Overview
This guide walks you through building your ArcSite product catalog directly in the User Site (the browser-based admin tool). You'll create Products, Product Groups, and Bundles in the right order, with the right settings.
If you're not sure this is the right path for you, start here: Setting Up Products in ArcSite โ Where to Start.
Who this is for
Admins setting up a new ArcSite catalog or expanding an existing one.
Smaller catalogs (under ~50 bundles). For larger catalogs, use the Excel import path.
Anyone who wants to understand how each setting works as they build.
What you'll build (and in what order)
ArcSite has three building blocks. Build them in this order โ each one depends on the ones before it:
Products โ the individual items and services (a board, a labor charge, a permit fee).
Product Groups โ sets of related products where the user picks one (e.g., three post cap styles).
Bundles โ packaged collections placed on the canvas as a single object (e.g., a fence section that includes pickets, rails, hardware).
If you try to create a Bundle that uses a Product or Group that doesn't exist yet, the system won't find it. Build the foundation first.
Deletion order is the reverse. Delete Bundles first, then Groups, then Products. Deleting a Product that's still used in a Bundle will leave that Bundle broken โ the system warns you, but it doesn't stop you.
Before you start
Have admin access. Product setup is admin-only. If you don't see Advanced Settings, ask whoever set up your account.
Have your existing catalog open. A price list, vendor catalog, or last year's spreadsheet โ having it next to the browser saves time.
Know your Product Categories. Categories are the top-level grouping in your catalog (e.g., Materials, Labor, Services). You can reorder and rename these in Advanced Settings > Products.
Have a few test items in mind. Don't try to build the entire catalog in one session. Build 2โ3 Products, 1 Group, and 1 Bundle first to learn the flow.
Access the Products page
Open the Products page in the User Site. You'll need to be logged in as an admin.
The Products page has tabs for each Product Category. Inside each Category there are sub-tabs for Products and Bundles (Product Groups live alongside Bundles).
Step 1: Create your Products
Click into the Product Category where the new item belongs, make sure you're on the Products tab, and click + New Product in the lower left.
Required fields
Every Product needs these four fields. Get these right and the rest is straightforward.
Name
The display name of the Product. Use the exact name you want to see in the app, on proposals, and in reports. Be consistent with naming โ when a Product is referenced inside a Bundle, the names need to match exactly.
Visual Type
How the Product will be drawn on the canvas. Pick the one that matches how the item is measured in real life:
Line โ for items measured by length (a pipe, a fence rail, trim).
Area โ for items measured by surface area (turf, paint, coating).
Shape โ for items placed as a single point or symbol (a post, a pump, a fixture). Quantity is a count.
No Visual โ for items with no canvas representation (a permit fee, a service charge, a labor line).
Visual Type is the most consequential decision. It controls how quantities are collected, what units are available, and how the item shows up on a drawing. Changing it later means rebuilding the Product.
Variants worth knowing:
Line (as Wall Surface) โ draw a length, then enter a height. Captures vertical surface area. Use for items priced by wall area like siding or interior paint.
Area (as Volume) โ draw an area, then enter a depth. Captures cubic volume. Use for items like concrete or fill material.
Visual
The specific style of line, area, or shape. Options change based on your Visual Type. For shapes, this is the actual symbol that drops on the canvas โ pick something visually distinct from your other Products in the same category so users can tell them apart at a glance.
Drawing Unit
The unit that gets collected when the Product is drawn. Available options depend on Visual Type:
Line: LNFT (linear feet), LINEAR_M, LINEAR_IN, LINEAR_MM
Area: SQFT, SQ_M, SQ_IN
Shape and No Visual: EACH (count)
Volume variants: CUBIC_FT, CUBIC_M, CUBIC_IN
Drawing Unit is what gets captured. If you need to display or price in a different unit (e.g., capture in linear feet, price by the bundle of 8-ft pickets), that's a Quantity Conversion โ covered in Quantity & Unit Logic.
Optional fields
SKU โ vendor model numbers, internal codes, or anything you want shown alongside the name on output documents.
Description โ extra detail beyond the Name. Often used for warranty info, finish details, or anything you want on proposals.
Pricing โ see the Pricing collection. Two methods are supported: Input Price (you set a fixed price) and Calculated Price (price is derived from cost + margin). You can come back to this; products without pricing won't generate revenue lines but will still capture quantities.
Quantity Conversions โ convert from Drawing Unit to a different unit at the Product level. Use for things like rolls, boxes, or sheets where you draw in feet but need a roll count.
Custom Attributes โ extra fields the field user fills in when placing the Product. Useful for capturing on-site decisions (model selected, finish chosen, condition observed). See Product Attributes.
Save and verify
Save the Product, then check that it appears on the Products tab for that Category. If it doesn't, refresh the page.
