What you will accomplish

You will create one raw material at /ingredients/new or import a material list at /ingredients/import, find it in the /ingredients catalog, edit missing fields, and select it in a formula. You will also know what separates Formula-ready, Batch-ready, source-ready, and GMP-ready records.

Choose a workspace and confirm supplier currency

If your organization requires an active workspace, Select a workspace appears before creating, editing or importing materials and before creating or editing suppliers. Choose an assigned workspace to continue. Personal libraries do not require an organization workspace. A real permission or authenticator requirement still needs to be resolved separately.

A supplier whose preferred currency is unknown can use Currency not confirmed. This leaves the preference unknown rather than assuming USD. It does not confirm the currency of a quote, purchase order or material price. Existing saved preferences are preserved unless you explicitly change them.

Import drafts belong to the account and workspace where they started. If selection changes before saving, the import is held without writing records; return to the original authorized account and workspace to continue its draft. Older unbound drafts are kept in the browser but are not automatically reopened under a current account. Do not delete and reimport saved materials to work around a selection error.

Back from final review returns to the source list. If that list is unchanged, continuing retains your final INCI/CAS edits and selected rows, including an explicitly cleared field. These final choices also survive reloading the same account and workspace draft. Changing the source list, supplier or uploaded data requires a fresh final review; previous edits are not assigned to different rows. An older draft may first ask you to review the source again. Deselect all followed by Select all keeps existing duplicates excluded. None of these review actions saves materials; use the final Create button after checking your selection.

If matching says your account or workspace changed, reopen material import in the intended account and workspace. The old draft is retained under its original context; another context's match results are not accepted into it. Returning to the correct context can make a fresh matching request.

Before you start

Open /ingredients. For a single material, have its display name, INCI name, and default stock unit ready. For an import, prepare a supplier document, price list, photo, CSV, tab-separated file, or pasted list. The material importer accepts CSV, TSV, or TXT; save an Excel workbook as CSV before uploading it there. Photo/PDF import is available on plans that include AI extraction. CSV columns can include name, INCI, CAS, price, quantity, and supplier.

The Formuley reference catalog and your raw material library are different. A shared reference helps you identify a material; the record you save in Raw Materials carries your operational details and follows your account's access rules.

Add one raw material manually

Open the create form. Go to /ingredients/new from Raw Materials or choose Add Raw Material.
Enter the identity basics. Add a Trade Name or Common / Plain Name, an INCI Name, and a Default Unit.
Choose the category. Select the category that best describes how you use the material.
Add optional source context. Select or type a supplier and add the Supplier SKU when you already know them.
Save the record. Use the saved material in formulas while you complete stricter verification later.

A display name, INCI name, and default stock unit make the record Formula-ready. Category and verified identity are additionally required before it is Batch-ready.

Choosing an existing supplier record saves its association with the material; typing a supplier name alone does not establish that association. A supplier SKU is optional and is separate from the saved supplier link. Neither a supplier link nor a SKU approves the supplier's grade, makes two sources interchangeable, or approves a lot for production.

Edit or clear technical values

Open the material, choose Edit, then expand Additional material data. Choose Add technical fields to enter missing specifications, including on an existing record. If the identity is linked to a reference, use Edit matched details when you need to correct a matched field.

Clear a technical number when that value is unknown, then save and reopen the material to confirm it is blank. Enter 0 only when zero is the confirmed value; a blank value is different from zero. Clearing these specifications does not change recorded stock or purchase costs. You can also clear optional description, notes, CAS, EC, molecular formula, IFRA category, IFRA restrictions and regulatory restriction text. Changing CAS or EC still follows the material’s identity review and approval rules.

Maximum temperature accepts 0–200°C or 32–392°F in the selected unit. Temperatures are saved as whole degrees Celsius; Fahrenheit is converted and rounded when you save. If a save is rejected, correct the error and review the entered values before retrying.

Import and review a material list

Open material import. Go to /ingredients/import and choose Paste Text, CSV / Spreadsheet, or Photo / PDF, according to your source and plan.
Provide the source data. Paste one material per line, upload a CSV/TSV/TXT file, or upload a JPEG/PNG/WebP/PDF for AI extraction.
Review the extraction. Confirm names, quantities, prices, and suppliers. Review every mapped material before anything is saved.

Extracted prices and quantities are reference information during import. They do not create inventory or set the cost used by formulas. After saving, an authorized teammate can open the raw material and choose Record Purchase to enter the actual quantity and total paid. 4. Review INCI and CAS. On Verify & Confirm, correct low-confidence matches and edit any INCI or CAS value that looks wrong. 5. Save the selected records. Materials with a confirmed INCI name and default unit become Formula-ready. Name-only records remain saved for review until their INCI is confirmed. 6. Find and edit your materials. Open /ingredients to see the catalog, search for the imported material, open its detail page, and choose Edit. Use /ingredients/identity to finish identity review for batch use.

