Forage’s Catalog Assistant helps retailers save time by analyzing their catalog and automatically generating recommended eligibility classifications for EBT SNAP-eligible products.

How to use Forage's Catalog Assistant

Upload your catalog. Submit your product catalog as a CSV file. The file should include at least the required fields to ensure accurate classification.
Wait for Forage to process your catalog. After you upload the file, Forage will enrich it with additional classification columns. You’ll receive an email when your file is ready to download from the Forage Dashboard.
Download your processed file. Once notified, log in to the Forage Dashboard and download the output file.
Review the output file and finalize your classifications. Since you have the most complete understanding of your catalog, it’s up to you to review the file and confirm or adjust the eligibility classifications.

Pay special attention to the two new columns added by the Catalog Assistant:
- snap eligible: Indicates whether the Catalog Assistant recommends classifying the product as EBT SNAP eligible.
  - True: Recommended as eligible.
  - False: Recommended as ineligible.
- manual review recommended: Flags whether the Catalog Assistant has low confidence in its recommendation. Low-confidence items should be carefully reviewed.
  - True: Low-confidence recommendation; review carefully.
  - False: Higher confidence recommendation; less likely to need changes.

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In our benchmark tests, Forage found that the Catalog Assistant’s high-confidence classifications are about 90–95% accurate. That said, accuracy can vary depending on how much your catalog aligns with the Catalog Assistant’s training data, so we can’t guarantee a specific percentage.

Preparing your catalog file

Format your file as a CSV. The Comma-Separated Values format ensures compatibility with Forage’s system.
Each row in your file should represent a single product. To avoid missing classifications, ensure that all required fields are filled out for every item.

CSV file fields

To successfully classify your products, include the required fields below. Optional fields are not required but are encouraged to help Forage improve this service for you over time. Fields that are not required or optional may be left in and will still be present in the output you receive.

Field name	Required	Description	Example
`item_description`	True	Name and description of the item.	“Soylent Complete Nutrition Protein Meal Replacement Drink, Original, 14 oz”
`department`	True	The top-level category in the item's taxonomy within your catalog.	“Beverages”
`upc`	False	The item’s Uniform Product Code identifier.	“858369006153”
`has_nutrition_label`	False	Whether or not the item has a nutrition label from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Note: A supplement label doesn’t qualify as a nutrition label.	“True”

Sample file

Our sample file illustrates the required column-level formatting: Forage Catalog Assistant Sample File.

Upload your catalog

Once your catalog file is correctly formatted, upload it to Catalog Assistant for processing.

How to upload your catalog file

Log in to your Forage Merchant Dashboard.
Go to Catalog Assistant.
Click Upload New Catalog.
Select and upload your CSV.

The catalog will be listed as “processing” in the table on the page, and Forage will email you to notify you when the output file is ready for you to review.

Reviewing and using results

You should receive your classified file within 24 hours of uploading.
Once your catalog is processed, you can download the output file and review the classifications, using the recommendations as the starting point for your review.
Remember to review all items, paying special attention to those flagged for your manual review. You are responsible for final classifications; your contact points at Forage can assist with specific questions.

Best practices for formatting your CSV

Following these best practices will help ensure accurate and efficient EBT classification results.

Include All Required Fields. Ensure that every product entry contains the required fields to avoid processing errors.
Use Consistent Product Names. Standardize product names across your catalog to prevent duplicate or conflicting classifications.

Troubleshooting & next steps

Follow these steps if you encounter issues or need to take action after classification.

Fix Upload Errors. Ensure your file is in CSV format. Check that all required fields are included and properly formatted.
Handle Missing or Incorrect Classifications. Unclassified items may need manual review. Double-check the item description and department for accuracy if a classification seems incorrect.
Implement Results and Provide Feedback. Update your product listings using the classified file. Share feedback with Forage to help improve classification accuracy.

Additional resources

Here are some other resources to consider:

USDA guide to eligible foods