Read time: ~5 minutes
Applies to: Admin Portal
What you can do
Customize the Excel templates that CRIBWISE uses when it emails purchase orders and service orders to your vendors. You control the layout, branding, and which data fields appear on every outgoing order.
Before you start
- You need Admin access to the CRIBWISE Admin Portal.
- Microsoft Excel (or a compatible spreadsheet editor) must be installed on your computer.
- Decide which information you want on the order — customer details, delivery address, item lines, pricing, etc.
- If you use vendor-specific branding, have your company logo ready as a
.png,.jpg, or.giffile.
Important: The
<PRODUCTS>and</PRODUCTS>tags must always be in the first column of the spreadsheet. If they are placed in any other column, the system ignores them.
Quick start
Experienced users — customize a template in 5 steps:
- Download an existing template or Create a new Excel file.
- Design your order layout using the placeholder tags listed below.
- Wrap item rows between
<PRODUCTS>and</PRODUCTS>tags in column A. - In Excel, go to View > Page Layout. Validate that the layout is correct.
- Upload the template in System Settings > Purchase and set the template type to order.
Need more detail? Follow the full steps below.
Steps
Step 1 — Create a new Excel file
- Open Microsoft Excel and create a new blank workbook.
- Save the file with a descriptive name, for example
PO_Template_CompanyName.xlsx.
This file will become your order template. When the system generates an order, it replaces the placeholder tags in this file with real data.
Step 2 — Add customer and order information
Place the following placeholder tags wherever you want the corresponding data to appear. You can combine multiple tags in a single cell.
Customer information
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<NAME> |
Company name from system settings |
<ADDRESS> |
Company address from system settings |
<PHONE> |
Company phone number from system settings |
<EMAIL> |
Company email from system settings |
General order information
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<DATE> |
Order date |
<ORDER_ID> |
Unique ID of the order |
<ORDER_REFERENCE> |
Purchase order reference number |
<ORDER_TYPE> |
Type of order (purchase, service, or calibration) |
<ORDER_NOTE> |
Note from the manual order detail |
<CURRENCY> |
Vendor currency |
Step 3 — Add delivery and vendor details
Delivery address from Stock information
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_STREET> |
Stock delivery street |
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_STREET_NUMBER> |
Street number |
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_POSTAL_CODE> |
Postal code |
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_CITY> |
City |
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_COUNTRY> |
Country |
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_REGION_CODE> |
Region code |
<STOCK_NAME> |
Name of the target stock location |
Vendor information
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<VENDOR_NAME> |
Vendor name |
<VENDOR_ID> |
Vendor ID |
<VENDOR_PRIMARY_EMAIL> |
Vendor primary email address |
<VENDOR_ADDRESS_STREET> |
Vendor street address (including street number). If multiple addresses exist, the first one created is used. |
<VENDOR_ADDRESS_CITY> |
Vendor city |
<VENDOR_ADDRESS_POSTAL_CODE> |
Vendor postal code |
<VENDOR_ADDRESS_COUNTRY> |
Vendor country |
<VENDOR_ADDRESS_COMMENT> |
Vendor address comment |
<CUSTOMER_NUMBER> |
Your customer number with this vendor |
<SHIP_TO_ID> |
Ship-to ID from vendor information |
<DELIVERY_CONDITION> |
Delivery condition from vendor information |
<TERMS_OF_PAYMENT> |
Payment terms from vendor information |
<SHIPPING_NOTE> |
Shipping note from vendor information |
Device information (optional)
If orders are grouped per device, use these tags:
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<DEVICE_NAME> |
Name of the target device |
<DEVICE_DESCRIPTION> |
Description of the target device |
<DEVICE_PHYSICAL_LOCATION> |
Physical location of the target device |
Step 4 — Define the product line items
Wrap your item rows between <PRODUCTS> and </PRODUCTS> tags. The system repeats everything between these tags once for each item in the order.
Important: Both
<PRODUCTS>and</PRODUCTS>must be in column A (the first column). The system ignores them if they are placed anywhere else.
