Automate Item Creation with Square for Retail

With Square for Retail, you can easily create a new item by scanning the item’s barcode. During the item creation process, you may see suggestions (highlighted in purple) for Category, Description, Price, and other fields. These suggestions are based on information typically found online that is associated with the GTIN. To prevent duplication, you’ll also receive a notification during the item creation process if the GTIN already exists in your Item Library.

Create an Item Using a GTIN

You can also create a new item by scanning a GTIN directly from the Square for Retail POS app on iPad and iPhone, or Square Register. To do so:

1. From the Navigation menu, tap More > Items.

2. Tap All Items, then tap Create Item.

3. Tap Auto create and scan the GTIN associated with the item(s) you want to create using a compatible barcode scanner or the built-in camera on your device.

4. Choose the item from the Auto create screen, and tap Select.

5. Select the Suggested Category or manually apply a different one. To add variations, scroll down and select Add variation. 

6. After selections have been added, tap Save.

In addition to creating items with the Square for Retail POS app, you can also easily create items by scanning a GTIN through your online Square Dashboard. You can type in a GTIN or search for an item by name. Inputting a GTIN is more likely to return a direct match. If scanning a GTIN, first, you’ll need to use a compatible barcode scanner and connect it to your desktop computer or laptop. Once you’ve confirmed the barcode scanner is connected, follow the instructions below to get started:

1. Go to Item Library from your online Square Dashboard.

2. Click Create an Item.

3. From the Details section, select Auto create.

4. Scan the GTIN associated with the item(s) you want to create or search by name. Choose the item from the Auto create screen, and click Select.

5. To add variations, scroll down and click Add variation. 

6. After all selections have been added, click Save.

Note: Creating items through scanning a GTIN is not available with price-embedded barcodes.

Automatically Generate Item Descriptions

When creating or editing an item, you can use AI to generate an item description. To do so via your online Square Dashboard:

1. Click Items > Item Library > Create an item.

2. From the Create an Item screen, click the description box, then click Generate.

3. Provide Keywords to include in your description.

4. Chose a description Length.

   1. Short (1-2 sentences)

   2. Medium (3-4 sentences)

   3. Long (5-6 sentences)

5. Choose a Tone from Concise, Engaging, or Informational.

6. After all options have been selected, click Generate.

7. Click Insert to apply the automatically generated item description. 

8. Click Save.

To do so via your Square for Retail POS App:

1. From the navigation menu, tap ≡ More > Items > All Items > Create Item.

2. From the Create Item screen, tap Generate Description.

3. Chose a description Length.

   1. Short (1-2 sentences)

   2. Medium (3-4 sentences)

   3. Long (5-6 sentences)

4. Choose a Tone from Concise, Engaging, or Informational.

5. After all options have been selected, tap Generate.

6. Click Save.

Rewrite

You can rewrite your automated descriptions.

Note: To rewrite your item description, you must edit the keywords, length, or tone.

To do so via your online Square Dashboard:

1. Click Items > Item Library > Create an item.

2. From the Create an Item screen, click the description box, then click Try again.

3. Click Insert to apply your new description.

4. Click Save.

To do so via your Square for Retail POS App:

1. From the navigation menu, tap ≡ More > Items > All Items > Create Item.

2. From the Create Item screen, tap Generate description.

3. Tap Try again to generate a new description.

4. Tap Save.

FAQ