Adding Materials to Boards

Learn all the ways to add materials, images, and content to your boards in Palett.

8 min read

Once you've created boards, it's time to fill them with materials. Palett offers multiple ways to add content, from search results to manual uploads.

Quick Overview

Ways to add materials:

  1. From search results (text or visual search)
  2. From your Library
  3. From AI chat recommendations
  4. Upload directly to board
  5. Paste URL to extract material info
  6. Drag and drop from other boards

Method 1: From Search Results

The most common way to add materials.

During Search

  1. Search for materials (text or visual search)
  2. Hover over a material in results
  3. Click "Add to Board" icon (board with + symbol)
  4. Select destination board from dropdown
  5. Material is added instantly

Batch adding:

  1. Select multiple materials (checkbox)
  2. Click "Add to Board" button at top
  3. Choose board
  4. All selected materials added at once

After Viewing Details

  1. Click a material to view full details
  2. Click "Add to Board" button (top right)
  3. Select board from dropdown

Method 2: From Your Library

Materials you've previously saved.

Adding from Library Tab

  1. Go to Library in your project
  2. Browse or search your saved materials
  3. Select materials (checkbox)
  4. Click "Add to Board"
  5. Choose destination board

Tip: Use Library filters (tags, date added, category) to find specific materials quickly

Quick Add from Library

Drag and drop:

  1. Open Library in one view
  2. Open Board in another view (split screen)
  3. Drag materials directly from Library to Board

Method 3: From AI Chat

Let AI help you find and add materials.

Conversational Adding

Ask AI to add materials:

  • "Add sustainable wood flooring to my Living Room board"
  • "Find 5 pendant lights and add them to Kitchen Lighting"
  • "Search for blue textiles and add top results to Bedroom board"

AI will:

  1. Search for materials matching your criteria
  2. Ask which board to add to (if not specified)
  3. Confirm materials were added
  4. Provide link to view board

From AI Recommendations

When AI suggests materials in conversation:

  1. Click material preview
  2. Click "Add to Board" in expanded view
  3. Select board

Method 4: Upload Directly

Add materials not in Palett's catalog.

Upload Modal (Sidebar)

  1. Click "Upload" icon in sidebar (or press U)
  2. Choose upload method:

Option A: Upload Image(s)

  • Drag and drop material photos
  • Click "Browse" to select files
  • Supports JPG, PNG, WEBP
  • Multiple images = multiple materials
  • Add details: name, vendor, specs, price

Option B: Paste Product URL

  • Copy product URL from vendor website
  • Paste into URL field
  • AI extracts: name, images, specs, pricing
  • Review and edit extracted info
  • Save to board

Option C: Manual Entry

  • Fill in all details manually
  • Add photos (optional)
  • Enter specifications
  • Add pricing and lead time info
  1. Select destination board
  2. Click "Upload"

Quick Upload to Board

From within a board:

  1. Open the board
  2. Click "+ Add Material" or "Upload" button
  3. Upload method (same as above)
  4. Material added directly to current board

Method 5: Drag and Drop Between Boards

Move or copy materials between boards.

Move Materials

  1. Select materials on source board (checkbox)
  2. Drag to another board in sidebar
  3. Materials move (removed from source, added to destination)

Copy Materials

  1. Hold ⌥ (Option/Alt) while dragging
  2. Materials copied (remain in source, added to destination)

Keyboard shortcuts:

  • ⌘D / Ctrl+D: Duplicate selected materials within same board
  • ⌘X / Ctrl+X: Cut (move to clipboard)
  • ⌘C / Ctrl+C: Copy
  • ⌘V / Ctrl+V: Paste to current board

Method 6: From Files/Notes

Add materials referenced in project documents.

From Vault Files

If you've uploaded PDFs or documents with material specs:

  1. Open file in Vault
  2. AI detects material references
  3. Click "Add to Board" suggestion
  4. Confirm board destination

From Project Notes

Materials mentioned in notes:

  1. Highlight text in note (e.g., "Loloi LF-03 rug")
  2. Right-click → "Search for material"
  3. Find in search results
  4. Add to board

Adding Non-Material Content

Boards can hold more than just products.

