Uploading and Mapping Your File

When you click Import, you will be guided through an upload and mapping wizard:

Step 1: Select Your CSV File

You can upload only one file at a time. The file must be in UTF-8 CSV format and cannot exceed 10 MB in size. The system will reject empty files or files containing only headers.

Step 2: Delimiter Selection

Upon selecting your CSV file, you must specify the character used as the column separator (delimiter). The system supports:

• Commas (, – default)
• Semicolons (;)
• Tabs (\t)
• Pipes (|)

Step 3: Field Mapping

You will match the columns of your CSV file to the required PAQR component fields.

• Mandatory Mapping: To proceed, you must map at least the Component name and Reference ID fields.
• Standard Fields with Free Text:
  • Manufacturer
  • Supplier Component Reference ID
• Standard Fields with Units: When mapping physical specifications, pay close attention to the designated Units of Measure (UoM) in the field labels:
  • Recycled content (%)
  • Recyclability (%)
  • Weight (g)
  • Filling volume (ml)
  • Brimful volume (ml)
  • Filling weight (g)
• Picture: Set the component picture by including a column with a public URL pointing to the hosted image. Use png, jpg, or jpeg formats under 5 MB to ensure the data is processed correctly.
• Controlled Vocabulary Fields:
  • Component Type & Material: The values in your file must match the values as listed below.
  • Supplier: The supplier name in your file must correspond to an existing, active supplier in your organization’s directory.
  • Compostability: The values can either be “yes”, “no” or “unknown”.

Component Material Values

The column “Material Import Value” contains the allowed material values to be used in your component import file:

Component Type Values

The column “Component Type Import Value” contains the allowed component type values to be used in your component import file:

Data Validation & Pre-Import Summary

Before any components are committed to your portfolio, PAQR processes your CSV file and displays a detailed summary categorizing your data rows:

• New Components (Seamless): Valid components containing no errors that are ready for immediate use.
• Updates Needed (Incomplete): Components that contain minor data issues or incomplete specifications. These will still be imported, but they will be flagged with a warning so you can manually correct them afterward.
• Skipped Records: Rows that will not be imported due to critical issues. This includes:
  • Critical Errors: Rows missing a Component name or a Reference ID.
  • Duplicates: Rows that match a Reference ID of a component already existing in your library.

Automatic Discarding for Non-Base Components

To maintain clean technical records, if your component is not classified as a Base component (e.g., if it is a cap or label), any values provided for Filling volume, Brimful volume, or Filling weight are automatically discarded during import without triggering a data warning.

 Finalizing and Reviewing the Import

• Executing the Import: Click the confirm button to start processing your rows. If your CSV contains minor errors, a notification will appear showing the total number of components imported and how many require manual updates.
• Identifying Errors in Your Portfolio: Once imported, components with minor data issues will appear in your Components table highlighted in orange with a warning symbol marking the specific field that needs attention. You can select the component to edit and complete the missing or incorrect data.

Accessing Organization Details

You can manage your corporate profile by clicking your Avatar card in the bottom-left corner and selecting Organisation profile. From there, open the Organization details page.

The configuration is divided into three functional areas: Legal details, Public & Operational details, and your corporate Branding kit.

Legal Details

The Legal Details section manages corporate addresses and environmental compliance identities required by international legislations:

• Legal Name: Your organization’s official legal name is automatically assigned based on your subscription settings and currently cannot be edited from this panel. Ensure accuracy from the start, as this name acts as the certifying legal entity on your official Declarations of Conformity.
• Legal Address: Add your company’s official registered address (country, address lines, postal code, and city). This address is automatically pulled into the signature block of your signed DoC documents.
• Billing Address: Displays your billing address as recorded in Stripe during your subscription setup. The billing address is read-only here but can be edited at any time via the Stripe Customer Portal in the subscription section.
• National EPR Numbers: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes require companies to register and report packaging volumes in each market. You can register your unique EPR identification numbers on a country-by-country basis. Only one EPR number can be added per country, and you can edit or delete these entries as your registrations expand.

Public & Operational Details (Digital Packaging Passes)

These details represent consumer-facing contact details and trademark brands. Under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and product safety guidelines, consumers must have a reliable way to reach out regarding packaging safety, material compliance, and correct recycling disposal.

• Brands: Manage and register your trade brands. Registered brands can be linked directly to your physical articles and are displayed on your public-facing digital packaging passes. You can add, edit, or delete multiple brands in this panel.
• Contact Email Address: Provide a dedicated support email address for public consumer queries.
• Contact Phone Number: Add a customer service phone number (including the country code prefix).

