Link Management - Advanced Links, Copy Links, Import Links, Product Recognition, Import Products, CSV

Link Management - Advanced Links, Copy Links, Import Links, Product Recognition, Import Products, CSV

Advanced Linking Tool

In this article, we’ll explore DCatalog’s Advanced Linking Tools, available in the Multimedia Manager (gear icon ⚙ in your admin dashboard). These features are designed to help you automate, customize, and manage links more efficiently—making your flipbooks more interactive while saving you valuable time during the linking process.

1 - Access Multimedia Manager. 

 


  2 - Click on the Advanced Tools:

             



Advanced Links Recognition

1) Click on "Advanced links Recognition" to have access to the detailed view of the feature. 


2) You’ll see four available tools. You don’t need to fill out all the fields—each option serves a different purpose, and you can use them individually or combine them based on what you need



Auto Linking




This tool automates the linking process for you so that you do not have to manually link your entire edition. Especially if you have a large catalog, this tool can be run quickly and grabs links in seconds
 
How to use it?
Select one or more options below and click Proceed. Our platform will automatically capture any links from the PDF or from the edition text and link them for you!
  1. Create web links from URL
  2. Create email links from URL
  3. Create phone links 
  4. Import links from PDF

If your catalog includes SKUs (for example, in eCommerce editions), you can automate linking using recognition patterns. 

How to use it?
In the Search For box, enter a regular expression (RegEx) — a sequence of characters that defines a search pattern.
RegEx helps you automatically find, match, or replace text strings that follow a specific format, such as SKUs, email addresses, or URLs within your file.
Example:
[A-Z]{3}-\d{4} → matches codes like ABC-1234

Link Type Options
External: Enter the URL in the Link URL field — this is the page users will be directed to when they click the link.
Then, define the Target behavior:
  1. Blank: Opens the link in a new browser tab.
  2. Self: Opens the link in the same tab 
  3. Parent: Opens the link in the parent frame of the flipbook.




Link type: Go to Page / HTML Popup



Pro tip: When using a RegEx pattern, the variable $regresult represents the value captured by your expression. You can include $regresult in the Target Page field to dynamically insert the detected page number (or other matched value) when creating link
The Link Style tool allows you to customize the appearance of your links—helping them align with your branding and stand out to readers. You can adjust the color, opacity, and styling of the links you import using the Link Recognition feature.

How to use it?
  1. Click Use Custom Style to activate the styling options
  2. Choose your link color from the dropdown menu
  3. Adjust the opacity by sliding the bar left or right (to make the color lighter or darker)


Optionally, by selecting "border Type” you can:
  1. Add a border around the link 
  2. Or choose to have it underline
 You can also adjust the opacity to make the link color darker or lighter, and the border width if you’ve selected “border type” as underline or border. 



The Link Filters section allows you to define where you want to apply the automations set up in the previous section of the Import Links popup window.
For example, if you’ve chosen to use a Regular Expression to automatically detect and link all products ids within your catalog, you can use the Link Filters to limit this automation to a specific range of pages or a particular font type. This ensures your links are applied only where intended, keeping your edition clean and consistent.



Copy Links

Need to apply the same links from one edition to another? The Copy Links tool makes it easy to transfer all your existing links—no need to recreate them manually. It’s a great time-saver, especially when working with updated or recurring versions of your catalog





How to use it?
    After clicking on the copy Links from the gear menu you can:
    1. On your left, choose the template and edition you want to copy the links from.
    2. You can also define the exact page range you need (for example: from page 3 to page 10).
    3. Next, select the link type you want to copy (for example: All, Go to Page, Phone, External Links, and so on). 


    Now, simply define which template and edition you want to copy the links to, and make sure the "Target Start Page" matches the range you defined previously! When you've made your selection, press "Copy Links" and once the process is done, you will receive confirmation.





    Import Links from File

    DCatalog’s “Import Links from File” feature automates the process of linking SKUs to their corresponding product pages using a CSV file. It’s a powerful time-saver that streamlines large-scale linking tasks and eliminates hours of manual work.



