Import Purchase Orders from CSV

Learn how to import POs in bulk to save you lots of time

Written by Emily Burrows
April 9, 2026

About

If you need to create multiple Purchase Orders (PO) at once or even if you have one PO with many products, you can upload them using a CSV file instead of adding them one by one.

This is especially useful when:

• Uploading historical POs during onboarding
• Working from vendor spreadsheets
• Managing large batches of orders

Step 1: Download the template

1. Go to Inventory → Purchases → Purchase Orders.
2. Click Import CSV (top right).
3. In the side panel that opens, click Download template to get a pre-formatted CSV file.

The template includes:

• Example rows (replace these)
• Instructions in the last tab

Important: Don’t change or delete the column headers (the first row). That’s how Finaloop reads your file.

Step 2: Fill in your CSV

Each row represents one line item in a Purchase Order.

Rows with the same PO Name are grouped into a single PO.

Required fields

• PO Name → Groups items into a PO. Must be unique, you can't import a PO name that already exists.
• SKU → The product SKU. We'll try to match it to an existing product.
  Note: If no match is found, a new product will be automatically created.
• Quantity → Must be greater than 0. Some products may not allow fractional quantities. Use whole numbers for those.
• Cost Per Unit → Accepts formats like 5.00, $5.00, or $5.
• PO Placement Date → The date you placed the order. Flexible date formats supported (for example 2026-01-15, 01/15/2026, 15.01.2026).

Optional fields

• Production Start Date → The date the vendor started production. You can leave this blank and add it later from the PO page. In the meantime, it will be added but won't impact your books.
• Vendor → The vendor name. If left blank, we'll suggest relevant vendors or you can assign one during the review step.
• Indirect costs → You can add any indirect costs in the second tab of the CSV and we'll allocate it automatically.

Tips for filling in your CSV

• You can upload multiple POs in one file using different PO names. All rows with the same name are grouped together.
• You can upload multiple CSV files at once. Rows with the same PO Name across files are combined into one PO.

Step 3: Upload your file

Drag and drop your CSV in the Import side panel (or click to upload). Finaloop will instantly read and check your file, validating the information.

What gets checked

• Missing or incorrect columns
• Invalid or missing values
• Formatting issues
• Duplicate PO names
• Valid placed date (less than 1 year old)
• Valid production start date (not during locked year)

If something’s wrong, you’ll see exactly:

• Which row
• What needs fixing

Fix → re-upload → continue.

Step 4: Review your POs

Click Review to go through each PO before importing. You can Review all POs or select Review flagged POs only to review only POs with exceptions, issues, or questions we identified.

For each PO, you can:

• Edit the name (it must be a unique PO name)
• Adjust dates
• Select or update the vendor (we'll match the vendor name from your CSV. If no vendor name was added, we'll assign a vendor based on past vendors used for the same SKU)
• Review all line items
• Edit quantities or costs per unit

Line item statuses

Step 5: Import

Once everything looks good:

• Click Confirm & Next for each PO
• Click Save on the last one

Your POs will now appear in your system.

After import

From your Purchase Orders screen, you can still:

• Edit POs
• Add shipment details
• Update production dates

Nothing is locked; you can refine as needed.

Upload history & deleting imports

Go to Import CSV → Upload History tab to see past uploads (last 90 days).

From here you can:

• View upload details
• Delete imported POs

Note:

• If a PO has a production start date in a locked period → it can’t be deleted
• Deleting is permanent
• Connected data (shipments, bills, etc.) will be disconnected

Need help?

If anything feels off or confusing, reach out. We’re happy to help.