# Product Library module – ready-made product catalogs

> Turn on the Product Library, browse mart, pharmacy and electronics catalogs with barcodes and photos, and import products into your store.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/product-library/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

The **Product Library** module gives your business ready-made product catalogs: names, barcodes, photos, brands, categories, units and descriptions for thousands of everyday products. Instead of typing your catalog by hand, you tick a department or single products and import them into your own product list in a few minutes. It is made for marts, grocery and karyana stores, pharmacies and electronics or mobile shops.

> **How to turn it on**
> 1. **Plan:** Your plan must include the Product Library (check Settings › Package Subscription). The plan also decides which catalogs you can open and may limit how many products you can import.
> 2. **Switch:** Settings › Business Settings › Modules › Product Library — switched off for new businesses; turn it on and click Update Settings.
> 3. **Permission:** Import products from the Product Library (Roles page, ProductLibrary section). Admins always have it.
> - **Mobile app:** Not in the SmartPOS Business app. Import on the web; imported products then appear in the app like any other product.

## What the Product Library contains

| Catalog | What you get | Typical business |
|---|---|---|
| **Mart / Karyana / General store** | Groceries, household, personal care, snacks, beverages, baby care and more, with real manufacturer barcodes where known | Mart, supermarket, convenience store, karyana |
| **Pharmacy** | Medicines and non-medicine items with generic name, strength, dosage form, pack size, manufacturer and prescription status; tablets come with strip and box units | Pharmacy, medical store |
| **Electronics** | Phones, laptops, ACs, fridges, TVs, appliances and accessories, many as variable products (for example storage and color) with their own barcode and photo | Mobile shop, electronics store, AC and appliance store |

Every product keeps its photo on a shared image service, so importing thousands of products does not use your own storage.

**Note:** 
The Product Library is different from the **Import prebuilt** buttons. Import prebuilt fills setup lists such as categories, brands, units and tax rates. The Product Library imports actual products. See [Prebuilt data](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/prebuilt/).

## Turn it on (first-time setup)

1. Check your plan. Open **Settings › Package Subscription** and confirm the Product Library is included. If it is not, change your plan or [contact support](https://smartposhub.com/contact/).
2. Open **Settings › Business Settings** and click the **Modules** tab.
3. Under **Industry modules**, switch on **Product Library**, then click **Update Settings** at the bottom of the page.
4. Open **User Management › Roles** and tick **Import products from the Product Library** for every role that should import. Managers who can add products usually get it automatically.
5. Make sure your **business locations** exist first. The import adds products to the locations you pick, so add every branch and warehouse before your first import. See [Locations](https://docs.smartposhub.com/start/locations/).

![Settings Modules tab showing the Industry modules group with switches for Product Library, Offline POS, Gift cards and other modules](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/settings-modules-industry.CDSIs7oX.png) (web app page: `/business/settings`)
*Industry modules on the Modules tab. Each switch only appears as usable when your plan includes the module.*

## Everyday use: import products

1. Open **Products › Product Library**. The top of the page shows how many products you have imported and how many more your plan allows.
2. Pick a catalog tab, for example **Mart / Karyana / General store**.
3. Choose what to import:
   - tick a whole department or sub-category in the **Departments** list, or
   - switch to **Brands** to filter by brand, or
   - search by name, brand or barcode and tick single products, or
   - tick **Select this page**.
4. Click **Preview** on any product card to see everything about it before you import.
5. Click **Import** in the bar at the bottom. The **Import products** window opens.
6. Choose the **Business locations**, a **Tax** rate (or **No tax**), and whether to **Manage stock for these products**.
7. Read the check: **Will create**, **Will reuse (already in your store)** and **Will skip**. Click **Import now**.
8. Wait for the progress bar to finish, then click **Open the product list** and add your prices and stock.

![Product Library page with catalog tabs, a Departments tree with product counts and a grid of product cards with barcodes and Preview buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/product-library-catalog.C4s-z2Xm.png) (web app page: `/product-library`)
*Pick a catalog, then tick departments, brands or single products.*

![Product preview drawer showing a product photo, Status in your store Not imported, name, brand, category and descriptions, with Close and Import this product buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/product-library-preview-drawer.CBIIPSAm.png) (web app page: `/product-library`)
*Preview shows photos, barcodes, specifications and units. Import this product imports just that one item.*

![Import products window with business locations, tax, Manage stock option and a check table of Will create, Will reuse and Will skip counts](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/product-library-import-dialog.BqiNz6J-.png) (web app page: `/product-library`)
*The check runs before anything is created. Nothing is imported until you click Import now.*

For a full walkthrough by business type (mart, pharmacy, electronics), see [Import from the Product Library](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/product-library/).

