CSV Template

Your parts list, readyfor Fishbowl.

Collect part numbers, descriptions, units, part types and sizes in the columns of Fishbowl's part import, with part numbers and UPCs kept exactly as written.

Fishbowl column namesPart numbers keep their zerosTry it free

Fishbowl Part Import

Try the template with up to 3 rows

What You'll Collect

Part number

String

*Required

The number Fishbowl matches on, unique in the file and kept as text.

Description & details

String

*Required

A description of up to 252 characters, and any other details.

Unit of measure

String

*Required

The abbreviation of a unit set up in Fishbowl, such as ea.

Part type & PO item type

Enum

*Required

Inventory, Service, Labor and the rest, and Purchase, Credit Return or Out Sourced, from lists.

UPC & revision

String

Barcodes kept as text, plus the part's revision and ABC code.

Sizes & weight

Number

Weight, width, height, length and consumption rate as plain numbers, with their units.

Need more than three rows?

Load a whole parts list at once.

The free template is limited to three rows so you can try the workflow. Create your own form to collect up to a thousand parts, from your engineering team, a supplier or the system you're moving from.

Create your own form

Up to 1,000 rows

One row per part, for a full parts list.

Fishbowl column names

The headers are spelled as in Fishbowl's part import, so the wizard reads them without changes.

Checked as they type

Repeated part numbers, missing descriptions, unknown part types and sizes with units typed in are flagged.

Your units as a dropdown

In your own form, turn Unit of Measure into a list of the abbreviations set up in your Fishbowl.

How it works

From parts list to Fishbowl in three steps.

Collect

Import your current parts list, or send the form to whoever has the details.

Complete

Each part gets a row. Repeated part numbers, long descriptions and part types Fishbowl doesn't know are highlighted.

Download

Download the CSV, then in Fishbowl choose File, Import and the Part import.

Why use a form?

One bad row stops the whole import.

Fishbowl's part import is all or nothing: an error on any line fails the entire file. With hundreds of parts, finding the one description that's too long or the part type spelled wrong means trial and error.

A form checks every row as it's entered, so the file is clean before Fishbowl sees it.

Part numbers Excel has changed

Part numbers and UPCs are kept as text, so 00412 keeps its zeros and long barcodes never become 1.23E+11.

Values Fishbowl won't accept

Part type and PO item type come from Fishbowl's own lists, and descriptions stop at 252 characters.

Numbers with commas or units

Sizes, weights and consumption rates must be plain numbers. 1,234.56 downloads as 1234.56, and units typed in, such as 2 kg, are flagged.

Fishbowl import template

Importing parts into Fishbowl Advanced

Fishbowl Advanced imports parts through its import wizard: File, then Import, then the Part import. The file needs column names in the first row, spelled as in Fishbowl's instructions. Every row must have a part number: one that already exists updates that part, and a new one creates a part. The wizard's Export Template button gives you the header row on its own.

Five columns are required: PartNumber, PartDescription, UOM, PartType and POItemType. Columns you don't need can be left out, and any extra columns are ignored. The description can be up to 252 characters. Numbers must be zero or more, with up to four decimal places and no thousands separators.

Two rules catch people out. The unit of measure must match the abbreviation of a unit already in Fishbowl, including its capitals, and it's only used when a part is created, so the import can't change it later. And the import is all or nothing: an error on any line fails the whole file, so it pays to check every row first.

This template checks each column as it's filled in. It can't know which units of measure your Fishbowl has, so in your own form, turn that column into a dropdown of your abbreviations. Tracking, custom field and picture columns are left out because they depend on your setup; add them to your own form if you use them.

How-To Guides

Related Templates

Collecting part prices from suppliers first? See the supplier price list template and the e-commerce, retail and supply chain templates.

Need a CSV form of your own?

Create a custom Import Builder form with your own fields, validation and row limits.

Get started

Import Builder is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Fishbowl. Fishbowl is a trademark of its owner. Columns as in Fishbowl Advanced's part import instructions, October 2026.