Branding Kit (Customizing Your Look & Feel)

The Branding Kit lets you upload custom corporate imagery. These assets are reflected inside your compliance documents and on public-facing consumer packaging passes:

• Logo: Upload the full-size version of your company’s official logo. This image will appear at the top of your auto-generated Declaration of Conformity (DoC) PDFs and assessment reports.
• Icon: Upload a smaller representation of your logo (similar to a favicon or avatar). This icon is used as your organization’s avatar inside the PAQR dashboard.
• Image Requirements: Supported image formats include PNG, JPG, JPEG, and SVG. The file size must not exceed 1 MB, and icons must be square with minimum dimensions of 128px × 128px.

Accessing Team Management

To manage your team, click on your Avatar card in the bottom-left corner, select your Organization Profile, and click on the Team management section.

• Active Team Members: You will see a list of everyone who has access to your organization, including their full name, email address, role, and active status.
• New Members Badge: When an invited user joins, a badge will highlight them as a new member for their first 7 days, showing exactly how long ago they accepted the invitation.

Inviting New Team Members

To add a new colleague to your workspace:

1. Click the Invite button at the top right of the Team Management screen.
2. Select an access role from the dropdown menu. Currently only the Admin role is available. Soon also Editor and Viewer roles will be included.
3. Enter your colleague’s email address and send the invitation.

Invitation Expiration & Security

• Expiration: Email invitations are valid for 7 days. If an invite remains unanswered past this window, the link will expire, and the user will see an expiration error. You will need to withdraw and resend the invitation.
• Email Validation: To prevent security issues, invited users must log in or sign up using the exact email address to which the invitation was sent.

Managing Access Roles & Permissions

You can assign four primary roles within a PAQR organization, each designed for a different level of operational responsibility:

• Owner: Has unrestricted access to every part of the workspace. This is the only role permitted to manage the subscription and legal details of the organization.
• Admin: Has full access to invite colleagues, manage technical data, assess conformity, and build PAQR IDs. Admins have access to everything except subscription, legal details settings. Additionally, Admins cannot revoke their own Admin status.
• Editor: coming soon…
• Viewer: coming soon…

Withdrawing Invitations and Removing Users

If you need to revoke access or correct a mistake:

Withdrawing Pending Invitations

If an invitation has not been accepted yet, you can revoke it instantly by locating the pending invitation in your team list and clicking the Withdraw button. Once confirmed, the signup link is permanently deactivated.

Removing Active Team Members

To remove an active colleague from your organization, locate their row in the team list and click the Trash bin icon.

Note: You cannot remove yourself from the workspace. Owners cannot be deleted unless the organization ownership is legally transferred.

Previewing the Consumer Packaging Pass

Before making your digital passport public, you can view the exact experience your customers will have when scanning your QR code:

• The Interface: Clicking the Preview button opens a mobile-optimized public web page in a new browser tab.
• What is Shown: The consumer page features your official company logo, full physical address, linked trademark/brand, customer service contact options (phone and email), and a comprehensive material composition breakdown of the linked packaging level.
• Localization: A language selector in the top-right corner allows consumers to instantly translate the interface and view compliance details in their preferred language.

Publishing & Privacy Controls

You retain absolute ownership and control over when your packaging information is accessible to the public:

• Publishing Live: Clicking Publish updates the status badge to Published, activating the secure URL. Anyone scanning the QR code on your product will be able to access the live consumer page.
• Going Offline: Clicking Unpublish instantly takes the page offline. The unique URL is deactivated, and scanning the QR code will no longer display any packaging compliance or material specifications.

Maintenance: Editing, Locking, and Deleting

Editing Internal Details

You can update the internal Name and Description of your PAQR ID at any time by clicking the edit icon on your dashboard. This change only affects how the item is organized inside your workspace and does not alter the public consumer page or the generated URL.

Modifying Linked Assets (Packaging, Brands, and Articles)

Once a PAQR ID is created, you have the flexibility to update some of its linked details, regardless of whether the status is Published or Unpublished:

• Packaging and Brands: You can freely swap or update the linked packaging composition and selected brands at any time. This ensures your digital passport remains accurate if you update your packaging specifications or branding. Note that a packaging and brand must always remain selected to keep the PAQR ID published.
• Articles and GTINs: For security and data integrity, the linked Article and its GTIN cannot be modified once the PAQR ID is created. If you linked the wrong article or need to use a different GTIN, you must create a new PAQR ID.

Multi-User Concurrency Locks

To prevent teammates from accidentally overwriting active modifications in collaborative workspaces, PAQR uses automatic concurrency locks. If a colleague is currently updating a brand, packaging structure, or general details on a specific PAQR ID, the system will lock editing actions for you and show a locked notification. You will regain editing control as soon as they exit their session.

