TUTORIAL: Introduction to Components

Making the same blend or sub-assembly over and over for multiple products? Components let you pre-make batches of intermediate items — like a base oil blend or a chain-and-clasp unit — and reuse them across recipes, so you're only tracking the work once.

This tutorial walks you through creating your first component in the app, from filling in the basic details to setting your starting stock levels.

In this article:

• What is a component?
• Ways to add components
• Creating a component

What is a component?

If you make handmade soap, body butter, or jewellery, you probably mix or assemble certain elements ahead of time before combining them into your final product — think a batch of whipped shea butter or a chain-and-clasp unit ready to attach to different necklaces.

That prepped item is what Craftybase calls a component. It's more than just a raw material — it's something you've created from other materials that you'll reuse across multiple products. By tracking components, you can batch-prep efficiently and keep your stock levels accurate without re-entering the same steps every time.

Components can also be used to create product bundles (or kitting situations). That's covered in a separate tutorial.

Ways to add components

There are two ways to add components to the app:

• CSV import — upload a spreadsheet of components in bulk. Useful if you have a large list to bring in. See Importing components for details.
• Add Component form — add components one at a time manually (covered in this tutorial).

Creating a component

Let's say you run a small body products business and want to create a component called "Coconut Shea Base," which you use in your whipped body butters and lotion bars.

Step 1: Open the Add Component form

1. Click Components in the top navigation menu. This takes you to the Components overview page.
2. In the top-right corner, click the Add Component button. The Add Component form will open.

Step 2: Enter the basic details

Fill in the component's core identifying information:

• Name — the name that will appear when you're creating recipes or manufacturing this component.
• SKU — an optional stock-keeping code. SKUs are fully searchable, making it quick to find a component without typing its full name.
• Image — optional. Upload a photo to make the component easier to identify in your list.

Step 3: Set the tracking unit and low stock limit

These fields control how the component is measured in your inventory.

• Tracking Unit — the unit of measure for this component (for example: grams, ml, pieces). This unit is used in recipes and manufactures.
• Low Stock Limit — the minimum quantity on hand before the component is flagged as low stock. Set to 0 if you don't want low stock alerts.

Step 4: Set your starting stock (Starting Adjustment)

Use this section to carry forward existing stock levels from another system. These values form the base of your component inventory in the app.

• Starting Quantity — the units you had on hand on your inventory start date. the app will track stock automatically from this point forward.
• Unit Cost — the average cost per unit of your starting stock.

Step 5: Add optional details

Click Additional Details (Optional) to expand this section. It's collapsed by default.

• Bin Location — record exactly where you store this component (zone, section, and position).
• Category — group similar components together. You can select an existing category or type a new one to create it on the fly.
• Last Stocktake — the date of the last physical count for this component. the app sets this automatically when you run a stocktake.
• Note — any extra information not covered by the other fields.

Step 6: Save the component

When you're happy with the details, click Save Component. You'll be taken to the component's detail page.

From here, the next steps are to add a recipe for your component, then run a manufacture to build your first batch of stock. Any time you create a product that uses this component, add it to the product's recipe — the app will automatically deduct stock from your batch as orders and manufactures are recorded.

Want to learn more?

Check out these related articles to keep going:

• About components
• Importing components via CSV
• About product bundling

Need Help?

Still have questions about setting up components? Please get in touch and we'll be happy to help.