Show full item names in item library?

[Cool_1861]

Is there a way to display the full names of items in Item Library?  I run a bike shop, and many of my inventory items start with the same words even when they're not variations of the same SKU.  In the library pane, it seems I only get to see about 25 characters, and then rest of the name is truncated.  This is a time suck, as I have to click into each item to see if it's what I'm looking for when I'm building out a sale or a project estimate.  Help?

[Summer2024 · Accepted solution]

Hi, @Cool_1861 ! 

Thanks @Donnie-M for assisting here! There isn’t currently a way to expand the Item Library pane to show full item names in the standard list view. The 25-ish character truncation is fixed in that layout.

Some suggestions on my end - 

If you aren’t already:

Put the most distinguishing info in the SKU field:

• Size

• Speed

• Model code

• Vendor code

Then when building an estimate or sale:

• Search by SKU instead of item name.

Adjust Naming Structure (If Possible)

Instead of:

Shimano Deore 12 Speed Cassette 10-51T MicroSpline

Try:

Cassette | Shimano Deore | 12spd | 10-51T | MicroSpline

I just looked up bike items so ignore the above if it doesn't make sense, I just wanted to give an example.  Putting the differentiator earlier in the name helps since the list only shows the beginning.

I know renaming is annoying, but for high-volume catalog builds, it pays off.

I hope this helps. 

[Donnie-M]

@Cool_1861 Are you talking about the point of sale? versus the online dashboard?

You might want to set up some additional category customization, or see if a different naming convention might suit you better versus just searching for the item.

[Cool_1861]

This is in the Dashboard on a laptop.  I'll look into the category customization.  I just wish the name column were expandable, like in a spreadsheet, or even if it could display the full item name when I hover with the mouse.  

[niina1 · Accepted solution]

@Cool_1861 - In a browser Items & Services > Items > Item Library - on the right side underneath the "Create item" button is a plus "+" icon. Click on the "+" to toggle off columns that you don't need at that time to see more of the item name. 

[Donnie-M]

You can also hold down the ctrl key and I think scroll down on your mouse to zoom out on a page and get more space if you aren't old like me and blind.

[Cool_1861]

Very helpful, thank you!  I toggled everything off except Availability and Stock On Hand, and it lets me see much more of the item names.

[Summer2024 · Accepted solution]

Hi, @Cool_1861 ! 

Thanks @Donnie-M for assisting here! There isn’t currently a way to expand the Item Library pane to show full item names in the standard list view. The 25-ish character truncation is fixed in that layout.

Some suggestions on my end - 

If you aren’t already:

Put the most distinguishing info in the SKU field:

• Size

• Speed

• Model code

• Vendor code

Then when building an estimate or sale:

• Search by SKU instead of item name.

Adjust Naming Structure (If Possible)

Instead of:

Shimano Deore 12 Speed Cassette 10-51T MicroSpline

Try:

Cassette | Shimano Deore | 12spd | 10-51T | MicroSpline

I just looked up bike items so ignore the above if it doesn't make sense, I just wanted to give an example.  Putting the differentiator earlier in the name helps since the list only shows the beginning.

I know renaming is annoying, but for high-volume catalog builds, it pays off.

I hope this helps. 

[Cool_1861]

Thanks for those thoughts.  The example you provided is spot-on.  Alas, I am already using categorization similar to your suggested format, so if I'm looking to choose between two such items with different gear ranges (e.g. 10-51T vs 10-48T), I can't see that information at a glance.  There are several aspects to line up in many/most cases, so it feels like whichever info I lead with in the name, things will get left after the truncation.  Maybe this is a good use case for variants?

I'm curious about the use of SKUs and will see what I can make work there.  Thank you.