Product catalogue for export: what to include and how to build it

Key takeaways

• A catalogue shows range. A spec sheet shows detail. Don't merge them.
• Each entry answers "can you supply this?" Forms, grades, packing and MOQ do that.
• Leave prices out. They change, and they belong in a quotation.
• Use your own photos. Stock images weaken the whole document.
• Date it. A version date tells a buyer the file is current.

Catalogue, spec sheet or company profile?

Exporters often merge these three, and the result does all three jobs badly. Each has a different reader.

CBI suggests catalogues and one-page product sheets as useful downloads on an exporter's website [1]. Our guide to the export company website shows where they fit.

What goes on each product entry?

Keep every entry in the same order, so a buyer can compare products quickly:

• product name, with the common trade name;
• forms, such as whole, flakes, granules or powder;
• grades you actually supply;
• packing options, with net weights;
• MOQ, in the units you trade in;
• shipping port;
• origin, if it matters for that product;
• one real photo.

A fictional example:

Dehydrated onion, white. Forms: flakes, chopped, minced, granules, powder. Grade: A. Packing: 14 kg and 20 kg bags. MOQ: one 20-foot container. Port: Mundra. Origin: Gujarat, India. Spec sheet available on request.

Point to the detail. End each entry with "Spec sheet available", or a link. Moisture, microbiology and residue limits belong on the sheet, where a quality team expects them. Our spec sheet library shows those parameters by product.

Which pages should it have?

For most exporters, 6 to 12 pages is enough:

1. Cover: company name, product category, version date and website.
2. About: four lines, with your capacity and location.
3. Range at a glance: one table of all products and forms.
4. Product pages: one to three products per page.
5. Packing: your pack sizes, with photos.
6. Quality: tests you run and certificates you hold.
7. Contact: a named person, company email, phone and WhatsApp.

What should the photos show?

Real product, shot simply. Use daylight and a plain background. A phone camera is fine if the image is sharp. Useful shots include:

• the product close up, so a buyer can judge colour and cut;
• your bags or cartons, with labels showing;
• your processing or packing area.

Avoid stock images. A buyer who has seen the same chilli heap on five other sites will wonder what else isn't yours.

What should you leave out?

Keep these out of the catalogue:

• Prices. They date quickly, and they travel further than you intend. Quote them separately.
• Specs you don't test. Don't list a parameter unless your lab reports support it.
• Certificates you don't hold. A logo on a catalogue is a claim.
• Slogans. "Premium quality" fills space that a pack size could use.
• Products you can't actually supply. They lead to enquiries you will have to refuse.

How do you make the PDF?

You don't need a designer to start. Word, Google Docs or Canva can all produce a clean A4 PDF. Follow these rules:

• Keep one layout for all entries.
• Export it as a text PDF, not a scanned image, so a buyer can search and copy from it.
• Keep the file small enough to attach to an email.
• Name it clearly: Company-Product-Catalogue-2026-11.pdf.
• Add the version date in the footer of each page.

Put it where buyers can find it. Link it from your product pages, send it when a buyer asks about your range, and keep a printed copy for fairs.

Update it when something changes: a new product, a new pack size or a new certificate. Check it at least once a year. An old catalogue with an old phone number does more harm than having none.

Next step. Your catalogue is one thing a buyer sees. Our free Buyer Check is a 1-page report on your Google listing, website and spec gaps, with the 3 fixes that matter most, within 24 hours.