About multi-level components

Build multi-stage production processes by nesting components inside each other


Got a product that goes through several distinct production stages — like roasting cocoa before making chocolate, then using that chocolate in truffles? Multi-level components let you track each stage as its own reusable building block, so your costs and stock levels stay accurate the whole way through.

A multi-level component is a component that has another component in its own recipe, rather than just raw materials. There's no limit on how many layers deep you can nest them, so you can mirror a production process with any number of stages.

Available in the following plans:

✗ Pro✗ Studio✓ Indie✓ Business✓ Growth

In this article:

Why use multi-level components?

  • Mirror your real process — track each production stage on its own, instead of squashing every raw material into a single recipe.
  • Reuse sub-assemblies — build a component once, such as a batch of roasted cocoa, and use it in as many downstream components or products as you need.
  • Accurate costs at every stage — labour and overhead costs roll up from each nested component into the next, so your final product cost reflects every stage of production.
  • Stock accuracy at every stage — each component keeps its own stock on hand, so you always know how much of a sub-assembly is ready to use.

How multi-level components work

A recipe normally lists the raw materials that go into an item. With multi-level components, a component's recipe can include another component instead of, or alongside, raw materials.

Some examples:

  • You roast cocoa beans into roasted cocoa, crush it into nibs, then combine the nibs with milk and sugar to make chocolate — with each stage tracked as its own component.
  • You make butter, which goes into a batch of buttercream, which is then used to finish a cake.
  • You make felt, which is used to create a pincushion, which is later sold as part of a bundle alongside other handmade goods.

There's no cap on how many levels deep this can go — structure your production process however it actually works for you.

Nesting a component in another component's recipe

  1. Go to Components and open the component that should contain the sub-assembly, or add a new component first if it doesn't exist yet.
  2. Open its recipe and search the materials field as you normally would to add a material.
  3. Search for the sub-assembly by name. Since it's a component rather than a raw material, it appears in the same search results — select it just like you would a material.
  4. Set the quantity needed, then save the recipe.

Want the sub-assembly to manufacture itself automatically whenever the parent component is made? Turn on automanufacturing for it.

You can also set up multi-level components in bulk — see Importing Components for the CSV format.

Plan availability

Multi-level components are available on the Indie, Business, and Growth plans. On Pro or Studio, a component's recipe can only include raw materials — it can't include another component.

These are the plans that include multi-level components today. If you are on an older plan your access may differ, so please contact support to check before changing anything.

If you already have multi-level components set up and try to move to a plan that doesn't support them, you'll need to remove them first — the downgrade is blocked while they exist.

If you're on Studio and need to structure a multi-stage process, add the raw materials for each stage directly into the recipe of your final component instead of nesting a separate one. You'll lose the separate stock tracking and cost visibility for each intermediate stage, but your final component's cost will still come out accurate. If you're on Pro, the same approach applies at the product level, since components themselves aren't included on that plan.

Ready to track every stage of your process? Compare plans to find the right fit.

FAQ

How many levels deep can I nest components?

There's no fixed limit — nest as many stages as your production process needs.

Can I set up multi-level components in bulk?

Yes — see Importing Components for the bulk import format. Reference the parent component's own recipe row by the sub-assembly's name or SKU, the same way you'd reference a raw material.

Does this affect product bundling?

No — multi-level components work alongside product bundling. For example, a component built from several nested sub-assemblies can still be bundled with other products at the point of sale.

Can a nested component automanufacture too?

Yes — automanufacturing works at every level, so each stage can be created automatically as soon as it's needed by the level above it.

Need Help?

Still have questions about multi-level components? Please get in touch, and we'll be happy to help. You might also find these useful:

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