Your product catalogue is the foundation for every quotation and invoice your team creates. This article explains how products and product groups work in Tribe, how to configure them correctly, and how to keep your catalogue organised over time.
Things looking a little different? We're rolling out a new interface, and your account may already have it! If the steps here don't match what you're seeing, head over to How Do I Use the Tribe's New Layout - Tabbed UI? for the updated version of this guide.
How Products Flow Through Tribe
Before configuring your catalogue, it helps to understand how products move through the system.
A product lives in your catalogue. When a user adds it to a quotation or invoice, Tribe creates a product line — a reference to that product with the quantity, price, and any details specific to that transaction. You configure the product once, and it can be reused across as many opportunities and invoices as needed.
Setting Up Product Groups
Product groups organise your catalogue into logical categories. Without them, a long product list becomes difficult to navigate, particularly when users are selecting products while creating a quotation.
Think about how your team searches for products when building a quotation. If they think in terms of categories such as Licences, Implementation Services, and Support Packages, those should be your product groups. Set up your group structure before adding individual products — it is much harder to reorganise once products already have data attached to them.
To create a product group:
Go to Configuration.
Select the Products tab.
Click + Product Group.
4. Enter a name for the group.
5. Save the group.
Adding and Configuring Products
To add a product:
In the Products area, click + Product.
Select the correct product group.
Choose a Unit. If the unit you need is not listed, add it first.
Add a VAT group.
Enter the Selling Price.
Enter the product Name and Description.
Optionally, add a unique Code and any localised names if you work in multiple languages.
Save the product. If you need additional configuration, choose Save and Open.
Once saved, the product is available when creating a sales opportunity. The following settings control how users can interact with it during sales:
Divisible | Enable this if users can enter fractional quantities, such as 0.5 hours instead of a full hour. |
Price changeable | Enable this if users are allowed to override the default price on a quotation. If your organisation uses fixed pricing, keep this off. If your sales team negotiates, enable it — but consider restricting this to specific roles. |
Description editable | Enable this if users can customise the product description per transaction. |
Price Lists
If your organisation uses different prices for different customer segments, periods, or quantities, price lists allow you to automate this. When a product is added to an opportunity or invoice, Tribe applies the correct price based on the applicable price list.
Common use cases include segment-based pricing, promotional pricing for a specific period, and volume discounts above a quantity threshold.
Keeping Your Catalogue Clean
A catalogue that grows without maintenance becomes difficult to manage. A few practices that help:
Deactivate, do not delete:
When a product is no longer in use, deactivate it rather than deleting it. Deleting a product that appears in historical quotations or invoices can cause data integrity issues. A deactivated product no longer appears in the selection list but remains visible in historical records and stops syncing with your accounting system.
Keep names consistent:
Agree on a naming convention before you start. Consistent names prevent duplicate entries and make products easier to find when selecting them during sales.
Review regularly:
Once or twice a year, check whether all active products are still relevant. Deactivate anything that has not been used recently.
Quick Summary
With your product groups and catalogue configured, your team can select products consistently across opportunities, quotations, and invoices. A well-structured catalogue reduces errors, keeps pricing controlled, and ensures your reporting stays reliable.