# Adding products

This guide walks you through adding products manually in Flow Retail.

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### Before you start

Make sure you have:

* At least one Product Group created
* At least one Brand created
* Admin access with Department Manager permissions or higher

***

### Adding a product step by step

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Create new product

Head to **Admin → Products → Products** and select **New Product**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Choose product type and fill in basic info

Select the product type (Stock Product is most common), then enter:

* **SKU** – A unique product code
* **Name** – Short, descriptive title
* **Product Group** – Select one group
* **Brand** – Select one brand

Not sure which type? See Product Types.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Set the price and save

Enter the **Recommended retail price** and **Calculation factor** (usually 1.25 for 25% VAT). Add any optional details like barcodes or descriptions, then click **Save**.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

For all available fields, see Product fields reference.

{% hint style="success" %}

#### Adding products faster

**Clone similar products** If you're adding a product similar to one you already have, use the Clone function instead. See Cloning products.

**Bulk import** Adding more than 100 products? Use spreadsheet import to save time.
{% endhint %}

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### Do's and Don'ts for SKUs

**✅ Do**

* **Use only numbers and uppercase letters A–Z** – best compatibility across systems
* **Be consistent** – pick a format and stick to it across your catalog
* **Consider using supplier SKUs** – if you already have them, no need to reinvent

**❌ Don't**

* **Don't use special characters** – avoid dashes, underscores, slashes
* **Don't reuse SKUs from deleted products** – can cause confusion in reports
* **Don't use spaces** – can break imports and integrations

**Examples:**

* `004N000127` – sequential numbering
* `KFL842BW2` – product code from supplier
* `22094051` – structured code (e.g., first 4 digits = product line, last 4 = variant)

***

### What's next?

After adding your product, you might want to:

* Add product images
* Link accessories or services
* Set up variants for different sizes or colors
* Adjust stock levels if you have inventory on hand


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