FAQ
Everything you'd ask before sending us a spreadsheet.
Straight answers on how Spec Forge works, what it costs, what it outputs and how your data is handled. Still stuck? Try the free preview or email us.
How is Spec Forge different from InDesign Data Merge?
Data Merge maps one record to one frame and falls over on anything complex — multi-page sections, variable images, tables, or a renamed column. Spec Forge maps your spreadsheet to a real template by meaning, validates every row before layout, paginates entire sections with running heads and a back-of-book index, and never silently drops a product. When the data changes you re-run; you don't rebuild.
Do I need to know InDesign to use it?
No. We build the template for you during the one-time build. After that, your team runs the catalog from the UXP panel inside InDesign or from the web engine — "pick a template, point at the sheet, hit run." The output is a print-ready PDF plus an editable InDesign file if a designer wants to fine-tune a spread.
What does my spreadsheet need to look like?
A normal export from Excel, Google Sheets or your PIM — one row per product, with columns for name, SKU, price, specs and an image reference. The engine maps columns automatically and flags anything missing. Paste a CSV into the free preview and you'll see your first catalog pages render in the browser.
How much does it cost?
A one-time template build runs $1,200–$3,000 depending on complexity, with a 50% deposit to start and the balance on handover. Run-access is then $149/mo Starter, $499/mo Pro or $1,499/mo Scale. The full breakdown is on the pricing page.
What's the $0.05 per record overage?
Each run-access plan includes a monthly record allowance (roughly 2,000 on Starter, 12,000 on Pro, 50,000 on Scale). If you run more records than your plan includes in a month, the extra records are billed at five cents each — so there's no hard cap and no forced upgrade just to finish a big run.
What's the 90-day break-fix SLA on Scale?
On the Scale plan, if a run breaks because of a template or engine issue, we commit to fixing it within the SLA window at no extra charge — for 90 days. It's the opposite of the agency model, where every fix is a fresh invoice.
Can it handle images, tables and multiple regions?
Yes — that's what the complex build covers. It supports variable product images, spec tables, multiple layouts within one catalog, and per-region rules such as different prices, units or disclaimers, all driven from columns in the spreadsheet.
How long does a template build take?
A standard build is typically a few business days from receiving your data and branding; a complex multi-layout build takes a little longer. We confirm the exact timeline and the proof-revision rounds in the quote before you pay the deposit.
What happens to the data I paste or send?
The free preview parses your pasted CSV entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded to a server. For a full run you share a spreadsheet with us under the engagement terms, and we use it only to build and run your catalog. We don't resell or repurpose your product data.
Do I keep the template if I cancel run-access?
You keep the InDesign template you paid to build — it's yours. Run-access is what powers self-serve runs, the UXP panel and the break-fix SLA; cancel it and you keep the template and any catalogs already produced, you just stop running new batches through the engine.