Product line item tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<LINE_NUMBER> |
Line number of the ordered item, starting from 1 |
<ITEM_ID> |
Item ID |
<ORDER_CODE> |
Item order code |
<ITEM_NAME> |
Item name |
<ITEM_DESCRIPTION> |
Item description |
<PURCHASE_QTY> |
Purchase quantity (purchase orders) or sent quantity (service orders) |
<ITEM_PRICE> |
Price per item unit |
<TOTAL_PRICE> |
Total price for this line item |
<ITEM_NOTE> |
Note for this item in the order |
<ITEM_SERVICE_NOTE> |
Service note from the device assignment |
<ITEM_BAR_CODE> |
Item barcode |
<UNIT_OF_MEASURE> |
Unit of measure (purchase UOM for purchase orders, dispense UOM for service orders) |
<ITEM_MANUFACTURER> |
Manufacturer name |
<ITEM_MANUFACTURER_ID> |
Manufacturer item ID |
<EXPECTED_DATE> |
Expected delivery date |
<REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE> |
Requested delivery date |
Per-item device tags (when orders are grouped per stock)
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<ITEM_DEVICE_NAME> |
Name of the target device for this item |
<ITEM_DEVICE_DESCRIPTION> |
Description of the target device |
<ITEM_DEVICE_PHYSICAL_LOCATION> |
Physical location of the target device |
Custom fields and value-added services
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
<ITEM_CF_field name> |
Custom field value. Replace field name with the exact custom field name as shown on the item detail or in system settings. |
<VAS_CODE> |
Value-added services code |
<VAS_TYPE_CODE> |
Value-added services type code |
<VAS_CONTENT> |
Value-added services content |
The <ORDER_TOTAL_PRICE> tag can be placed outside the <PRODUCTS> section to show the total price of all items in the order.
Step 5 — Add formulas and formatting (optional)
You can use Excel features to enhance the template:
- Formulas — place Excel formulas inside or outside the
<PRODUCTS>section. If a formula is inside the product rows, cell references update automatically for each item line. See the Excel documentation for how to use static vs. dynamic cell addresses. - Formatting — font color, size, style, cell colors, and cell sizes are all supported.
- Images — insert company logos or other images. Supported formats for excel or PDF conversion:
.png,.jpg,.gif. - Multiple tags per cell — you can place more than one tag in a single cell.
- Static information – Cells with data will keep it as is.
Tip: Add one empty column as the rightmost column in your template. This helps ensure all data fields are filled correctly.
Step 6 — Check the page layout
- In Excel, go to View > Page Layout.
- Verify that all fields fit within the page boundaries.
- Adjust column widths and row heights as needed.
Important: Always check the page layout before uploading. Orders that are converted to PDF use this layout. Fields outside the page area may be cut off.
Step 7 — Upload the template to CRIBWISE
- In the Admin Portal, go to System Settings > Purchase.
- In the order template section, click Upload (or the equivalent button).
- Select your Excel file.
- Set the template type to order.
- Click Save.
Success: Your custom template is now active. The next time CRIBWISE sends a purchase order or service order to a vendor, it uses your template and fills in the placeholder tags with live data from the system.
Template example – Default template
Below is a simplified example of how an order template might be structured in Excel:
| A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Order no.: <ORDER_ID> |
||||
Customer no.: <CUSTOMER_NUMBER> |
||||
Order date: <DATE> |
||||
| CUSTOMER | DELIVERY ADDRESS | |||
<NAME> |
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_STREET> |
|||
<ADDRESS> |
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_CITY> |
|||
<PHONE> |
<SHIP_TO_ADDRESS_POSTAL_CODE> |
|||
| Order code | Name | Price | Qty | Total |
<PRODUCTS> |
||||
<ORDER_CODE> |
<ITEM_NAME> |
<ITEM_PRICE> |
<PURCHASE_QTY> |
<TOTAL_PRICE> |
<ITEM_DESCRIPTION> |
||||
</PRODUCTS> |
||||
Order total: <ORDER_TOTAL_PRICE> |
Next steps
After uploading your template:
- Test the template — create a test purchase order and send it to verify the layout and data fill correctly.
- Set up vendors — make sure your vendors have complete address and contact information so all tags resolve. See How to manage vendors.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Product line items do not appear in the generated order | The <PRODUCTS> or </PRODUCTS> tags are not in column A |
Move both tags to the first column of the spreadsheet |
| A tag shows as literal text instead of being replaced | The tag name is misspelled or not recognized | Check the tag spelling against the reference tables above. Tags are case-sensitive. |
| Data is cut off or missing in the PDF version | The template layout extends beyond the page boundaries | Open the template in Excel, go to View > Page Layout, and adjust column widths to fit within the page |
| Images do not appear in the PDF | Unsupported image format | Use .png, .jpg, or .gif formats only |
| Vendor information tags are empty | The vendor record is incomplete | Go to vendor management and fill in the missing fields (address, email, payment terms) |
Related articles
- How to view and filter purchase orders — find, filter, and track your existing purchase orders
- How to create manual purchase orders — create a purchase order from scratch in the Admin Portal
- How to manage vendors — add and configure vendor records, including addresses and payment terms
- System settings reference — full reference for all CRIBWISE system settings, including the Purchase section
- ERP REST Purchase orders — API reference for integrating purchase orders with your ERP system