Items and Services Import
The Items and Services import loads your product and service master records. Nothing with lines on it — sales, purchases, stock, kits, bills of material — can be imported or entered until the items exist, which makes this one of the first imports to run.
Where to find it
Go to Setup > Import Export > Items and Services.
Steps to Import
- Download the sample Excel from the import page.
- Copy your item data into the matching columns.
- Set the import options — see below.
- Upload, review the preview, and import.
Format Data
The sample file carries the full column set. The values that must match existing records are the ones to prepare first.
| Column group | What to check |
|---|---|
| Item code and description | The code is the key every other import references. Decide your coding scheme before importing. |
| Category | Must match an item category that already exists. |
| Unit of measure | Must match a defined unit. |
| Item type | Whether the record is a stocked item or a service. Services hold no stock and post no cost of sales. |
| Tax type | Determines the tax applied when the item is sold or bought. |
| Accounts | Sales, inventory, COGS and adjustment overrides. Leave blank to use System and GL Setup defaults. |
Options
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Override Existing Items | Updates items that already exist rather than skipping them. Useful for a second pass; risky on a first import. |
| Item Auto ID | Where enabled in System Preferences, codes are generated rather than taken from your file. |
This import loads item records, not stock. Quantities and values come in separately through Stock Balance Adjustment.
Errors and exports
If rows fail, the system returns your file with a Memo column added, naming the problem on each bad row — fix those rows and upload again. Every module supports export as well as import, so you can pull current data out in the same format.
The rules common to all imports — never rename headers, dates in Y/m/d, codes must already exist, test a few rows first — are set out in Importing Your Data.
Related pages
- Importing Your Data — shared rules and import order
- Stock Balance Adjustment — opening stock quantities
- Sales Kit Import — kits built from items
- Bills of Material Import — BOMs built from items
- Fixed Assets Import — same format, asset flag