Inventory is the quantity of a particular product that is available for sale. Effective inventory management helps you avoid selling products that have run out of stock and lets you know when you need to order or produce more of a product.

You can manage your store's inventory in the Inventory page of your Shopify admin. You can set up inventory tracking, view stock levels, and make adjustments. You can also view the history of inventory adjustments for products and variants, and analyze changes to inventory levels in the inventory reports section of Shopify.

You can also use Shopify Flow to set up low stock notifications. Shopify Flow lets you automate tasks and processes in your store, including receiving notifications when inventory levels are low. Learn more about using Shopify Flow for inventory and merchandising workflows.

Understanding inventory states

To maintain accurate inventory quantities in your Shopify admin, your products are assigned an inventory state. An inventory state defines the status of a product, which includes whether a product is on hand and available to purchase, committed to an order, unavailable, or part of an incoming shipment. Understanding inventory states ensures that you have the latest information about your products so that you can make the most educated decisions about your orders and inventory management.

The state of your quantities is displayed on your Inventory page next to each product or variant. You can create and edit views on the Inventory page to display the information you want. For example, if you don't need the On hand column, then you can hide it and save the view. Learn more about the Inventory page.

You can also view the inventory states on specific product or variant pages.

You need to input inventory information into Shopify, and to activate inventory tracking for Shopify to be able to determine your inventory's states.

Inventory states

Your inventory can be in different states. Review the following table to learn more about inventory states.

On hand inventory state

On hand inventory refers to the total number of units that you have at a location. On hand inventory is the sum of your Committed, Unavailable, and Available inventory. You can edit your On hand quantity in the Shopify admin. When you edit the On hand quantity, your Available quantity changes by the same amount.

For example, Jo's Jams has the following inventory:

• 10 jams that are Unavailable because they're reserved for draft orders
• 6 jams that are Committed to orders and need to be fulfilled
• 4 jams that are Available and ready to be sold

The total units of jam that Jo's Jam has On hand is 20 jams, which is based on the total quantity of units that are in the Committed, Unavailable, and Available states.

You can view your On hand inventory in several places:

• The Inventory list page
• The inventory card on product or variant pages
• Shopify mobile app
• Shopify POS

Available inventory state

Available inventory refers to inventory that you can sell. Available inventory isn't committed to any orders or set aside as unavailable. It also doesn't include inventory that's considered Incoming. You can edit the Available quantity in the Shopify admin. When you edit the Available quantity, your On hand quantity changes by the same amount.

For example, Jo's Jams has 60 units of jam in stock at their store, ready to sell.

The quantity of Available units of jam at this Jo's Jams store location is 60 units.

Committed inventory state

Committed inventory refers to the number of units that are part of a placed order but aren't yet fulfilled. When units are part of a draft order, they can't be purchased by customers, but also don't count as Committed until the draft becomes an order.

For example, Jo's Jams has made some online sales today. They sold 20 jams. The 20 sold inventory units are now in a Committed state because they're a part of the orders that have been placed, but not yet fulfilled.

Unavailable inventory state

Unavailable inventory refers to the number of units that are reserved for draft orders, set aside by apps, or other inventory hold reasons, such as damaged, quality control, or safety stock. Unavailable inventory is stocked at your location but isn't available to be sold. You can also move Available items to Unavailable by adjusting inventory quantities.

For example, Jo's jams has 55 jams stocked in their warehouse currently, but they have been making draft orders today, and now 35 of those jams have been reserved for draft orders. Jo notices that one jar is missing a label during an inventory count and moves one Available jam to Unavailable for quality control. The total Unavailable inventory for this location is 36 units of jam. The total Available inventory is 19 units of jams. If Jo replaces the label and makes the jam Available to sell again, then their Available inventory is 20 units of jam.

Incoming inventory state

Incoming inventory refers to inventory that's on its way to your location from transfers, purchase orders, or apps. Incoming inventory isn't available to sell until it's been received at the location. After you receive the incoming inventory from purchase orders or transfers, the state automatically changes to Available. Apps might have other states than Available after the incoming inventory is received. For example, an app might put the received inventory into Unavailable as Safety stock. When incoming inventory is received and becomes Available, then it's also counted in the On hand quantity. Learn more about receiving inventory transfers.

For example, Jo's Jams has two stores: Store A and Store B. Store A sends a shipment containing 90 jams to Store B.