Import does not make an identity trustworthy by itself. It stages records for work, then leaves the identity decision visible for review.

If a suggested CAS or INCI is wrong, replace it explicitly or clear the field to keep it unknown. CAS supports up to 50 characters and INCI up to 2,000. Keep a supplier’s complete multi-component declaration; do not shorten it to fit. Final review choices take precedence over rejected suggestions, including overlong suggestions. Original uploaded cells remain source evidence; they are not confirmed identity or stock receipts. Check the library before resubmitting an interrupted save.

Lookup confidence and trust badges apply only to the INCI match you keep. Clearing a suggested INCI makes the row Name only; correcting it shows Edited—match not accepted and removes the rejected lookup’s badges and suggestions. Values supplied in your source or entered manually remain separate from lookup suggestions.

The material-issue count follows the active materials visible in your catalogue and counts each affected material once. Your reference-import activity is shown separately. Readiness unavailable means the check could not finish; it is not a clean result.

Correct an imported material

If an imported raw material has a blank field, including INCI, open Raw Materials, select the affected material, and choose Edit. Enter the correct INCI Name from the supplier specification or label, check the Default Unit, then save. If the identity fields are read-only because the material has a reference match, choose Edit matched details before correcting the INCI. Do not use a trade name as the INCI unless the supplier confirms they are identical. If you previously saw “Invalid input: expected string, received null,” retry the edit after refreshing the page.

For future CSV uploads, use a header such as name,inci_name,category,supplier,stock_unit and inspect the INCI Name column in Review Extracted Materials and Verify & Confirm before saving. A blank or unrecognized INCI column needs manual review. The larger Settings → Data import can also create records with a blank INCI; add the confirmed INCI on the material edit page to make them formula-ready. If saving still fails, contact support with the material name, the import route used, and the error text. Do not delete and reimport the library to work around a single blocked record.

Link a saved supplier source

On the raw material detail page, use Supplier sources → Saved supplier to choose an existing supplier in the same workspace. The selection links the supplier record and fills its name. Choose Enter supplier name only when you want a source without a saved supplier link.

A Preferred source updates the material’s preferred supplier. A preferred name-only source replaces any previous supplier link with its entered name. Select the saved supplier when you need to keep that relationship. Saving a source does not verify the material identity, receive stock, or approve a real supplier’s evidence.

Move through the readiness stages

Reach Formula-ready. Supply a display name, INCI name, and default stock unit.
Reach Batch-ready. Choose a category, confirm the identity, and use a reference match or CAS plus a manual verification note when appropriate.
Reach source-ready. Attach at least one approved or preferred source to the material.
Reach GMP-ready. Receive at least one approved lot and link supporting evidence.

A Formula-ready record is suitable for formulation and bench work. Pilot and production selection use the stricter Batch-ready identity gate. Readiness is staged so missing purchasing or quality records do not block early formulation.

Use a material in a formula

Open a formula from /formulas or create one, then add a row and search your Raw Materials library for the material you saved. Confirm the selected material and quantity before saving the formula. If its INCI is still missing, complete that field in the material's Edit page before using formula label output. A name-only material can stay in the library for review without silently substituting its trade name for INCI.

Add supplier, cost, lot, and document context

Define the source. On the material detail page, keep the supplier-facing material name and Supplier SKU with the preferred or approved supplier source.
Record the receipt. Choose Record Purchase, enter quantity and total price, and confirm the weighted cost preview. Exact inventory requires a lot number before submission. Use an internal receipt lot number if the supplier's lot is unknown; keep the supplier lot reference blank rather than inventing provenance.
Create the lot when traceability matters. Keep the supplier lot reference, approval status, dates, and source attached to the stock received.
Place documents deliberately. Keep the supplier TDS or specification and SDS with the material or confirmed source; keep the receipt-specific COA linked to its lot.
Approve production evidence. Only approved active lots are eligible for stricter production selection, and only lot-linked COA or SDS files satisfy release evidence for that lot.

The material detail refreshes its stock, costing reference, lots and sources after a recorded purchase. Received calendar dates retain the day you entered, regardless of time zone. For receipt and deduction history, open Reports → Inventory Movements. Its inclusive date range and movement dates use UTC; the lot received date remains the calendar day recorded on the receipt.

