Items
An Item in Frappe Books represents any product or service that can be purchased, sold, or both. Items are used in Sales Invoices and Purchase Invoices and help standardize pricing, taxation, accounting, and inventory management.
Each Item contains details such as its rate, unit of measure, tax, accounting information, and inventory settings, making transaction entry faster and more accurate.
Tip
Create the Item under the correct module (Sales, Purchases, or Common). The Item’s purpose cannot be changed after it has been created.
Types of Items
Items are categorized based on how they are used within the system.
| Purpose | Item Type | Used In | Navigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | Sales Items | Sales Invoices | Sales → Sales Items |
| Purchases | Purchase Items | Purchase Invoices | Purchases → Purchase Items |
| Sales & Purchases | Common Items | Sales and Purchase Invoices | Common → Common Items |
Item Fields
When creating a new Item, you can configure the following information:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Item Image | Image used to visually identify the Item. |
| Item Name | Unique name used to identify the Item. |
| Item Code | Unique code used for quick identification and tracking. |
| Item Group | Category used to organize Items for reporting and filtering. |
| Purpose | Defines whether the Item is used for Sales, Purchases, or Both. |
| Type | Specifies whether the Item is a Product or Service. |
| Unit Type | Base unit of measure used for pricing. |
| Rate | Default selling or purchasing rate. This can be changed while creating an invoice. |
| Description | Additional information describing the Item. |
| Sales Account | Income account credited when the Item is sold. |
| Purchase Account | Expense account debited when the Item is purchased. |
| Tax | Default tax applied to the Item during invoicing. |
| HSN/SAC | Classification code used for taxation purposes. |
| Barcode | Machine-readable code for faster Item selection and scanning. |
| Track Inventory | Enables stock quantity tracking for the Item. |
| Has Batch | Enables batch-wise management for manufacturing or expiry tracking. |
| UOM Conversions | Defines conversion factors between the base unit and alternate units of measure. |
Customize Columns
When the Customize Columns feature is enabled in System Settings, each Item list view displays a Customize Columns button. This allows users to personalize the columns shown in the list according to their workflow.
Column Selector
Clicking Customize Columns opens the Column Selector dialog, where available fields can be added, removed, or rearranged.
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Displayed Fields | Columns currently visible in the list view. |
| Available Fields | Additional fields that can be added to the list view. |
Available Actions
- Reorder displayed columns using drag-and-drop.
- Add new columns by selecting or dragging them from the Available Fields section.
- Remove columns by unchecking or dragging them out of the Displayed Fields section.
- Required fields cannot be removed.
- Hidden fields and table fields are automatically excluded.
- Click Save to apply the customized column layout.
Note
Customized columns affect only the list view, allowing users to display the information most relevant to their daily work.
Best Practices
- Create Items under the correct purpose (Sales, Purchases, or Both).
- Use meaningful Item Codes for easier identification.
- Organize Items using Item Groups.
- Assign default Sales, Purchase, and Tax accounts to reduce manual work during invoicing.
- Enable inventory tracking only for stock-managed Items.
- Configure barcode and UOM conversions where applicable to improve transaction accuracy.