The Incoming quantity for Jo's Jams at Store B is 90 units of jam.

Understanding inventory management

Inventory management involves the monitoring of your business's inventory, such as any raw materials, components, and finished products. This guide offers strategies and practices to help you manage inventory effectively.

You can manage and monitor your inventory from the Inventory page of your Shopify admin.

Understanding your inventory sales cycle

To manage your inventory successfully, you need to understand your sales cycle. You can analyze your past sales data to help you identify patterns and forecast future sales.

An inventory sales cycle refers to the entire process from when a unit of inventory is received by a business to the point when it's sold to the final customer. This cycle includes the stages of receiving, storing, managing, and selling the inventory. Cycles repeat for each new inventory item.

You can view metrics about your product inventory that help with inventory management, restocking, and planning, on the Products page with the product inventory analytics bar. Learn more about how to use inventory analytics.

A typical inventory sales cycle for an item might include the following stages:

1. Procurement: Identify the need for a particular product in your store and place an order with your supplier to procure the goods.
2. Receiving and inspection: Inspect the inventory quality and quantity to make sure that it matches what you ordered. Report any discrepancies or damage back to the supplier.
3. Storage: Store items based on their type and requirements. Proper storage practices are important for preventing damage or loss of inventory.
4. Inventory management: Manage your stock levels on the Inventory page of your Shopify admin to track the quantity of each item in your store. Categorize items, set up SKUs, and update your inventory records regularly.
5. Sales: When customers place orders, your inventory is sold to customers and your inventory levels are automatically updated in your Shopify admin.
6. Delivery: Pack and ship the product to your customer. To maintain customer satisfaction, ship products quickly and use trusted delivery services.
7. Reorder: Based on the sales data and current inventory levels, you decide when to reorder the product. You can use your store's inventory analytics in Shopify to help you understand sell-through rate and forecast sales.
8. Customer feedback and return management: Collect customer feedback, and handle any returns or exchanges. Customer feedback can be useful for future inventory planning.

Inventory management methods

There are different methods for making sure that your business has the right products available at the right time, at the same time minimizing costs and satisfying customer demand.

Choosing the right method for inventory management depends on various factors such as the business model, type of products, demand variability, and supplier reliability. Businesses often use a combination of methods to optimize their inventory management.

Review the following table for an overview of some common methods used for inventory management:

Completing inventory checks

To make sure your records match your stock on hand, you can physically check your inventory on a regular basis. Inventory checking, also known as stocktaking, is an essential practice for any business dealing with physical goods. Accurate inventory management is important for business success to help you make sure that you have enough stock to meet customer demand, identify and prevent issues, such as theft or loss, and learn valuable information for planning.

The following are the basic steps to guide you through the stocktaking process:

1. Plan: Decide when the stocktake will occur, who will do it, and which areas or items will be counted. It's often best to conduct stocktakes during quiet periods or when the business is closed to avoid discrepancies due to sales happening during the count.
2. Organize: Ensure your inventory is well-organized. Label all items and arrange them in a manner that is easy to count. Arrange items by type, location, or any other method that makes sense for your business.
3. Set up your tools: Use inventory management tools or software to streamline the process. You can use pen and paper, a spreadsheet, or specialized inventory management software. Barcode scanners can also speed up the process and reduce errors.
4. Count: Make note of each item carefully and record the quantity. It's often a good idea to have two people involved - one to count and the other to record. Be sure to check all areas where stock might be held, including storage areas, shop floors, and any off-site locations.
5. Count again: Conduct a second count for verification. This is especially important for items with discrepancies between the counted quantity and the recorded quantity in your system.
6. Update your records: After the count is completed and verified, update your inventory records with the new quantities.
7. Analyze: Compare the results of the stocktake with your inventory records. If there are significant discrepancies, then you might want to investigate the possible causes. This could highlight issues with theft, damage, misplacement, or errors in purchasing or sales records.
8. Regularly repeat: Check your inventory regularly. The frequency of inventory checks depend on your business type and size. Some businesses conduct full stocktakes annually, with smaller checks on high-value items more frequently.

Setting up inventory for the first time

Setting up inventory correctly from the start helps you avoid issues later and ensures accurate stock levels for your customers. This guide helps you set up your inventory in Shopify, from deciding which products to track to entering your initial quantities.