Review source-specific numbers

Leave assay or density blank when it is unknown. Blank fields stay unknown; an explicit active fraction of 0 means a measured zero. Active fraction must be between 0 and 1; density must be a finite positive number in g/mL. A supplier range is not a measured point value. Saving a pending specification does not approve a grade, overwrite an original document or release a production lot.

While source specs load, wait for the result before treating missing information as an empty history. A failed read shows an unavailable message and a read-only retry. Previously loaded history may remain visible during a refresh failure, with changes unavailable until the current read succeeds.

Enter an existing opening balance once

Choose Starting stock → Already on hand for stock you already hold, and use Record Purchase for a new delivery. Do not record the same stock both ways. Check the material’s working unit and the normalized preview before saving. A quantity of0 is known zero; an optional cost left blank does not invent a free price or clear a known material price. Enter0 only when a cost or purchase is genuinely free.

Opening stock is initialization, not a way to overwrite an existing balance. Once stock has receipts, lots, reservations or deductions, use the ordinary stock reconciliation workflow. An opening balance does not establish supplier receipt dates, approved lots or production evidence.

If confirmation is interrupted, choose Resume opening stock to confirm the original reviewed values. Keep the original account and material; do not recreate the material or submit the same stock as a purchase. A later access denial does not establish whether the earlier attempt committed. The saved material remains available for authorized review. Choose Continue on saved material to keep the original request there while setting up other materials; this does not receive, cancel or reverse stock. On its detail page, use Review retained opening stock to resume the same request. A confirmed replay shows the recorded opening balance; check the detail page for current on-hand stock after later movements.

If the screen says stock is saved but its formula cost refresh is pending, use Resume cost refresh and review Costs before relying on saved totals. Do not enter stock again to refresh a calculation. An authorized cost manager may need to review formulas if your role cannot edit them.

Remove a material from active use

Open the material and choose Delete to remove it from the active library. This deactivates the record and retains linked formula versions, batches and inventory history. In a team account, the action applies to the current workspace and requires raw-material read, edit and delete permissions. A missing or already inactive material is reported instead of being treated as a new successful removal.

If the removal response is interrupted, use Reload and check the library before trying again. A permission refusal keeps you on the material so you can read the error and resolve access.

Check your work

The material appears in /ingredients and can be selected in a formula.
The readiness label matches the information you have actually reviewed.
Imported INCI and CAS values have been checked in /ingredients/identity.
Supplier, SKU, price, quantity, and cost data match the supplier record or receipt.
A production lot has the correct source, approval status, dates, and lot-linked evidence.

If something does not look right

If an import match is uncertain, edit the INCI or CAS value before saving, or save it for later Identity Hub review.
If a material is Formula-ready but not Batch-ready, complete its category and identity verification; it remains usable in formulas meanwhile.
If two supplier grades differ in assay, carrier, grade, or bench behavior, create separate raw material records instead of treating them as interchangeable sources.
If a lot cannot be selected in production, confirm it is active and approved and that required lot evidence is linked.
Structured sourcing, document storage, and some inventory controls depend on plan access; the page explains the available upgrade when a control is unavailable.

Next steps

Save a material after linking a reference

Your Trade Name / Raw Material and Common / Plain Name can stay specific to your supplier or bench after linking. Working names support up to 140 characters. A reference definition that is too long for a working name stays in its description; a shorter reference identity can prefill the name for review. INCI and other matched technical fields retain the explicit Edit matched details control.

Review the category before batching. Provider fragrance classifications use the existing Fragrance Oil category; Essential Oil remains separate. A material with an unfamiliar reference category can be saved for formulation with category left blank, but needs an appropriate category and identity approval before it is batch-ready. A category selection does not approve safety, alter an INCI declaration, or establish fragrance component evidence.

If Save is blocked, review the message beside the Save button. Validation messages identify the field; select a message to reveal its section. Correct the value and retry. Supplier, permission, duplicate-material, plan-limit, network, and database errors also remain visible. After an interrupted save, check the library before creating the material again.

Selecting a different reference replaces identity-derived specifications instead of retaining values from the previous material. Supplier details and original import evidence are retained. Review the new details and identity again before controlled batching. Selecting a reference is a prefill, not a batch approval.

Expand Add technical fields → Safety & Regulatory to review IFRA maximum usage, category, restriction notes and other regulatory restrictions. These values are independent of Known Allergen; do not change classification simply to enter an IFRA limit. Keep the applicable source document and intended-use category with the review. Matched fields retain their existing source locks and explicit override. These recorded fields do not approve a lot or establish complete product-release evidence.

Build and verify your raw material library

Add a raw material