GST INVOICE GENERATOR GST INVOICE GENERATOR / दस्तावेज़ीकरण

Catalog Management

Build a reusable library of your products and services with default prices, HSN/SAC codes, and tax rates — then add them to invoices in seconds

अंतिम अपडेट: 2026-05-01 • Reading time: 7 min

Catalog Management

The Catalog is a reusable library of your products and services. Instead of typing the same item name, price, HSN code, and tax rate every time you create an invoice, you save them once in the Catalog and pick them in one click.

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Why Use the Catalog?

- Speed — Select a catalog item on an invoice and all fields fill in automatically

  • Accuracy — Your HSN/SAC codes and tax rates are always correct because they're set once
  • Consistency — Every invoice for the same product uses the same name, price, and code
  • Organisation — Group items into colour-coded categories for easy browsing

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    Catalog Limits by Plan

    | Plan | Catalog Items | CSV Import Rows |

    • |---|---|---| | Trial | 10 items | 25 rows per upload | | Regular | 100 items | 100 rows per upload | | Pro | Unlimited | 500 rows per upload |

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    Catalog Categories

    Before adding items, you can optionally create categories to keep things organised — for example, Services, Products, Hardware, Consulting.

    Creating a Category

    1. Go to Catalog Management in the top navigation bar 2. Click Categories (or the Categories section) 3. Click Add Category 4. Fill in: - Name — e.g. Software Services, Physical Goods, Consulting - Description — optional short note - Colour — pick a hex colour to colour-code this category in the catalog list (default blue #3B82F6) - Active — leave checked to keep it visible 5. Click Save

    > Categories are optional. Items can exist without a category.

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    Adding a Catalog Item

    1. Go to Catalog Management 2. Click Add Item 3. Fill in the form:

    Basic Information

    | Field | Required | Notes | |---|---|---| | Item Name | Yes | e.g. Logo Design, Wireless Mouse, Monthly Retainer | | Category | No | Select from your categories to organise the item | | Description | No | A short description — shown on invoices when the item is selected |

    Pricing & Tax

    | Field | Required | Notes | |---|---|---| | Default Price | Yes | Price in ₹ — e.g. 5000 for ₹5,000. No commas or symbols. | | Tax Rate | No | GST percentage — e.g. 18 for 18%. Defaults to 18% if left blank. | | Unit | No | Unit of measurement — e.g. pcs, hour, kg, project, month |

    > The default price is a starting point. You can always change the price on individual invoices without affecting the catalog.

    Additional Information

    | Field | Required | Notes | |---|---|---| | HSN/SAC Code | Recommended | 4 or 6-digit code for GST compliance. HSN for goods, SAC for services. e.g. 998314 for IT design services | | Internal Notes | No | Private notes for your reference — never shown to customers or on invoices | | Active | — | Uncheck to hide this item from the invoice selector without deleting it |

    4. Click Save Item

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    Finding Your HSN/SAC Code

    | Type | Code | Common Use | |---|---|---| | IT / Software Services | 998314 | Software design, development | | Consulting / Advisory | 998311 | Management consulting | | Accounting Services | 998222 | Bookkeeping, accounting | | Printed Materials | 998912 | Printing services | | Computer Hardware | 84713010 | Laptops, desktops | | Mobile Phones | 85171211 | Smartphones |

    For a complete list, consult the official GST HSN/SAC lookup on the GST portal (gstn.gov.in) or ask your CA.

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    Using Catalog Items on Invoices

    When creating or editing an invoice:

    1. In the line items section, start typing an item name in the item field 2. A dropdown appears with matching catalog items 3. Click the item — name, description, price, unit, HSN code, and tax rate all fill in automatically 4. Adjust quantity or price if needed for this specific invoice

    > Changing the price on an invoice does not change the catalog. The catalog stores your default — your invoice override is specific to that invoice only.

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    Editing and Deactivating Items

    Edit an Item

    1. Go to Catalog Management 2. Find the item and click Edit 3. Make your changes and click Save

    Changes apply to future invoices only — existing invoices are not updated.

