Bring all your product data into EasyCatalog — no matter where it lives.
Whether your information comes from a simple spreadsheet, a multi-table database, a PIM or DAM system, or a live XML feed, EasyCatalog gives you a seamless way to pull it straight into InDesign. No copying. No pasting. No manual updates.
Your data becomes the foundation for fast, accurate, automated publishing.
Connect to the data you already use
EasyCatalog can import from an enormous range of formats and systems, including:
- Delimited files, such as CSV or tab-delimited
- Excel spreadsheets
- Google Docs Spreadsheets
- PIM and DAM systems such as Akeneo, Salsify, Perfion, inriver, AtroPIM, Sales Layer, and more using the optional Enterprise Data Provider
- XML file or XML feed from a URL using the optional XML Data Provider
- ODBC databases (SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, etc.) using the optional ODBC Data Provider
Why this matters
Importing your data directly into EasyCatalog means you can:
- Eliminate time-consuming copy-and-paste tasks
- Keep your documents perfectly aligned with your source data
- Reduce production errors and inconsistencies
- Refresh your project with a single click
- Build catalogues, datasheets, and brochures dramatically faster
- Work with clean, structured, reliable information throughout the entire process
Your team stays focused on design — not on data wrangling.
Typical use cases
This feature is perfect when you want to:
- Import product information from Excel to create a catalogue
- Pull price lists from a company database and update them automatically
- Connect to a PIM or DAM system for a multi-brand, multi-region publication
- Build datasheets using engineering data exported as XML
- Create a brochure that updates as the Google Sheet behind it changes
- Combine data from multiple teams into one publication
- Work collaboratively without disrupting existing workflows
If your data can be exported, EasyCatalog can work with it.
Work online or offline with Data Caching
EasyCatalog stores a local snapshot of your datasource, allowing you to:
- Work offline or away from the office
- Avoid VPN issues or database access restrictions
- Reduce load on your live systems
- Keep a stable version of your data during layout
- Refresh the snapshot only when you’re ready
It’s the perfect balance of flexibility, speed, and stability.
Don’t have a database? No problem.
If your content lives in simple files or spreadsheets, you’re ready to go.
If you outgrow that later, EasyCatalog scales naturally:
- Add the XML Data Provider for feeds and structured data
- Use the Enterprise Data Provider for Akeneo, Salsify, Perfion, inriver, AtroPIM, and others
- Add the ODBC Data Provider for live database integration
- Move to InDesign Server for high-volume automated production
Start simple — grow as your workflow evolves.
