The Sales Description and Purchase Description fields in the inventory system are not mandatory, Vergann.

These fields are designed to define items for customers in sales transactions and for vendors in purchase transactions. Although they are optional, filling them out can provide more specific details and help reduce confusion between the sales and purchasing teams.

If these fields are left blank, the item name and title will commonly be used as the default in documentation such as invoices, sales orders, and purchase orders.

Feel free to reach out if you need further assistance with managing inventory in QBO.