Deleting a PAQR ID

To protect consumer transparency and product traceability in the market, the platform enforces strict deletion safeguards:

• Live Blocks: You cannot delete a PAQR ID while its status is set to Published. You must first toggle the ID to Unpublished before the delete action becomes active.
• Permanent Deactivation: Once unpublished, clicking the delete button permanently deactivates the unique URL, its linked QR code, and the public consumer page. This action is irreversible and permanently removes the record from your dashboard.

To ensure that retail scanners, warehouse equipment, and consumer smartphones can reliably scan your codes in various lighting conditions, you must strictly follow the sizing and contrast rules below.

Standards for Packaging-Only QR Codes (Without a GTIN)

If your PAQR ID represents a packaging only, the generated QR code is optimized for compact layouts:

• Sizing Specification: Generates a compact, alphanumeric layout with an error correction rate of 25%.
• Minimum Dimensions: The code must be printed at a minimum size of 13.07 mm x 13.07 mm.
• Contrast & Margin: Keep the default white margin (the quiet zone) surrounding the code completely clear of text, borders, or graphics. Print in high-contrast black on a white background only.

Standards for Article-Level QR Codes (With a GTIN)

If your PAQR ID incorporates a GTIN to replace traditional retail barcodes, it must follow strict GS1 global point-of-sale scanning requirements:

• Sizing Specification: Uses a GS1-compliant layout that embeds the GS1 system identifier. It includes a mandatory, built-in quiet zone margin of exactly 4 modules on all four sides.
• Minimum Dimensions: The code must be printed at a minimum size of 14.652 mm x 14.652 mm to comply with standard retail POS scanning systems.
• Contrast & Margin: Do not crop or trim the white quiet zone border. Sizing down below the minimum limits will cause scanning failures on retail hardware. Always run test scans with standard barcode readers before proceeding to bulk printing.

Prerequisites for Creating a PAQR ID

Before you can generate a PAQR ID, the platform runs an automatic profile check. To automatically compile a public, audit-ready consumer page, your organization’s profile must be completely set up.

If any of the following fields are missing from your account, the system will prompt you to complete them before proceeding:

• Legal Details: Your organization’s official legal name and physical address.
• Branding & Communication: At least one consumer-facing brand/trademark, a contact email address, and an operational telephone number.

To add or update this information, click your Avatar card in the bottom-left corner and navigate to the Organization details page.

Choosing What Your PAQR ID Represents

When you start the creation flow in the PAQR ID section, you must choose between two distinct representation levels based on your distribution and point-of-sale scanning requirements:

Option A: Represent a Packaging Only (Compact ID)

• Best Used For: Standard packaging configurations where traditional retail checkout (point-of-sale) scanning is not required.
• Unique Identifier: The platform automatically generates a unique and secure 5-character ID.
• Public URL: The URL contains the unique identifier referring to the packaging only.

Option B: Represent an Article (SKU) with its Packaging (GTIN Integration)

• Best Used For: Specific physical retail products that require barcode-level scanning. This option incorporates a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and complies with GS1 standards, allowing the generated QR code to completely replace traditional linear barcodes on your retail boxes or containers.
• Unique Identifier: The platform automatically generates a unique and secure 5-character ID.
• Linking Options:
  1. Select Article: Link an existing PAQR article directly to the ID (the chosen article must already have an assigned GTIN and brand).
  2. Add GTIN Manually: Directly enter the article’s barcode/GTIN into the setup wizard.
• Public URL: The URL contains the unique identifier and GTIN referring to the article and its packaging.

Where to Edit Components

All component modifications must be performed within the standalone Components section in the left side-panel.

• Select Components from the side menu and click on the component row to open its details side-panel.
• Click the Edit icon next to the specific section you wish to update (General Properties, Material Properties, Physical Properties, Substances of Concern, or Documents).
• Note: You cannot edit component specifications from the Packaging section.

Editing Unlinked Components

If a component is marked Complete but is not currently used in any packaging compositions, editing is straightforward:

• Clicking Edit opens a pre-filled window for that specific section.
• Make your changes and save. The base component in your portfolio updates instantly.

Editing Linked Components

When you edit a completed component that is already part of one or more packaging compositions, saving your changes triggers a choice to determine how the update should cascade.

You must choose one of the following two paths:

Path A: Modify All (Apply Universally)

Select this option to apply your changes to the component across your entire workspace.

• The Impact: Every packaging composition utilizing this component will automatically update to reflect the new specifications.
• Conformity Syncing: If any of the affected packagings are currently being evaluated in an active (but incomplete) conformity assessment, the system will automatically trigger a synchronization to ensure your regulatory reports reflect the updated values.

Path B: Detach and Create New (Isolate Changes)

Select this option if you only want the updates to apply to a specific scenario, without altering existing assemblies.

