Selection Catalog
Manage your library of product selections that can be used across all projects.
Overview
The selection catalog is a company-wide library of products, finishes, and options that customers can choose from during the selections process. Items in the catalog can be reused across multiple projects and estimates.
Company Catalog vs Global Catalog
The catalog has two tabs, and they are two different things: one is yours, one is Readybuild's.
| Company Catalog | Global Catalog | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns it | You | Readybuild |
| Can you edit it | Yes — add, rename, re-price, delete | No, it is read-only |
| Where items come from | Created by hand, imported, or copied from the Global Catalog | Manufacturer product feeds, maintained for everyone |
| Unit of a row | One orderable item | One product, which carries its finishes underneath |
| Has a status | Yes — Enabled, Disabled, or Pending | No |
| Available to estimators | Yes, when the item is Enabled | Only if the Global Catalog is switched on for selections (see below) |
The Company Catalog is your working library. Everything estimators pick from normally lives here. You control the name, the cost, the cost code, the photos, and whether the item is offered at all — only Enabled items appear in the selection panel on an estimate. This is also the only catalog you can add to or delete from.
The Global Catalog is a source you copy from. It is a shared library of manufacturer products that Readybuild maintains, so you cannot edit or delete anything in it, and it has no per-item status. Its rows are products rather than finished items: one product typically carries several finishes, each with its own colour, orderable model number, and price.
How items move between them
Copying is the bridge, and it only runs one way.
- On the Global Catalog tab, tick the products you want and click Copy N Items to Company Catalog
- Each selected finish becomes its own Company Catalog item — one product with three finishes gives three rows
- From then on those items are yours: edit, re-price, and enable them like anything else
Copied items keep a link back to where they came from. They show a globe icon in the Company Catalog list, and opening one shows a Source: Global Catalog banner with Update from Global Catalog, which pulls the manufacturer's current details for that item without touching your cost code, status, or your own photos. Copying the same product again updates the existing item rather than creating a duplicate.
Full details are in Global Catalog.
Using the Global Catalog on estimates directly
There is one exception to "estimators only see the Company Catalog". Turn on Allow the Global Catalog on selections in Settings → Projects → Selections and the selection panel on an estimate gains a Global Catalog tab, so a selection can be filled straight from a global product and finish.
That applies the product's details to that one selection only — it does not create a Company Catalog item, so the product does not become reusable. Copying is still how something joins your library.
Which one should I use
- Copy into the Company Catalog when it is a product you sell repeatedly, want to price your own way, or want everyone picking the same reviewed item
- Use the Global Catalog directly when an estimator needs a one-off product you have no intention of stocking, and you have enabled the setting above
Accessing the Selection Catalog
- Go to Settings → Selections Catalog
- Import, view, search, and manage catalog items
Tabs
The Company Catalog tab holds your own items; the Global Catalog tab is Readybuild's shared, read-only library. See Company Catalog vs Global Catalog above.
List View
The Company Catalog list displays each item with the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Select | Checkbox used to choose items for bulk actions |
| Thumbnail | Preview of the first image (placeholder icon when no image exists) |
| Name | Product name — click to open the item in the edit panel. A globe icon marks items copied from the global catalog |
| Manufacturer | Product manufacturer |
| Model # | Manufacturer's model number or SKU |
| Color | Color option |
| Size | Size specification |
| Style | Style variant |
| Cost Code | Assigned cost code category |
| Notes/Attachments | Icons indicating attached notes, documents, or links — hover to see note text or click attachment links |
| Cost | Item cost |
| Status | Toggle switch to enable or disable the item directly from the list |
| Actions | Menu with Edit, Duplicate, and Delete options |
Bulk Actions
Tick the checkbox on one or more rows to reveal the bulk actions dropdown and the selected count. Ticking the header checkbox selects the whole page and offers Select all N items, which covers every item matching your current search and filters. Delete is the available bulk action — see Managing Items.
Catalog Items
What's in a Catalog Item
Each selection catalog item includes:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Product name (required) |
| Category | Cost code/assembly category (required) |
| Manufacturer | Product manufacturer |
| Model Number | Manufacturer's model/SKU |
| Color | Color option |
| Size | Size specification |
| Style | Style variant |
| Cost | Your cost for the product — becomes the selection's Cost (each) on an estimate |
| Status | Enabled, Disabled, or Pending (default: Pending) |
| Notes | Additional details |
Manufacturer is required when both Model Number and Style are empty. At least one of these three fields must be provided.
Images
Attach product images:
- Multiple images per item
- Drag to reorder
- First image is primary/thumbnail
- Supported formats: JPG, PNG, GIF
Documents
Attach specification documents:
- PDF spec sheets
- Installation guides
- Warranty information
- Drag to reorder
Links
Add external URLs:
- Manufacturer product pages
- Online catalogs
- Video demonstrations
- Custom link names
Organizing the Catalog
Categories
Assign items to categories (cost codes):
- Kitchen Cabinets
- Countertops
- Plumbing Fixtures
- Flooring
- Lighting
- Hardware
- Custom categories
Categories filter items when adding to estimates.
Manufacturers
Link items to manufacturers:
- Shows brand information
- Helps with filtering
- Maintains product relationships
Manufacturers are managed in Settings > Manufacturers.
Status Options
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Enabled | Available for use in estimates |
| Disabled | Hidden from selection panels |
| Pending | Draft/under review |
Searching and Filtering
Search
Find items by:
- Name
- Model number
- Style
- Color
- Manufacturer name
Filters
Click the Filters button to narrow results by multiple fields at once:
- Cost Code — select a cost code category from the autocomplete
- Manufacturer — choose a manufacturer from the dropdown
- Model # — enter a partial or full model number
- Style — enter a partial or full style name
Click Apply to update the list. Filters persist while browsing and paginating. Click reset all to clear all active filters. An indicator dot appears on the Filters button when filters are active.
Sorting
Click a column header to sort the list by:
- Name
- Model #
- Size
- Style
- Color
- Cost Code
- Status
In This Section
- Managing Items - Create, edit, and organize catalog items
- Global Catalog - Browse manufacturer products and copy them into your catalog
- Images and Files - Upload and manage product media
- Using in Estimates - Add catalog items to project selections