Before you begin

Before setting up inventory, consider the following questions:

• Do you have physical products that need quantity tracking?
• Do you have one location or multiple locations?
• Are you using Shopify POS for retail sales?
• Do any products ship directly from suppliers?

Your answers help determine the right inventory setup for your business.

Step 1: Determining which products need inventory tracking

Not all products require inventory tracking in Shopify. Inventory tracking is useful when you need to monitor stock levels and prevent overselling, but some product types work better without it.

Products that might need inventory tracking

Consider activating inventory tracking for the following products:

• Physical products that you stock and ship
• Products with limited quantities
• Items that you need to reorder from suppliers
• Products sold in retail stores using Shopify POS

Products that might not need inventory tracking

Consider not activating inventory tracking for the following products:

• Digital products, such as ebooks, music downloads, or digital art
• Services, such as consultations, classes, or appointments
• Made-to-order products, such as custom items created after purchase
• Gift cards

Step 2: Reviewing your location setup

Inventory is stored at locations, which represent physical places such as warehouses, retail stores, or fulfillment centers. Your Shopify store comes with one default location, but you can add more if needed. Consider setting up your locations before assigning inventory to products. This ensures that you can allocate inventory to the correct locations from the start.

Review your location needs:

• One location: If you have a single warehouse or store, then your default location is sufficient.
• Multiple locations: If you have multiple stores, warehouses, or sell both in person and online, then you need to set up additional locations.

Learn more about setting up and managing locations.

Step 3: Activate inventory tracking for products

After you determine which products need tracking, activate inventory tracking for those products.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.

2. Click the product that you want to track.

3. In the Inventory section, activate inventory tracking.

4. Optional: If you have multiple locations, then select which locations stock this product from the Inventory will be stocked at drop-down menu.

5. Click Save.

Repeat these steps for each product that needs inventory tracking.

Learn more about setting up inventory tracking.

Step 4: Entering your initial inventory quantities

Enter the starting quantities for each product. Accurate initial quantities ensure customers can only order what you have in stock.

You can enter quantities in the following ways:

• Individually: Enter quantities one product at a time on the product details page.
• Bulk editor: Update multiple products simultaneously using the bulk editor.
• CSV import: Upload a CSV file with quantities for many products. Learn about importing inventory using CSV files.

Step 5: Configuring product out-of-stock behavior

Decide what happens when products run out of stock. You can choose from the following options:

• Stop selling when out of stock: This is the default setting. When a product reaches zero inventory, customers can't add it to their cart. This prevents overselling and customer disappointment.
• Continue selling when out of stock: You can allow customers to purchase products even after the inventory reaches zero. This might be useful for products that you can quickly restock, pre-orders for upcoming products, or made-to-order items that you produce after receiving orders.

Learn more about selling when out of stock and hiding out-of-stock products.

Step 6: Test your inventory setup

After setting up inventory, test your configuration to ensure everything works correctly.

If inventory doesn't update as expected, then review your inventory states and ensure tracking is activated correctly.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Verify that your products display with the correct quantities.

3. Optional: Place a test order to confirm that the inventory decreases correctly.

4. Optional: Cancel the test order and verify that the inventory returns to the previous quantity.

Common inventory setup scenarios

After testing your setup, review the following common scenarios to determine which matches your business model.

Scenario A: Online-only store with one warehouse

• Scenario: You sell handmade candles online from your home workshop. You have 20 vanilla candles and 15 lavender candles in stock.
• Result: Your store tracks inventory for physical products at one location and prevents overselling.

Steps:

1. Use your default location.
2. Activate tracking for both candle products.
3. Enter quantities: Vanilla (20), Lavender (15).
4. Keep default out-of-stock setting.

Scenario B: Retail store and online sales

• Scenario: You have a retail bookstore and also sell online. Some inventory is in your store, and some is in a back warehouse.
• Result: Your inventory is tracked separately at each location, and you can sell both in-store and online from the correct locations.

Steps:

1. Rename your default location to "Main Store".
2. Add a location that's named "Back Warehouse".
3. Activate tracking on all physical products.
4. Assign books to appropriate locations.
5. Set up Shopify POS for retail sales.
6. Configure shipping from each location.

Learn about managing inventory from multiple locations.

Scenario C: Mix of stocked and dropshipped products

• Scenario: You stock popular t-shirts in your warehouse but dropship specialty items from suppliers.
• Result: Your stocked products have accurate inventory tracking, while dropshipped products are managed separately.

