Approved Product Lists (APLs) is a curated list of products assigned to a specific place or account for a set period of time. When a store has an APL, Repsly uses it to determine which products should appear in Product Matrix–based forms. This gives field reps a clear, accurate checklist of what to look for during visits and helps prevent incorrect or outdated products from appearing in their workflows.
When a Place uses an APL list, the available products are further narrowed by Product tags. At the moment the rep accesses the Place and the form is initiated, Repsly searches for products that match the APL list and are additionally filtered by the Product tags assigned to them. This dual-filtering approach underscores the need for accurate tagging to ensure reps see the correct product selection.
Both the products and the matrix questions must share the same tag, so accurate tagging and product activation are essential.
If a place does not have an APL assigned, Repsly uses the full list of active products that have the tags defined on the form.
APLs help you:
- Ensure each store carries the correct products
- Give field representatives a clear checklist of which products appear in Matrix questions inside Forms during store visits (in real time, out of store, remote)
- Save time by only focusing on the relevant products for any given store
How APLs Work in Repsly
APLs define which products are expected in which store during a specific date range period.
Once enabled, Repsly will only show products from that store's assigned APL (further filtered by any tag filtering you set on Matrix questions).
Key Behaviors
- Only one APL is active for a Place at any given time. A Place can have multiple APLs with different date range periods, but only the currently valid one applies.
- If both a Place and its parent Account have APLs with overlapping date range periods, the Place-level APL takes priority (Place-level settings override Account-level settings).
- Example: If Account1 has APL1 and Place1 (within Account1) has APL2, both valid for the same dates, the system will use APL2.
- A product can be part of multiple APLs
- If a Place does not have an APL assigned → Matrix questions show all active products matching the product tag(s)
Example: Place1 belongs to Account1. If you import APL1 for Account1 and APL2 for Place1, and both are valid for the same date range, the system will return APL2 when a rep accesses Place1. The Place-level assignment always overrides the Account-level assignment when both are active.
Let’s explain with an example.
For the Product Matrix, you used All Active Products to include products in the Matrix questions via a tag. Think of this as the largest possible pool of products available. In this scenario, # reference tags, and P1-P6 specific places.
If you're using an APL setup for products, the products also come from the list of All Active Products.
Below, you can see all active products with different tags. You create an Approved Product List (APL) for one store that includes four active products - these now form APL1 (blue group).
A store assigned to APL1 will only know about those four products. It will not see or recognize any other products outside that blue group.
Now imagine we have two APLs: APL1 and APL2.
APL2 contains two products, one of which is also included in APL1 (the overlapping product shown in green).
This means a store with APL2 must have the two products shown in yellow and green.
Products can belong to more than one APL.
Import APL List
First, you need to create an Approved Product List, which is going to be empty. With one import, you can create multiple APLs.
This step needs to contain:
- APL Name
- Start Date
- End Date
- Either AccountID or PlaceID (not both!)
*Only one APL is active for a Place at any given time. While a Place can have multiple APLs with different date range periods, only the currently valid one applies. If both a Place and its parent Account have valid APLs for the same period, the Place-level APL takes priority.
Rules:
- If both AccountID and PlaceID are filled → import fails
- If both are empty → import fails
- If the ID doesn’t exist → import fails
- If you don't follow the correct date format (visible in the import Sample template in the app) → import fails
You can assign an APL to an Account, which means it will apply to all Places under that Account (for example, all Walmart locations).
You can import a specific Place ID to assign the APL to a single, specific location. In that case, the Place-level assignment takes priority over the broader Account assignment.
Create Approved Product List (APL)
Click the gear icon, then choose Export and Import.
Select Import, and then choose Authorized Product List (APL) Import.
If you already have your Excel file ready, you can simply upload it.
You can also use the Copy & Paste option if that’s easier.Not sure what the Excel file should look like?
Just click Sample to download a template you can follow.
Import Products to the Approved Product List (APL)
Click the gear icon, then choose Export and Import.
Select Import, and then choose Assign products to an authorized product list (APL).
If you already have your Excel file ready, you can simply upload it.
You can also use the Copy & Paste option if that’s easier.- Not sure what the Excel file should look like?
Just click Sample to download a template you can follow. - This step will ensure you have products in your Approved Product Lists.