    Before getting started, make sure your CSV file is properly formatted. The file should include two columns — one for the SKU (or product ID/item number) and another for the Product URL. Add a header row to clearly identify each column. Once your file is ready, simply upload it through the Import Links from File window. You can also select an existing CSV file from the dropdown menu if you’re reusing or updating a previous version.

    How to use it?
    1. Go to Multimedia Manager > Gear Icon > Import Links from File
    2. Prepare your CSV file with two columns:
      1. Column A: SKU (or product ID/item number)
      2. Column B: Product URL
    3. Save the file as CSV UTF-8
    4. Add a header row to identify each column
    5. In the import window, upload your file and click Import


    Now your SKUs are linked to their product pages!

    Product Recognition

    The Product Recognition Tool automatically detects and links products within your catalog, making it perfect for large eCommerce projects with extensive product lists. By defining parameters such as “Search For”, “Product Target URL”, and page range, the system intelligently scans your catalog and creates product links that include a Product ID—not just a URL. This allows you to power advanced features like Order Forms and shoppable catalogs, saving you hours of manual linking and ensuring every item is connected accurately.


    How to use it?
    1. Open the Product Recognition tool
    2. Fill in the fields:
      1. Search For: you can use a regular expression to define exactly what you'll be searching for
      2. Product Target URL: You can define where you want the customers to be directed to once they open the link. 
    3. Optional: set a page range and font filter to narrow where it searches
    4. Click Import
    5. When it finishes, click Save




    Import products from file

    The Import Products from File tool allows you to upload a CSV file containing your product data directly into your catalog—making it easy to add or update multiple products at once. Unlike the "Import Links from File" feature, this tool is more used to update products within your Order Form technology, applying changes only to the specific edition you’re working on.




    How to use it?
    1. Click the upload icon
    2. Select your CSV file containing the product data
    3. (Optional) Check the Page Range box and enter the page numbers (From/To) if you only want to import products to specific pages
    4. Click Import



    Auto Delete

    Need a clean slate? The Auto Delete tool allows you to remove content in bulk—so you can start fresh without manually deleting each item. This feature includes filtering options, giving you full control over what and where you delete. 



    How to use it?
    1. Select a specific page or page range
    2. Choose the shape of the link you want to remove. 
    3. Choose the type of link to remove (e.g., external links, pop-up images, go-to-page links)
    4. Decide whether to delete automatically added,  manually added links or all. 
    5. Press delete. 
    ⚠️ Use this feature carefully—once deleted, the content cannot be recovered.


    Clear all custom link style (Use with Caution)

    Using this option will remove all custom link styles you’ve applied — including color, opacity, borders, and underline settings. If you ever need to clear out all customized link styles you’ve previously edited, you can use this option to reset everything back to the default style. Once reset, you can start styling your links from scratch and apply a new, consistent design across your catalog.





      • Related Articles

      • Uploading a CSV File to Update Order Form Technology

        ? What Is Order Form Technology? Order Form Technology allows clients to place an order directly from a digital catalog by selecting their preferred products. Once submitted, the company receives the request, and the client gets a confirmation email ...

      • What is Product Management

        Product Management helps streamline stock management and product organization. It allows for real-time updates, offering features such as custom product descriptions, pricing, images, videos, and SKU management. This system makes it easy to integrate ...

      • Multimedia Manager - Navigation

        Multimedia Manager The Multimedia Manager is where you will add internal and external links, video clips, audio clips, pop up images, complete the eCommerce set up and more. It is how you make your PDF come to life and become interactive. Tools - ...

      • Advanced Features

        Advanced Features contain the Google Analytics section to enter your UA number as well as several other template setups, particularly if you purchased an eCommerce or Enterprise package. Google Analytics/GA4 DCatalog integrates with Google Analytics ...

      • How Do I Format My CSV File for Product Fields?

        Here is how to format the CSV file to use it for autolinking: This ensures that the items will be linked properly. Here is an additional link you may find helpful: Import Products from File If you have additional questions, please contact ...