STOCKSTART · GUIDE
ServiceTitan pricebook import: the pre-flight checklist.
An import that fails wastes ten minutes. An import that succeeds with the wrong units costs a month of mis-quoted jobs. Here is what to check before the file goes in — and how to make each run small enough to verify.
Structure: start from your own export
- Export first, then edit. ServiceTitan's pricebook export has the exact column names, item IDs, codes and categories it will accept back. Patch your changes into that workbook. Never build an import file from a blank sheet.
- Keep the IDs. An existing item keeps its ID and code; that is how an update lands on the right item instead of creating a twin.
- Don't rename or reorder columns. A renamed header is a silent skip or a hard failure.
- Categories must already exist. A new category is a separate step; an item pointing at a category that isn't there fails.
Values: units, costs, descriptions
| Field | Check | Typical mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Unit of measure | The pricebook's unit (each, ft, lb), converted from the invoice's (box of 25, roll of 100) | Cost per box written as cost per each → 25× off |
| Cost | Numeric, two decimals, no currency symbol or thousands separator | "$1,299.00" as text |
| Description | One naming convention; the existing item's wording wins | Three spellings of the same fitting |
| Part numbers | Vendor part number and manufacturer part number in their own fields, exactly as printed | Vendor number typed into the manufacturer field |
| Active flag | Deliberate: retiring an item is a decision, not a side effect | Bulk import flips items inactive |
Duplicates: the thing imports create most
Before any line is added as new, match it against the export by part number + unit. A match is an update. A description-only match is a proposal for a person to confirm. Only a line that matches nothing becomes a new item — and even then, look for near-duplicates ("3/4 CU 90" vs "Copper elbow 3/4") once, so you don't create the twin you were trying to avoid. Also check the batch against itself: the same invoice received by email and from the portal is the same invoice.
Batches and verification
- Import a batch of 10–20 changes the first time.
- Open three of them in the pricebook: unit, cost, category, active flag.
- Import the rest.
- Keep the export you started from and the update you imported, together, per run — that is the answer to "when did this cost change and why".
- Next run starts from a fresh export, which already contains what you approved.
Pre-flight checklist
- File is the current ServiceTitan export with changes patched in — not a new sheet.
- Column headers untouched; item IDs and codes preserved on existing items.
- Every category referenced already exists.
- Units converted to the pricebook unit; costs numeric.
- Part numbers in the right fields, exactly as printed.
- New items checked for near-duplicates; batch checked against itself.
- Active flags deliberate.
- Small batch first, three items verified, then the rest.
- Export + update kept for the run.
Download this checklist as a one-page PDF ↓
THE CHECKLIST, EVERY WEEK, AUTOMATICALLY
StockStart produces the import file this way by design.
It reads each invoice against your ServiceTitan export, matches by part number and unit, proposes new items, converts units, catches duplicates and cost changes, holds anything uncertain for review, and patches approved changes into your own workbook — structure intact, ready to import. $129.00/month, 14-day no-card trial; no automatic charge, unlimited invoices.
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