Steps:

1. Use your default location for stocked products.
2. Activate tracking for t-shirts you stock.
3. Enter t-shirt quantities at your warehouse location.
4. For dropshipped items, either don't activate tracking, or use a dropshipping app that syncs supplier inventory.

Scenario D: Multiple retail locations

• Scenario: You have three clothing stores in different cities that each need separate inventory tracking.
• Result: Each store location tracks its own inventory, and you can transfer stock between locations as needed.

Steps:

1. Create locations: "Downtown Store", "Mall Location", "Westside Shop".
2. Activate tracking on all clothing items.
3. Assign inventory to each location based on physical counts.
4. Set up Shopify POS at each retail location.
5. Configure inventory transfers between locations if needed.

Setting up inventory tracking

Accurate inventory on your Shopify store helps customers place orders. Before you can view or adjust inventory levels for a product, you need to set up inventory tracking for that product. When you track inventory for a product in Shopify, you can view the history of inventory for that product for up to 180 days.

If you want to continue selling products that are out of stock, then select the Continue selling when out of stock option.

If a product's inventory quantity is tracked using inventory apps, then its quantities are allocated only to that app location. You can change the locations that products are assigned to.

Steps:

Exporting and importing inventory with a CSV file

You can export an inventory CSV file to download your current inventory quantities. You can use the exported CSV file to update the inventory amounts, and then import the CSV file to update your inventory quantities for your products in each location in your Shopify admin.

Consider using this inventory management method when you need to update large amounts of inventory in bulk.

The inventory CSV file contains information that uniquely identifies products, product variants, and their inventory quantities at your location or specified locations. You can download and view a sample inventory CSV file to use as a template.

Exporting inventory

You can export inventory from one location or all locations to create a template for bulk updates or to use the data in other systems. The export includes product identification details and current inventory levels.

You can choose to export your inventory with all inventory states or only with the available quantities:

• All states (recommended): Contains separate rows for each location with columns for all inventory states. This CSV format provides a complete inventory view and protection against accidental overwrites.
• Available: Contains location names as column headers with available quantities listed below. This is a simpler CSV format for basic inventory updates, and includes only your available inventory. This CSV format doesn't provide protection against accidental overwrites.

Review the following examples of how the CSV displays based on the CSV format that you select.

Example of the All states CSV export

Example of the Available CSV export

Export inventory to a CSV file

You can export your inventory based on quantity type for specific locations and products.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click Export.

3. Optional: From the Export from dropdown menu, select a location that you want to export inventory from, or select All locations to export inventory from all of your locations.

4. In the Inventory states shown section, choose whether you want your CSV to contain all inventory states with protection against accidental overwrites or just the Available state:

   • To export only the available inventory quantities, select Available.
   • To export all inventory states, select All states.

5. In the Export section, choose which product variants you want to export inventory for:

• To export variants from the current page, select Current page.
• To export all variants, select All variants.
• To export selected variants, select Selected: variants.
• To export variants that match your search, select variants matching your search.

6. In the Export as section, select the file format that you want to export your inventory to.
7. Click Export inventory.

Update inventory quantities in a CSV file

After you export the inventory CSV file, you can make bulk inventory changes. The CSV includes product identification columns to ensure that updates are applied to the correct products and variants.

When you update inventory quantities, make sure that you use only whole numbers and not decimals, such as 1.5. You can use positive numbers, negative numbers, or 0. Use not stocked for products never stocked at that location.

Steps:

1. Open your exported CSV file in a spreadsheet program.
2. Update the quantities based on your export format:
   • If you exported the All states CSV file option, then update the On hand (new) inventory quantities.
   • If you exported the Available CSV file option, then update the available inventory quantities for each location name.
3. Save the file.

Import inventory from a CSV file

Before you import inventory, make sure that you create a CSV file in the correct file format. Your inventory CSV file can't exceed 15 MB.

When your CSV includes both On hand (current) and On hand (new) columns, Shopify uses safety validation to prevent accidental overwrites. Your expected inventory levels are compared with current levels before making changes. If your inventory changes after your export, then the affected rows don't import and you get an email with details about the validation failures. This protects you from accidentally overwriting recent inventory changes.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click Import.

3. Click Add file, and then select your updated CSV file.

4. Click Upload file.

5. Review your import summary, and then click Start import.

6. Optional: If some rows fail validation, then you receive an email with details about the failed rows. Review the information in the email, update your CSV file, and then import your CSV file again.

