---
title: "Import Template for Items"
slug: "import-template-for-items-1"
updated: 2026-10-29T17:05:25Z
published: 2026-10-29T17:05:25Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/import-template-for-items-1"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import Template for Items

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**Import Template for Items**

*Module: Purchase Orders › Catalog Management › Import Template for Items*

**Note:** Each procedure in this guide begins at the Contract Insight homepage, so any section can be followed on its own. Custom fields are configurable, so the exact field list on a contract category record may vary between environments.

# 1. Overview

Item-level data (the Item Catalog) is imported the same way as any other record type: from **Administration → Data Import**, an administrator creates a template with **Catalog Items** as the target table (stored as `tblItems`), maps its fields on the **Map fields** screen, and then downloads, populates, uploads and processes the CSV. There is no separate, item-specific import screen; Catalog Items is one of the many target tables offered alongside Contracts, Purchase Orders and the rest. For general details, see **Create New Import/Update Template**, **Downloading and Populating Import/Update Templates**, and **Uploading and Processing Import/Update Templates**.

# 2. Key Elements

- 
- **Administration → Data Import**: lists every import template, with row actions to **Map fields**, **Run import**, **Download blank CSV** and **Delete template**, plus **Import history**.
- 
- **Add template**: enter a **Template name**, choose **Catalog Items** from the **— target table —** dropdown, optionally tick **Update-only**, then click **Create & map fields**.
- 
- **Map fields** screen: tick **Include** for each item field in your CSV, set its **CSV column header**, and mark **Condition** fields (used to find the record to update) and **Lookup** fields (a display value resolved to its ID).
- 
- **Run import** screen: **Download blank CSV** (pre-filled with the template's headers), **What goes in each column**, and **Choose File** to upload the populated CSV.
- 
- Rows that match a **Condition** field update the existing item; all other rows are inserted as new catalog items (unless the template is **Update-only**).
- 

# 3. Navigating to Data Import

1. 
2. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Administration** icon at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
3. 
4. Under **Configuration & Fields**, click **Data Import**.
5. 

![Administration page with Data Import highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ci-01-admin-data-import.png)

# 4. Creating the Catalog Items Template

1. 
2. In the **Add template** section, enter a **Template name** (for example, *Catalog Items Import*).
3. 
4. From the **— target table —** dropdown, select **Catalog Items**.
5. 
6. Leave **Update-only** unticked to insert new items and update existing ones, or tick it to only update items that already exist.
7. 
8. Click **Create & map fields**.
9. 

![Add template with Catalog Items target table](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ci-02-add-template.png)

**Note:** Choose **Catalog Items**, not **Catalog**. The Catalog table holds catalog headers, while Catalog Items holds the individual items.

# 5. Mapping the Item Fields

1. 
2. Use **Find a field** to locate each item field you plan to import (for example, Item ID, Item Name, Description, Unit Price, Unit Of Measure, Supplier Part Number, Vendor and Is Active).
3. 
4. Tick **Include** for each field. The counter (for example, **8 of 34 fields mapped**) updates as you go.
5. 
6. Review or edit the **CSV column header** for each field. This is the heading the CSV must use.
7. 
8. Tick **Condition** on the field used to match existing items (for example, **Item ID**), so that matching rows update rather than duplicate.
9. 
10. Tick **Lookup** on fields entered by display value rather than ID (for example, **Vendor**).
11. 
12. Optionally tick **Only the ones I've ticked** and drag rows by their handle to set the column order used in the blank spreadsheet.
13. 
14. Click **Save mapping**, then **Go to run import**.
15. 

![Map fields screen for Catalog Items](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ci-03-map-fields.png)

# 6. Downloading, Populating and Uploading the CSV

1. 
2. On the **Run import** screen, click **Download blank CSV**. The file already contains the template's column headers.
3. 
4. Expand **What goes in each column** to check what each heading holds. Notes such as **Matches existing records** (Condition) and **Must match a value on the list** (Lookup) show how each value is used.
5. 
6. Fill in one row per catalog item and save the file as CSV.
7. 
8. Click **Choose File**, select the populated CSV, and follow the on-screen prompts to process it.
9. 
10. Click **Past imports** to review the results of previous runs of this template.
11. 

![Run import screen with Download blank CSV and Choose File](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ci-04-run-import.png)

# 7. Managing the Template

Once created, the template appears in the **Templates** list on the Data Import page. Search for it by name, then use its row actions:

- 
- **Map fields**: change the included fields, headers, Condition or Lookup settings.
- 
- **Run import** (play icon): open the Run import screen to upload another CSV.
- 
- **Download blank CSV** (download icon): get a fresh blank spreadsheet with the current headers.
- 
- **Delete template** (trash icon): remove the template.
- 

Click **Import history** to see past imports across all templates.

![Templates list with Catalog Items Import row actions](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ci-05-template-row-actions.png)

# 8. Quick Reference Summary

| Task | How to Complete It |
| --- | --- |
| Open Data Import | Administration → Configuration & Fields → **Data Import**. |
| Create an item template | Add template → Template name → target table **Catalog Items** → **Create & map fields**. |
| Map item fields | Tick **Include**, set **CSV column header**, mark **Condition** / **Lookup** → **Save mapping**. |
| Get the blank spreadsheet | **Go to run import** → **Download blank CSV** (or the download icon on the template row). |
| Upload and process | Run import → **Choose File** → select the populated CSV → process. |
| Review results | **Past imports** (template) or **Import history** (all templates). |