    Deactivate Instead of Delete

    If you no longer sell an item but don't want to lose its history, uncheck Active instead of deleting. Deactivated items won't appear in the invoice selector but remain in your catalog records.

    Delete an Item

    From the item's menu, click Delete. This is permanent.

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    Bulk Import via CSV

    If you have many items to add at once, you can import them all from a CSV file instead of adding one by one.

    Step 1 — Download the Template

    1. Go to Catalog Management 2. Click Import (or the Import button in the header) 3. Click Download Template

    This downloads a pre-formatted CSV file with the correct column headers and three sample rows to guide you.

    Step 2 — Prepare Your CSV

    Open the downloaded template in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet app. The file has these columns:

    | Column | Required | Description | Example | |---|---|---|---| | name | Yes | Item name | Logo Design | | description | No | Short description | Custom brand logo in 3 formats | | default_price | Yes | Price as a number — no ₹ symbol, no commas | 5000 | | unit | No | Unit of measurement | project | | tax_rate | No | GST % as a number (default 18 if blank) | 18 | | hsn_code | No | HSN or SAC code | 998314 | | category_name | No | Category to assign the item to | Services |

    #### Rules to Follow

    - Do not change or remove the header row — the system reads column names from row 1

  • name and default_price are the only required columns — all others are optional but recommended
  • Prices must be numbers only — no ₹, Rs, or commas. Write 5000 not ₹5,000
  • Tax rate must be a number — write 18 not 18%
  • If a category_name does not exist in your catalog, it will be created automatically
  • Leave optional cells blank rather than writing "N/A" or "-"

    #### Example Rows

    • name,description,default_price,unit,tax_rate,hsn_code,category_name Logo Design,Custom brand identity package,15000,project,18,998314,Design Monthly SEO Retainer,Search engine optimisation,8000,month,18,998311,Marketing Laptop Stand,Adjustable aluminium stand,1299,pcs,18,73269099,Products Annual Maintenance,Software AMC service,12000,year,18,998311,Services

    #### Saving as CSV in Excel

    When saving in Excel: 1. File → Save As 2. Select CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv) from the format dropdown 3. Click Save

    > Using plain "CSV" (not UTF-8) may cause issues with Indian language names. Always use CSV UTF-8.

    Step 3 — Upload the File

    1. Go to Catalog Management → Import 2. Click Choose File and select your prepared CSV 3. Click Import

    The system will process each row and show you a summary:

  • ✅ Successfully imported — number of items added
  • ⚠️ Skipped rows — rows that failed validation (e.g. missing name or price), with the reason shown per row
  • ℹ️ Limit reached — if your plan limit is reached mid-import, remaining rows are skipped

    Import Limits

    | Plan | Max rows per upload |

    • |---|---| | Trial | 25 rows | | Regular | 100 rows | | Pro | 500 rows |

    To import more than your per-upload limit, split your file into multiple uploads.

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    Pro Tips

    - Start with the template — don't build your CSV from scratch; the downloaded template is formatted correctly and saves time

  • Test with 5 rows first — before importing 200 items, import a small batch to confirm everything looks correct
  • Category names must be consistent — Services, services, and SERVICES will create three separate categories. Use consistent casing throughout your CSV
  • Duplicate prevention — if you import the same item name twice, a second item with the same name will be created. Review your existing catalog before importing to avoid duplicates
  • HSN/SAC codes save time — adding these to every catalog item means you never have to look them up again when invoicing

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: Can I update existing items via CSV import?

No. CSV import only creates new items — it does not update existing ones. To update an item, edit it directly from the catalog list.

Q: I imported items but they don't show on my invoice — why? Check that the items are marked Active. Also check you're searching by the correct name. If the catalog shows the item, it should appear in the invoice item search.

Q: Can I export my catalog to CSV? CSV export is not currently available. Items can be viewed and managed from the Catalog Management page.

Q: What happens to an invoice if I delete a catalog item? Nothing — existing invoices are not affected. The line item text is stored directly on the invoice and is independent of the catalog.

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