Inventory CSV file format

The inventory CSV file contains columns to identify products and their variants, and inventory data for each location. Understanding these columns helps ensure that your imports work correctly.

The following columns are required in your inventory CSV file:

• Handle: Unique product identifier.
• Location: Location name to specify where the inventory is located.
• SKU, or Option1 Name and Option1 Value: Identifies specific product variants.

Review the following table to learn more about the inventory CSV file format, columns, and their descriptions.

Example scenarios of updating inventory using a CSV file

Review the following scenarios and their results when updating inventory using a CSV file. Each scenario displays an example CSV file.

Scenario 1: Daily inventory adjustment after sales

• Scenario: You sell 8 red T-shirts and you want to update your inventory count.
• Result: Your inventory quantity for the red T-shirts is updated from 150 to 142.

Scenario 2: Importing an outdated CSV

• Scenario: You exported the CSV file yesterday, but forgot to import it to your Shopify admin. You received new sales after the export.
• Result: Your inventory update is rejected, because your actual inventory quantity is 140, not 142. You need to export your newest inventory data.

Scenario 3: Opening a new retail location

• Scenario: You're stocking your new NYC store with 50 lavender candles. Your NYC store location is inactive during the export.
• Result: Your new NYC store location is activated and stocked with 50 lavender candles.

Scenario 4: Warehouse reorganization

• Scenario: You're moving laptop cases to aisle C for better organization.
• Result: Your laptop cases are moved to aisle C. Inventory quantity stays the same.

Scenario 5: Preparing inventory for BFCM

• Scenario: You're setting up bins for gaming consoles that arrive next week and you want to prepare the bins to receive the new items. Your location is inactive during the export.
• Result: Your location is activated with 0 inventory quantity.

Selling out of stock products

An item is out of stock when inventory is tracked and the inventory level is at zero or below. By default, customers can't purchase an item until you adjust the inventory levels to add more stock.

You might want to let customers buy out of stock items for any of the following reasons:

• You have products available for preorder.
• You have stock coming soon and you want to continue selling before it arrives.
• You want to sell first and then order supplies later.
• You aren't tracking the actual inventory quantity in Shopify.

If you want to track inventory in Shopify and let customers buy out of stock items, then you can adjust inventory tracking to oversell. Select Continue selling when out of stock from the Inventory section of a product or variant in your Shopify admin.

Considerations for selling out of stock products

Review the following considerations about overselling when you set up inventory tracking:

• You can select the Continue selling when out of stock option only when you turn on the Inventory tracked setting.
• Continue selling when out of stock doesn't apply to orders placed from Shopify POS. Staff can continue selling products when available inventory reaches zero and below. POS warns staff before they sell an item that's not available.
• If you have more than one active location, then inventory is assigned to a location. Consider the impact of locations on overselling.

Overselling with multiple locations

The inventory quantity at each location and your location fulfillment settings might impact which items are considered out of stock, and which items might oversell.

If you have an item at a location that fulfills online orders with an inventory level of zero or below, and a location with available inventory that doesn't fulfill online orders, then that item is still displayed as out of stock to customers on your online store. You need to add stock to your location that fulfills online orders to allow customers to purchase that product.

When orders are placed through any online sales channel, orders are assigned to a location or locations where they need be fulfilled based on order routing rules and available inventory.

Hiding out of stock products

You can use smart collections to hide out of stock products from your customers. You can do this manually on the Collections page of your Shopify admin, or use an inventory management app to do it for you.

You might also want to hide products in your store's default Catalog collection.

Hide out of stock products from your collections

Before you can hide out of stock products from your collections, you need to turn on inventory tracking in your Shopify admin. Inventory tracking automatically keeps track of the inventory level of each product that you carry.

When you hide out of stock products, they're removed from your smart collections and won't be displayed to your customers. Any out of stock products display in your collections again after you receive inventory.

Steps:

1. Turn on inventory tracking for your products.
2. Change the smart collection conditions for each of your collections, and add the following conditions:

• For Products must match, select all conditions.
• For Inventory stock, select is greater than and enter 0.

Hide out of stock products in your default Catalog collection

By default, your store comes with a collection that displays all your in stock products at the URL your-store.myshopify.com/collections/all. You can hide out of stock products from this collection.

