Step 6: Add Products - ApePOS Guide

📌 Where to Find

Navigate to /app/products and click "Create" to open the full product creation page at /app/products/create.

Prerequisites

Before adding products, make sure you have completed these steps:

Base Units (Step 1) — at least one
Units (Step 2) — at least one
Brands (Step 3) — at least one
Product Categories (Step 4) — at least one
Variations (Step 5) — only if adding variable products

🔬 Product Types

When creating a product, you first choose the Product Type:

Type	Description	Example
Single	A product with one SKU, one price, one stock count.	USB Cable, Rice (1kg), Notebook
Variable	A product with multiple variants, each having its own SKU, price, and stock.	T-Shirt (S, M, L, XL), Phone Case (Red, Blue)

📝 Core Product Fields

These fields appear for all product types:

Field	Type	Required	Description
Product Name	Text	Required	The display name of the product.
Product Code (SKU)	Text + Auto-Generate	Required	A unique code for the product. Click the barcode icon button to auto-generate. If using Code 39 barcode, only uppercase letters and numbers are allowed.
Product Category	Dropdown	Required	Select from categories created in Step 4. Click "+" to add a new category inline.
Brand	Dropdown	Required	Select from brands created in Step 3. Click "+" to add a new brand inline.
Barcode Symbology	Dropdown	Required	Choose barcode format: Code 128 (recommended, supports all characters) or Code 39 (uppercase + numbers only).
Product Unit	Dropdown	Required	The base measurement unit for this product. Click "+" to add a new unit inline.
Sale Unit	Dropdown	Required	The unit used when selling. Options are filtered based on the selected Product Unit's base unit.
Purchase Unit	Dropdown	Required	The unit used when purchasing. Options are filtered like Sale Unit.
Product Type	Dropdown	Required	Single or Variable (see above).
Sale Quantity Limit	Number	Optional	Maximum quantity that can be sold in one transaction. Leave empty for no limit.
Expiry Date	Date Picker	Optional	Product expiration date. Only future dates are allowed.
Notes	Text Area	Optional	Any additional notes about the product. Max 100 characters.
Product Images	Multi-Image Upload	Optional	Upload one or more product images. These appear on the POS screen and product details.

💰 Pricing Fields (Single Product)

If you selected Product Type = Single, these pricing fields appear:

Field	Type	Required	Description
Product Cost	Decimal	Required	Your purchase/cost price for this product.
Product Price	Decimal	Required	The selling price to customers.
Stock Alert	Number	Optional	Low stock threshold. You'll get a notification when stock falls below this number.
Order Tax (%)	Decimal	Optional	Tax percentage (0-100%) applied to this product.
Tax Type	Dropdown	Required	Exclusive = tax added on top of price. Inclusive = tax is already included in the price.

🎨 Variable Product Fields

If you selected Product Type = Variable, you'll see additional fields:

Field	Type	Required	Description
Variation	Dropdown	Required	Select which variation group to use (e.g., "Color" or "Size") from variations created in Step 5.
Variation Types	Multi-Select	Required	Select which types apply to this product (e.g., "Red", "Blue" from the "Color" variation).

After selecting variation types, a pricing table appears with one row per type. Each row has:

Field	Required	Description
Variation Type	—	Display only (e.g., "Red")
Product Cost	Required	Cost price for this variant
SKU Code	Required	Unique code for this variant. Click the barcode button to auto-generate.
Product Price	Required	Selling price for this variant
Stock Alert	Optional	Low stock threshold for this variant
Order Tax (%)	Optional	Tax percentage for this variant
Tax Type	Required	Exclusive or Inclusive

📦 Add Stock While Creating (If Enabled)

If your system settings have "Add stock while product creation" enabled, you'll see additional fields to add initial stock:

Field	Type	Required	Description
Add Stock Quantity	Number	Required	Initial stock quantity to add.
Warehouse	Dropdown	Required	Select which warehouse to add stock to.
Supplier	Dropdown	Required	Select the supplier for this stock.
Purchase Status	Dropdown	Required	Received, Pending, or Ordered.

Note

If this option is enabled, you'll need to have warehouses (Step 8) and suppliers (Step 9) already set up. If not enabled, you can add stock later through purchases (Step 11).

🎯 Step-by-Step: Adding a Single Product

Go to Products → Products and click "Create".
Enter the Product Name (e.g., "USB-C Cable").
Click the barcode icon next to Product Code to auto-generate a code, or type one manually.
Select a Product Category (e.g., "Electronics").
Select a Brand (e.g., "General").
Select Barcode Symbology (recommend "Code 128").
Select Product Unit (e.g., "Piece"). Sale Unit and Purchase Unit will auto-populate.
Set Product Type to "Single".
Enter Product Cost (your purchase price, e.g., 5.00).
Enter Product Price (your selling price, e.g., 10.00).
Set Tax Type to "Exclusive" or "Inclusive".
Optionally upload product images.
Click "Save".

🎯 Step-by-Step: Adding a Variable Product

Follow steps 1-7 above (same core fields).
Set Product Type to "Variable".
Select a Variation group (e.g., "Size").
Select the Variation Types that apply (e.g., "S", "M", "L", "XL").
In the pricing table that appears, fill in cost, price, and SKU for each variant. Use the barcode icon to auto-generate SKU codes.
Set Tax Type for each variant.
Optionally set stock alerts for each variant.
Click "Save".

Tips for Adding Products

Use the "+" buttons next to Category, Brand, and Unit dropdowns to create new entries without leaving the product form.
The auto-generate button for product codes creates unique barcodes automatically — useful when you don't have existing SKUs.
You can duplicate an existing product from the products list to quickly create similar products.
Upload clear product images — they help cashiers identify products on the POS screen.

Checkpoint

You've added your products! Your product catalog is now set up. Next, you can optionally print barcode labels (Step 7), or proceed to set up warehouses and people (Steps 8-10).

← Step 5: Variations Step 7: Print Barcodes (Optional) →