## What the import creates

- **Categories and brands**: the library's three-level category path is matched to yours by name. Only missing categories and brands are created; existing ones are reused.
- **Units**: most products use **Pieces**. Fresh produce sold by weight uses **Kilogram** with **Gram** as a sub-unit. Pharmacy tablets, capsules and sachets get a base unit plus sub-units such as **Strip of 10 (Tablet)** and **Box of 20 (Tablet)**, and sub-units are switched on for your business automatically.
- **Barcodes**: the main barcode becomes the product SKU. Extra manufacturer barcodes are added as [additional barcodes](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/product-barcodes/).
- **Variations**: an electronics product with several versions (for example 8GB / 256GB / Black) becomes a variable product, one variation per version.
- **Prices**: 0, unless you tick **Fill in a suggested selling price (PKR) where one is known**.

## What you can download

Products you import from the SmartPOS catalog are yours to sell, scan and print, but the catalog itself cannot be downloaded in bulk. This applies to every business and every plan, demo accounts included.

- **Your own products** (products you created yourself) download in full, as before.
- **Catalog products** download with basic details only: **Product ID, Variation ID, product name, variation (size or pack), unit, selling price, purchase price, stock per location and location.** Brand, category, descriptions, product fields, images and the catalog barcodes are left out of downloaded files, lists you copy or print, and API lists. In lists the barcode shows as **••••1234** (the last four digits).
- **Barcodes you add yourself are yours.** If you change a catalog product's SKU to your own code, or add an extra barcode of your own, that code is included in downloads. Typing the catalog barcode again (with spaces, leading zeros or a different last digit) does not count as your own code.
- **Updating prices still works.** Download the file (**Products › Download Excel** or **Products › Update Price › Export**), change the prices and upload the same file. Rows are matched by **Variation ID** (or SKU), so catalog products without a barcode in the file update correctly. Uploading the **Download Excel** file in **Products › Import Products** updates the prices of the products in it; it does not create copies.
- **Labels:** labels that print a catalog barcode are limited to 50 different products per print and 500 labels per day. Labels with your own barcodes are not limited.
- Need more fields for your business (for example barcodes or images)? Contact support. Support can allow extra fields for your business.
- Demo accounts cannot create API keys or connect AI apps.

## Settings explained

| Option in the Import products window | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Business locations** | The products are available only in the locations you choose. Default is all locations. |
| **Tax** | Applies one of your tax rates to every imported product. **No tax** leaves tax empty. |
| **Manage stock for these products** | On = stock is tracked (you add opening stock later). Off = products sell without stock counts, useful for services. |
| **Fill in a suggested selling price (PKR) where one is known** | Shown for PKR businesses. Fills a starting price you can change later. |

Skipped products are listed with the reason: **Already imported**, **Barcode already in your store** or **Over your plan limit**.

## Permissions

| Permission (Roles page) | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Import products from the Product Library | Open **Products › Product Library**, preview products and import them |
| Edit product (Product section) | Needed to use **Open product** from the preview of an item that is already in your store |

## On a phone

The Product Library works in the phone browser too. The departments list folds away behind **Show**, and the selection bar stays at the bottom.

![Product Library on a phone with catalog tab, Departments and Brands tabs, search box and product cards](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/product-library-phone.Dfh8l-bK.png) (web app page: `/product-library`)
*Phone layout of the Product Library.*

## Tips and mistakes to avoid

- Import one department at a time on your first day. It is easier to check prices and stock in smaller groups.
- Use your own barcode labels for loose items (fruit, bakery). If your scale labels start with 29, check that they do not clash with library codes.
- Only one import can run at a time per business. If you see "An import is already running", wait for it to finish.

## Related pages

  - [Import from the Product Library (how-to)](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/product-library/)
  - [Prebuilt data (Import prebuilt)](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/prebuilt/)
  - [Product barcodes](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/product-barcodes/)
  - [Opening stock](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/opening-stock/)
  - [All modules](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Does importing from the Product Library cost extra?

No separate fee. The Product Library must be included in your plan, and every imported product counts toward your plan's product limit. Some plans also cap how many library products you can import.

### Which catalogs are in the Product Library?

Today there are three catalogs, Mart / Karyana / General store, Pharmacy and Electronics. Your plan decides which ones you can open; the tabs at the top of the page show the ones available to you.

### Are prices and stock imported too?

No. Products arrive with price 0 and no stock unless you tick the suggested selling price option (PKR shops only). Add your own prices and opening stock after the import.

### What happens if I already have the same product?

The import checks barcodes. A product whose barcode is already in your store, or that you imported before, is skipped and shown under Will skip, so you never get duplicates.

### Can I edit a product after importing it?

Yes. Once imported, the product is your own. Change the name, price, category, image or anything else; the library copy is not affected.

### Why do some barcodes have a dotted underline?

A dotted barcode is an in-store code made by the library because no manufacturer barcode is known for that product. It works at the till like any other barcode, and you can replace it with your own.

### Why can't my cashier see the Product Library menu?

The menu needs the permission Import products from the Product Library. Give it to the role on the Roles page, or let an admin do the import.