• The Impact: The system automatically duplicates the component, saves your edits to the new version, and registers it as a fresh, separate item in your portfolio.
• The original remains untouched: The original component and all packaging compositions currently linked to it remain entirely unaffected.

Exceptions and Restrictions

Document Edits (No Detach Option)

If you edit or add compliance documents to a linked component, the Modify All rule is always applied automatically. Because documents represent general certificates of compliance for the physical part itself, they are tied universally to the base portfolio item, and the option to detach is bypassed.

Supplier Catalogue Components (Read-Only)

Components imported directly from a supplier’s catalogue cannot be edited. Because this technical data and documentation are verified and provided directly by the supplier, they remain read-only.

• Trash Bin Action: You can delete a completed packaging using the trash bin icon inside its detail side-panel.
• Compliance Warning & Impact: Deleting a packaging triggers a verification check. The system warns you that deleting this packaging will permanently disable starting any future assessments for it, and it will automatically delete any ongoing assessments and existing, legally signed Declarations of Conformity (DoCs) associated with it.
• Component Preservation: Deleting a packaging composition strictly deletes the assembly setup and its history. It does not affect, remove, or delete the underlying components themselves. The components remain fully intact in your central standalone Portfolio, ready to be reused in other packaging designs.

• Sectional Edits: From the detail view side-panel, you can edit general properties (such as the name, reference ID, and picture) or modify the attached documents.
• Composition Lock: The physical composition–meaning the specific components selected and their quantities–cannot be modified or changed. To adjust the physical structure, you must create a new packaging. Furthermore, individual component details can only be edited from the dedicated Components section, not from within the packaging view.
• Conformity Synchronization: If you change the packaging level (such as shifting from Sales to Service) on a packaging that is currently part of an active but incomplete conformity preparation, the system will automatically synchronize the conformity setup. This adjusts the assessment logic (e.g., prompting or removing usage questions) to match the new packaging level’s rules.

Triggering a Data Request

You can initiate a data request at any point while creating or completing a component manually.

• Availability: A Request data option is available at the top of every single page of the component creation wizard.
• Prerequisite: To unlock this button, you must first complete the basic identifier fields on Step 1 (General Properties)–specifically, the Component Type and Component Name. Once these are entered, the request feature becomes active.

Sending the Request

Clicking the Request data button opens a configuration dialog:

1. Select the Supplier: Choose the contact from your list of connected suppliers.
2. Add a Note (Optional but Recommended): Write a message instructing your supplier on exactly what specifications or files (such as heavy metal test reports, PFAS declarations, or recyclability certificates) you are looking for.
3. Send: Clicking the submit button triggers a secure, branded email to the supplier containing a direct access link to the component’s entry form.

What Happens While the Request is Pending

The moment you send the request, PAQR establishes strict security and data integrity safeguards:

• Status Update: The component’s status in your portfolio changes from Incomplete to Requested.
• Data Locking: To prevent conflicting entries while you wait for the supplier, all technical input fields in the wizard are locked. You can still browse through every step to review what has been entered, but you cannot edit them.
• Manual Uploads: You are still permitted to manually drag and drop files into the Documents step of the locked component if you receive them through another channel.
• Request Banner: A banner appears at the top of the component’s wizard pages and detail panel, displaying the date the request was sent and the recipient’s email address.
• Cancelling a Request: If you need to make urgent manual changes or revoke supplier access, click the Cancel button on the request banner or within the component’s details side-panel. This immediately terminates the supplier’s secure link, unlocks all fields, and reverts the component’s status to Incomplete.

Supplier Responses and Resolution

Once the supplier acts on your request, the platform automatically processes the outcome:

When a Supplier Completes the Request

The supplier’s entries and uploaded documents are instantly integrated into your component.

• The component is fully unlocked.
• In the portfolio list and the detail page, a notification banner flags that the data request was successfully completed, displaying the updater’s email and timestamp.
• The notification banner disappears automatically as soon as you select the component and click the confirmation button on the detail panel or interact with the wizard.
• The component’s status shifts back to Incomplete as you still have to submit the component on the Summary page.

When a Supplier Rejects the Request

If your supplier is unable to provide the data and rejects the request, the component is instantly returned to your control.

• The component is unlocked for editing.
• A notification banner indicates that the request was rejected, showing the email and timestamp.
• This notification status clears from the view as soon as you resume completing the component or confirm the status in the detail view.

Tracking Pending Requests via the Hub

You can track all active supplier requests at a glance from the main PAQR Hub. Clicking on any pending component data request card in your Hub dashboard will redirect you directly to the Components portfolio, automatically opening the details panel for that specific component so you can manage or cancel the request.