Step 2: Create Product Groups (if needed)
Product Groups let a user pick one from a set of related Products when a Bundle is placed. Common examples:
Post cap styles (one cap is used per gate)
Pump motor sizes (one motor per system)
Color/finish options for a single product
If your Bundle always uses the same Product, you don't need a Group โ just add the Product directly. Groups are for "pick one of these" situations.
How to create one
Inside a Product Category, go to the Bundles tab and click the Product Group button.
Click + New Group in the lower left.
Enter the Group name (e.g., "Post Cap Options").
Click + Add a Product and select the Products to include.
Click Save.
Rules to know
All Products in a Group should be the same Visual Type (all Line, all Area, all Shape).
Exception: Shape and No Visual types can be combined in a single Group.
A Product can belong to multiple Groups โ there's no exclusivity.
Step 3: Create Bundles
Bundles are what your team will actually place on the canvas. A Bundle packages Products and Groups into a single sellable item. Examples: a wood fence section, a sump pump system, a corner post assembly.
Inside a Product Category, go to the Bundles tab and click + New Bundle.
Required fields
Bundle name โ display name for the Bundle.
Visual Type โ same options as Products (Line, Area, Shape). This decides how the Bundle is drawn on the canvas. Pick to match the primary measurement: a fence section is Line, a turf area is Area, a corner post is Shape.
Visual โ the line style, area fill, or shape symbol. Style this so it visually distinguishes from other Bundles in the same category.
Unit โ the measurement unit. Must match the Visual Type (Line bundles use linear units, Area bundles use area units, etc.).
Super Bundle Rule. If a Bundle contains another Bundle as a component, the parent Bundle does not override the calculation method of the child Bundle. The child Bundle keeps its own quantity logic. If you need different behavior, build a separate Bundle.
Add the components
For each component you add to the Bundle, you'll need to decide its quantity. There are two ways to do this:
Type a fixed number. Use this when the quantity is the same regardless of how big the user draws the Bundle (e.g., "one motor per pump system, always").
Use a Calculation. Tap the calculation icon to the right of the entry field. Use this when the quantity scales with the Bundle's size (e.g., "1 picket per 6 inches of fence length"). For details, see Quantity & Unit Logic.
Mix freely โ a single Bundle often has some fixed components and some calculated ones.
Common follow-up tasks
Make a copy of a Product
From the Products tab, hover over the Product and use the copy action. Useful when you have a series of similar items (different sizes of the same fence panel).
Delete a Product
From the Products tab, hover over the Product and use the delete action. If the Product is used in any Bundles, the system will warn you and tell you which Bundles reference it โ but it won't stop the deletion. Any Bundles that reference the deleted Product will be broken until you fix them. Best practice: remove or replace the Product in those Bundles before deleting.
Reorder Product Categories
Categories appear in the field app and on output documents in the order set in Advanced Settings > Products. Drag and drop to reorder. Put the Categories your team uses most at the top.
Troubleshooting
"My new Product/Bundle isn't showing up in the app"
Refresh the field app. If still missing, check that the Product or Bundle is set to Visible (see Product and Bundle Visibility Options). New items occasionally need a sync โ close and reopen the app.
"I added a Product to a Bundle but it's not pulling the right quantity"
Check three places, in order:
The component-level quantity (fixed number or Calculation icon next to the component in the Bundle).
The Product-level Quantity Conversion (set on the Product itself).
The Drawing Unit on the Product (linear vs. area vs. each).
If a Bundle uses a calculation that references a child Bundle, remember the Super Bundle Rule โ the child keeps its own logic.
"A Bundle is showing missing or broken components"
This usually means a Product or Group the Bundle references was deleted. Open the Bundle and check the component list โ items that were deleted will be flagged. Re-add or replace them with the correct Products.
"The Visual Type dropdown won't let me pick what I want"
Visual Type is locked once a Product is saved. To change it, copy the Product, set the new Visual Type on the copy, and delete the original (after removing it from any Bundles).
What good looks like
When your catalog is in good shape:
Each Product Category contains items a field user would expect to find together.
Product names match exactly what your team and your customers call the items โ no internal jargon.
Bundles represent things you actually sell, not internal assemblies. If a customer never sees "fence-mid-section-component-pack" on a proposal, it shouldn't be a top-level Bundle.
Pricing is set on the items that need it. Items that are bundled inside priced Bundles don't need their own price.
Categories are ordered to match how your team sells.
Next steps
Pricing: the Pricing collection โ Input Price vs. Calculated Price, margins, Price Parts.
Custom calculations: Quantity & Unit Logic.
Field-collected data: Product Attributes.
Bulk edits: If you find yourself making the same change to many Products, switch to the Excel template.
Video walkthroughs
If you'd rather watch than read, the original video walkthroughs are still useful as reference:
Accessing the Products page on the User Site
Creating Products
Creating and managing Product Groups
Creating and managing Bundles