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Managing Your Catalog

This guide explains how to organize, search, update, and maintain your products and services catalog to keep your invoicing process efficient and accurate.

Viewing Your Catalog​

The Products & Services page displays all your items in a searchable list.

To view your catalog:

  1. Go to Products & Services in the left sidebar

  2. The catalog displays showing:

    • Item name
    • Type (Product or Service)
    • Unit price
    • Unit of measurement
    • Tax rate

  3. Use tabs to filter by type:

    • All: View products and services together
    • Products: View only products
    • Services: View only services

Searching Your Catalog​

Find items quickly using the search bar:

To search:

  1. Select the search bar at the top of the catalog
  2. Enter keywords from the item name or description
  3. Results filter as you type
  4. Clear the search to view the full catalog again

Search tips:

  • Search matches item names and descriptions
  • Partial words work (e.g., "web" finds "Website Design")
  • Search is case-insensitive

Editing Products and Services​

Update item details at any time:

To edit an item:

  1. Go to Products & Services
  2. Locate the item you want to edit
  3. Select the item row to open details
  4. Update any fields:
    • Name
    • Unit
    • Amount
    • Account
    • Tax
    • Description
  5. Add or remove attachments
  6. Select Save

The updated template applies to new invoices only. Existing invoices using the old details remain unchanged.

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Changes to templates don't affect line items on existing invoices. This protects historical records from unintended modifications.

Deleting Products and Services​

Remove items you no longer offer:

To delete an item:

  1. Go to Products & Services
  2. Locate the item you want to delete
  3. Select the item row to open details
  4. Select Delete or the delete icon
  5. Confirm the deletion

Important considerations:

  • Existing invoices containing the deleted item remain intact
  • You can't add the deleted item to new invoices
  • Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone
  • Financial reports still show historical data from the deleted item
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Deleting an item removes it from your catalog permanently. If you might use the item again, consider keeping it and using search to filter your active offerings instead.

Organizing Your Catalog​

Keep your catalog manageable as it grows:

Naming Conventions​

Use consistent naming patterns for related items:

Good structure:

Service Type - Variant - Unit Example: Consulting - Standard - Hour Example: Consulting - Premium - Hour Example: Training - Group Session - Day

Product structure:

Category - Product Name - Variant Example: Software - Pro License - Annual Example: Software - Basic License - Monthly Example: Hardware - Keyboard - Wireless

Categorization​

Assign items to appropriate ledger accounts:

For products:

  • Sales of Products (general)
  • Software Revenue (digital products)
  • Equipment Sales (physical goods)

For services:

  • Sales of Services (general)
  • Consulting Revenue (advisory services)
  • Maintenance Revenue (support contracts)

Proper categorization ensures accurate financial reporting and tax compliance.

Reviewing Pricing​

Regularly audit your catalog to ensure pricing accuracy:

Monthly review checklist:

  • Check prices reflect current costs
  • Verify tax rates are correct
  • Update descriptions if offerings changed
  • Remove discontinued items
  • Add new offerings

When to update prices:

  • Annual price increases
  • Cost changes from suppliers
  • Tax rate changes
  • Competitive adjustments
  • New service tiers

Using Attachments Effectively​

Attachments help your team and clients understand offerings:

For products:

  • Product photos
  • Technical specifications
  • User manuals
  • Warranty information
  • Installation guides

For services:

  • Scope of work templates
  • Service agreements
  • Sample deliverables
  • Portfolio examples
  • Terms and conditions

Attachment best practices:

  • Use descriptive file names
  • Keep files under 5MB for faster loading
  • Update attachments when offerings change
  • Remove outdated documents

Common Catalog Management Tasks​

Creating Item Variants​

For items with variations (sizes, durations, tiers):

  1. Create the base item first
  2. Duplicate by creating a new item
  3. Modify the name to indicate the variant
  4. Adjust pricing and details
  5. Save each variant separately

Example variants:

  • Consulting - Standard Hour ($100)
  • Consulting - Premium Hour ($150)
  • Consulting - Emergency Hour ($200)

Seasonal Pricing​

For items with seasonal pricing:

Option 1: Create seasonal variants

  • "Lawn Care - Summer" vs "Lawn Care - Winter"

Option 2: Update existing item

  • Edit the item when seasons change
  • Note the effective date in the description

Option 3: Adjust per invoice

  • Keep one template with standard pricing
  • Override unit price on invoices during off-season

Handling Discontinued Items​

When you stop offering an item:

Don't delete immediately if:

  • You might reintroduce it later
  • You want to analyze historical performance
  • Clients might request it occasionally

Instead:

  • Add "[Discontinued]" to the name
  • Update the description to note it's no longer available
  • Keep it in the catalog for reference

Bulk Updates​

Currently, Fiskl doesn't support bulk editing. To update multiple items:

  1. Create a spreadsheet listing items and new values
  2. Update each item individually in Fiskl
  3. Check off items in your spreadsheet as you complete them

Tips for Efficient Catalog Management​

Start with a core catalog: Create templates for your most common offerings first. Add specialty items as needed.

Use descriptive names: Make items easy to find in search. "Website Design - Hourly" beats "WD-HR".

Set realistic defaults: Use your standard pricing as template defaults. It's easier to discount on invoices than to remember to increase prices.

Review quarterly: Set a recurring reminder to review your catalog every three months. Update pricing, remove unused items, and add new offerings.

Document your naming convention: Write down your naming structure so your team creates consistent items.

Archive, don't delete: For items you might use again, mark them as discontinued rather than deleting.

Use templates for recurring billing: Create template items with placeholders for clients you bill regularly with similar services.