Introduction to product bundling
Learn how to set up and run a bundle workflow in Craftybase.
Selling soaps as a set, candles as a gift kit, or jewellery as a collection? Product bundling in Craftybase lets you track production and stock for grouped items automatically — so your inventory stays accurate without extra manual work.
This guide walks through how to structure your account for bundles using components and how to run your production workflow once everything is in place.
In this article:
- What is product bundling?
- Creating a bundle structure
- Running the bundle workflow
- Automating manufactures
- Frequently asked questions
What is product bundling?
Product bundling is a strategy where individual products are grouped into a single combined offering — commonly sold as sets or kits. In Craftybase, you track bundles using components. Components let you manage the manufacture of each individual item within a bundle and treat them like materials in your product recipes.
Creating a bundle structure
To set up a bundle in Craftybase, you'll structure your account using components. Components represent the individual items within the bundle, and each can have their own recipe.
Let's say you sell soaps individually (Lavender, Rosemary, and Rose) and also as a combined set called Garden Scents.
Step 1: Create a component for each item
Go to Components > New Component and create a component for each individual item in your bundle:
- Lavender Soap
- Rosemary Soap
- Rose Soap
Each component should have its own recipe listing the raw materials used in production.
Step 2: Create your products
Go to Products > New Product and create each of your sellable products:
- Lavender Soap
- Rosemary Soap
- Rose Soap
- Garden Scents Set
Step 3: Link components in product recipes
Go to each product and update its recipe to reference the relevant components. For example, the Garden Scents Set recipe would list Lavender Soap, Rosemary Soap, and Rose Soap as ingredients — each with a quantity of one.
Running the bundle workflow
With your structure in place, here is how your production workflow operates:
- Manufacture your components — this increases component stock and consumes the raw materials in the component recipe.
- Manufacture the finished product — this consumes component stock and increases your sellable product stock.
Auto Manufacture From Orders is available on the Indie plan and above. If you are on the Studio plan, you can still use the bundle structure above — you will just run each manufacture manually.
Automating manufactures
Two settings work together to handle the full bundle workflow automatically:
- Auto Manufacture From Orders (set on the product) — when an order is created or pulled from an integration, Craftybase automatically creates a manufacture for the quantity ordered. Enable this via Products > Edit product > Auto Manufacture From Orders checkbox.
- Component auto-manufacture (set per ingredient in the recipe) — when enabled on a component ingredient in a product recipe, Craftybase also creates a manufacture for that component when the product is manufactured. Enable this via the magic wand icon next to the component ingredient in the recipe.
Both Auto Manufacture From Orders and component auto-manufacture are available on the Indie plan and above.
Frequently asked questions
What plan do I need for kits and bundling?
The Indie plan is the best fit for most bundle setups. It includes full support for recipe-based products, component tracking, Auto Manufacture From Orders, and component auto-manufacture.
The Studio plan supports components and manual bundle workflows, but does not include Auto Manufacture From Orders or component auto-manufacture.
Can I sell the individual items and the bundle separately?
Yes. Because each individual item is set up as both a component (for production tracking) and a separate product (for sales), you can sell them independently or as part of the bundle set.
What is the difference between components and materials?
Materials are raw inputs you purchase from suppliers. Components are intermediate items you manufacture yourself before they become part of a finished product. In a bundle, the individual items are components because you make them — they are not purchased raw materials.
Need Help?
Still have questions about setting up your bundle workflow? Get in touch, and we'll be happy to help.