Inspiration Images

  1. Click "Add Inspiration" button on board
  2. Upload images: Client photos, Pinterest inspiration, mood images
  3. Add caption/notes to explain relevance
  4. Images appear alongside materials on board

Use cases:

  • Client's favorite room photos
  • Style inspiration from magazines
  • Color palette references
  • Architectural details to match

Notes & Text Blocks

  1. Click "Add Note" on board
  2. Write text content: design rationale, client feedback, specifications
  3. Format with rich text editor
  4. Pin note to top of board (optional)

Use cases:

  • Design intent statements
  • Client requirements ("no pattern, prefers solid colors")
  • Budget summaries
  • Timeline notes

Organizing Materials on Boards

Once materials are added, arrange them effectively.

Rearranging

Drag and drop: Click and drag materials to reorder

Grid vs. List view:

  • Grid: Visual, great for mood boards
  • List: Detailed, great for specifications

Grouping strategies:

  • By room section (walls, floors, lighting)
  • By priority (must-haves first)
  • By price tier (budget to luxury)
  • By status (approved, pending, rejected)

Adding Context

For each material:

  1. Click material to open details

  2. Add note:

    • Pricing from quote
    • Lead time information
    • Client feedback ("client loves this!")
    • Installation notes

  3. Add tags:

    • Status: "approved", "pending", "backup"
    • Room: "living-room", "kitchen"
    • Budget: "under-budget", "splurge"
    • Custom tags

  4. Set status:

    • Considering
    • Approved
    • Ordered
    • Installed
    • Rejected

Batch Operations

Work with multiple materials at once.

Select Multiple Materials

  • Click checkbox on each material
  • Or: Click first material, hold Shift, click last material (selects range)
  • Or: ⌘A / Ctrl+A to select all

Batch Actions

With materials selected:

  • Add to another board: Click "Add to Board"
  • Add tags: Apply tag to all selected
  • Change status: Update status for all
  • Delete: Remove all selected
  • Export: Create PDF/Excel with selected items only

Smart Adding Features

Duplicate Detection

When adding a material already on the board:

Palett alerts you: "This material is already on this board"

Options:

  • Skip (don't add duplicate)
  • Add anyway (allows duplicates)
  • Add to different board

Auto-Tagging

Palett suggests tags based on:

  • Material category
  • Vendor name
  • Price tier
  • Your past tagging patterns

Accept suggestions with one click or create custom tags.

Related Materials

When adding a material, Palett suggests:

  • Coordinating materials from same vendor
  • Similar materials in different colors/finishes
  • Complementary products (e.g., grout for tile)

Tips for Efficient Adding

1. Add Liberally, Refine Later

Philosophy: Save everything interesting, narrow down later

Workflow:

  1. Search for materials
  2. Add 20-30 options to board
  3. Review with team/client
  4. Delete or move rejected options to "Archive" board

2. Create "Parking Lot" Boards

Use case: Interesting materials that don't fit current project

Setup:

  1. Create board: "Ideas - Future Use"
  2. Add materials that catch your eye
  3. Reference when starting new projects

3. Use AI to Batch Add

Scenario: Need multiple related materials fast

Example:

  • "Find 10 affordable pendant lights and add to Kitchen board"
  • AI searches, selects top 10, adds all at once
  • Review and remove any that don't fit

4. Tag Immediately

When adding materials, tag them:

  • Makes filtering easier later
  • Helps with board exports (export only "approved" items)
  • Assists team collaboration (everyone knows status)

5. Add Notes During Search

Before adding to board:

  1. View material details
  2. Add note (pricing quote, lead time from vendor call)
  3. Then add to board

Notes carry over when added, saving time later.

Troubleshooting

"Can't add material to board"

Possible causes:

  • You don't have edit permissions (Viewer role)
  • Board is archived
  • Project is locked

Solution: Check project role, unarchive board, or contact project admin

"Material not appearing on board"

Possible causes:

  • Added to different board by mistake
  • Filters hiding the material
  • Slow connection (wait 5 seconds, refresh)

Solution: Check board filters, search all boards, try again

"Upload failing"

Possible causes:

  • File too large (>10MB)
  • Unsupported file format
  • Network issue

Solution: Compress image, use supported format (JPG/PNG), check internet

What's Next?

Now that your boards have materials, learn to manage them:

Need help? Chat with us (bottom right) or email support@palett.space.

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