4 — Folder Images Review

Review how the photos matched to your lots. Leave Include checked for the images you want. You can right-click an image to rotate it or double-click to open the editor.

Auction Flex Batch Image Import, Folder Images Review step — Step 4 — review matched images

Step 5 — Import Images

Click Import Images. When it finishes, Auction Flex reports how many photos came in — for example, 123 Image(s) Imported.

Auction Flex Batch Image Import, Import Images step — Step 5 — click Import Images

Auction Flex image import results dialog showing images imported — Import complete — the results dialog confirms the count

Tips & troubleshooting

Some of my lots did not import into Auction Flex. Why?: The most common cause is a consignor/vendor code in your file that does not exist in Auction Flex. Either add the codes in Auction Flex first, or set a fallback code in Step 4 of the Inventory Import wizard so non-matching rows still import.
A lot imported without a category. How do I fix it?: The category value must exactly match an Auction Flex category. Pick the closest matching category in Lot Lingo and export again — the corrected value will map on the next import.
Why does my description import as one long paragraph?: This is expected. Auction Flex's CSV importer cannot keep line breaks, so descriptions import as running text. Lot Lingo formats descriptions for this automatically.
My photos did not attach to the right lots. What happened?: Confirm the image files are named like {lot}-{number}.jpeg (for example 771-1.jpeg) and that you chose "Assume filename is lot#/inventory#" in Step 3 of the Batch Image Import wizard.

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Importing into Auction Flex