Data preparation tools
Nine online tools, developed by agence MARGARET, that prepare an Excel, CSV or TXT file before it is imported into EasyCatalog. They run in your browser: no product data is sent to a server.
🔒 Where your files go: nowhere
Processing is entirely local, on your own machine. The file is not uploaded; it is read by the browser. Only the AI assistant, which is optional, transmits an anonymized diagnosis: the column names and the nature of the anomalies detected, never the content of the cells. This is a design constraint, not a setting: it makes it possible to work on confidential price lists and product data before they are published.
The video demonstration
Three minutes eighteen on a customer price list exactly as it arrives: the complete run through the nine tools, from the assistant to the Regex bench. Nothing is cut, including the moments where the tool refuses to do something without approval — which is precisely what you want to see before handing a file to a piece of software.
The problem these tools address
A data export is almost never usable as is. The same flaws recur from one company to the next: headers spread over two or three rows, merged cells inherited from a presentation meant to be read by a human, entirely empty columns, interspersed separator or subtotal rows, unfrozen formulas that lose their value outside the workbook, and above all columns repeated per variation — one set of columns per language, per packaging side or per variant — where EasyCatalog expects rows.
Fixing all of this by hand is doable once. Doing it again for every delivery is not: that is exactly what these tools eliminate.
The nine tools
Assistant — free
The entry point. You submit a file, and it returns an EasyCatalog compatibility diagnosis, a score out of 10 and a recommended correction path, tool by tool. Useful even if you do not intend to use the other tools: it tells you where the difficulties are. Open the assistant.
Validation
The full file check: header row detection, empty or duplicate headers, empty columns, entirely empty rows, merged cells, unfrozen formulas, multiple sheets, and a test of the EasyCatalog key with the list of duplicates and a suggestion of the minimal combination of columns that guarantees uniqueness. Each check comes with its one-click fix. Open Validation.
Transformation
Output formatting: rename columns, add calculated fields, build the EasyCatalog key. The principle is non-destructive — the source data is never modified, only the output is. Open Transformation.
Transposition
From columns to rows. When a file carries one column per language, per side or per variant, one source row must become N rows to be usable by a template. It is the trickiest processing to do by hand and the one that saves the most time once automated. Open Transposition.
Comparison
Tracking between two deliveries. The new file is checked against the reference and you get the differences: columns removed, renamed, added — with the option of matching renamed columns to reconnect the document without redoing everything. It is the mid-project tool, the one that keeps you from discovering the differences at update time. Open Comparison.
Grouped Views
Hierarchical sorting: group and order records by family › range › product to prepare the flatplan. You see the structure of the catalog before paginating it. Open Grouped Views.
Templates
The memory of the work done. You save the full configuration of a workflow and replay it on the next delivery: same corrections, same renamings, same rules, with no rework. On a catalog that comes back every season, this is what turns a day of preparation into a few minutes. This tool is included in the full workflow. Open the full workflow.
Lua Bench
Script checking before InDesign. An EasyCatalog Lua script is checked statically — never executed: unclosed blocks, methods unknown to the corpus, documented pitfalls, encoding anomalies. You see the error before it happens in the document. This tool is included in the full workflow. Open the full workflow.
Regex Bench
Trying a regular expression on real data. You measure the rows affected, inspect the captures and compare the replacement before applying it, with a safeguard against overly expensive expressions. It works on free text or on a column of the current file. This tool is included in the full workflow. Open the full workflow.
The full workflow
The nine tools can be chained on the same file, in order: Assistant → Validation → Transformation → Transposition → Comparison → Grouped Views → Templates, with the two benches available at any time. It is the end-to-end path, without re-importing the file between two steps. Go to the full workflow.
Trial and pricing
Two ways to try without paying anything: the assistant is free and unlimited, and a demo lets you run the processing on 10 rows, with no sign-up.
Beyond that, all prices shown are incl. VAT:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | One-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant + 10-row demo | Free | ||
| A single tool | 10 € | 100 € (2 months free) | 5 € |
| Bundle | 15 € | 150 € | 8 € |
| Full workflow (all 9 tools) | 50 € | 500 € | 20 € |
| Local installation | 400 € | ||
Pay-per-file applies to a given file, identified by its fingerprint: it does not open time-based access, it processes the file it was purchased for. Packs of AI assistant calls are offered separately: 5 € for around 50 analyses, 15 € for around 180, 40 € for around 550. Local installation is intended for organisations that want no dependency on an online service: the tools run on their own workstation or their own network.
Full details of the plans and the sign-up process can be found in the pricing table; the subscription is managed from your account.
Frequently asked questions
Are my files sent to a server?
No. The tools run in your browser, on your workstation: the file is read locally, it is not uploaded. The only exception is the optional AI assistant, which transmits an anonymised diagnostic — column names and the nature of the anomalies — and never the content of the cells.
Which file formats are accepted?
Excel workbooks, CSV files and text files. Multi-sheet workbooks are supported, with a choice of which sheet to process.
Do these tools modify my data?
No. The process is non-destructive: the original file is not altered, the tools produce an output file. The corrections concern the structure — headers, empty rows, merged cells, frozen formulas, transposed columns — and not the business value of your data.
Do you need to own EasyCatalog to use them?
No. These are file preparation tools: they work independently of the plug-in. They are designed to produce a file directly usable by EasyCatalog, but nothing prevents you from using them to clean up an export intended for another purpose.
What does pay-per-file mean?
It grants the right to process a specific file, recognised by its fingerprint, rather than time-limited access. This choice prevents the abuse of a few hours' access and makes the price predictable for a one-off need.
Can the same processing be replayed on the next delivery?
Yes, that is the purpose of the Templates tool: the complete configuration of a workflow is saved and then replayed on a new file with the same structure. That is the main gain on a recurring catalogue.