# Create an Item

Add individual products, components, or bundles to your catalog. For bulk additions, see [Import Items via CSV](https://learn.moselle.io/operations/catalog/import-your-items).

## Add a New Item

1. Go to **Catalog** from the dashboard
2. Select **Products** or **Components** tab
3. Click **Add Product** or **Add Component**
4. Fill in the item details:
   * **SKU** (required) - Unique identifier
   * **Name** (required) - Product name
   * **SKU Type** - Core, Bundle, Component, or Variant
   * **Unit Price** - Selling price
   * **Unit Cost** - Your cost
   * **Description** - Product description
5. Click **Save**

<figure><img src="broken-reference" alt=""><figcaption><p>Creating a new item</p></figcaption></figure>

## SKU Types Explained

Choose the right type for each item:

| Type          | Use For                                                          | Example                     |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| **Core**      | Standalone products with their own inventory and demand tracking | A finished t-shirt          |
| **Bundle**    | Products sold as a set but tracked individually                  | Gift box containing 3 items |
| **Component** | Raw materials or parts used to make finished goods               | Fabric, buttons, packaging  |

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Variant SKU type is deprecated.** See [Handling Product Variants](#handling-product-variants) below for the recommended approach.
{% endhint %}

### When to Use Each Type

**Core SKU**

* Most finished goods
* Items you sell directly
* Products with their own demand history
* Parent items that have size/color variations (link variant listings to this item)

**Bundle**

* Gift sets
* Multi-packs
* Starter kits
* Products that contain other products

**Component**

* Raw materials
* Packaging materials
* Parts that go into assemblies
* Items included in a bill of materials

## Handling Product Variants

{% hint style="info" %}
**Best Practice:** Create one Core SKU for demand planning and link all variation listings (sizes, colors) to that single item in Moselle.
{% endhint %}

From a demand planning perspective, product variants (e.g., a t-shirt in sizes S, M, L, XL) represent the same product. Rolling up demand into one SKU provides:

* **More accurate forecasts** - Aggregated demand history improves prediction
* **Simpler planning** - One item to manage instead of many
* **Better inventory decisions** - See total demand across all variations

### Recommended Setup for Variants

1. **Create one Core SKU** for the parent product (e.g., "Classic T-Shirt")
2. **Link all variation listings** from your sales channels to this single item
   * Go to item details > External Listings > Link Listings
   * Add each size/color variation from Shopify, Amazon, etc.
3. **Moselle aggregates sales** from all linked listings into unified demand data

### Example

Instead of creating separate items for:

* Classic T-Shirt - Small
* Classic T-Shirt - Medium
* Classic T-Shirt - Large
* Classic T-Shirt - XL

Create one item:

* **Classic T-Shirt** (Core SKU) with all size listings linked

This gives you a single forecast representing total demand for the product across all sizes.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Migrating from Variant SKUs:** If you have existing Variant SKUs, we recommend consolidating them into Core SKUs with linked listings. Contact <support@moselle.io> for assistance with migration.
{% endhint %}

## Required vs Optional Fields

### Required

* **SKU/Identifier** - Must be unique within your account
* **Name** - Descriptive product name

### Recommended

* **Unit Cost** - Needed for cost calculations and margin analysis
* **Unit Price** - Needed for revenue forecasting
* **Product Line** - Helps organize and filter your catalog
* **Product Type** - Helps categorize items

### Optional

* Description
* Custom attributes
* Launch date
* Comparable products

## After Creating an Item

Once you save a new item, you can:

1. [Add custom attributes](https://learn.moselle.io/operations/catalog/custom-attributes) for organization
2. [Link external listings](https://learn.moselle.io/operations/edit-item-details#link-a-store-listing) from sales channels
3. [Set up bill of materials](https://learn.moselle.io/operations/edit-item-details#adding-your-bill-of-materials) for finished goods
4. [Add supplier pricing](https://learn.moselle.io/operations/edit-item-details#suppliers) for ordering