Steps:

1. Take control of your Catalog page by overriding it with your own smart collection.
2. Set the automated conditions of that collection to hide out of stock products.

Hide out of stock products using an app

If you don't want to change your smart collections to hide out of stock products, then you can use an inventory management app from the Shopify App Store. Some of these apps can automatically hide or delete products from your store when they're out of stock.

Hide out of stock products using Shopify Flow

You can create a workflow using Shopify Flow to automate actions on products based on their inventory level:

• To use a pre-built workflow, use the Publish and unpublish products based on inventory level template in Shopify Flow.
• To build a workflow manually, you can use the Product variant inventory quantity changed trigger to start a workflow that checks the productVariant.inventoryQuantity variable value and includes the Unpublish product action when your conditions are met.

Learn more about inventory and merchandising workflows.

Creating and managing bin locations for your inventory using CSV files

With bin locations, you can organize your inventory at specific shelves, racks, or compartments within your physical locations. You can create and manage bin locations for your products using CSV files. After you create bin locations, you can also edit your bin locations using the bulk editor.

Bin locations can be useful when you have many products or a complex warehouse layout. Bin locations help you in the following ways:

• Find products faster when picking orders.
• Organize your warehouse more efficiently.
• Track where specific items are stored.

Considerations for creating and managing bin locations

Before you create and manage bin locations, review the following considerations:

• Each product variant can be assigned only to one bin per location.
• Multiple SKUs can be assigned to the same bin.
• Bin names must be unique within a location.
• Consider using a consistent bin naming format for proper sorting in picklists, such as A-01 instead of A-1.

Naming your bin locations

Review the following tips and considerations for naming your bin locations:

• Use a consistent format that sorts logically, such as A-01, A-02.
• Add leading zeros for numbers, such as 01 instead of 1 for proper sorting.
• Consider adding sections to your bins separated by -, such as aisle-unit-shelf-bin.
• Consider your warehouse layout when creating bin names.
• For retail stores with front and back areas, use prefixes, such as F- and B-.

Bin locations order

Bin locations are sorted in an alphabetical order. Characters are compared one-by-one from left to right and each position is evaluated separately before moving to the next position.

For example, A-01 comes before A-02 because after matching A-0, the 1 comes before 2. Similarly, A-10 comes before A-9 because 1 comes before 9 in the first position after A-.

This is different from numerical order. For proper sorting use A-01 instead of A-1 and use A-09 instead of A-9.

This ensures that your bins are displayed in the logical order that you expect when picking orders.

Adding and managing bin locations using CSV files

You can add bin locations to your products using CSV files. You can also edit bin locations and remove bin locations from products.

Formatting your CSV file for bin locations

Your CSV file needs to include the following columns:

• Handle: The product variant handle.
• Location: The name of your existing Shopify location.
• Bin name: The bin location name, such as A-01 or Aisle5-Rack3.
• On hand (current): The inventory quantity that you had at a location when you exported the CSV file. This column provides a snapshot of your inventory levels at the time of export and ensures safety validation during import.
• On hand (new): The new inventory quantity that you want to set. Leave empty when you don't want to change inventory quantities.

Review the following example CSV format for bin locations.

Add a bin location to products using a CSV file

You can add bin locations to your products. You need to export your inventory to a CSV file, add bin locations to your CSV file, and then import the CSV file back in to your Shopify admin.

The exported CSV file already contains the Bin name column.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click Export.

3. Select the locations that you want to export.

4. Click Export variants.

5. In the CSV file, add bin locations in the Bin name column for each product, and then save the CSV file.

6. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

7. Click Import.

Change a bin location for a product using a CSV file

You can move a product from one bin location to another bin location. You need to export your inventory to a CSV file, change the bin location for your product in the CSV file, and then import the CSV file back in to your Shopify admin.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click Export.

3. Select the locations that you want to export.

4. Click Export variants.

5. In the Bin name column in your CSV file, change the bin name for a product.

6. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

7. Click Import.

Remove a bin location from a product using a CSV file

You can remove a bin location from a product. You need to export your inventory to a CSV file, remove the bin location from your product in the CSV file, and then import the CSV file back in to your Shopify admin.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click Export.

3. Select the locations that you want to export.

4. Click Export variants.

5. In the Bin name column in your CSV file, delete the bin name for a product.

6. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

7. Click Import.

Managing bin locations using the bulk editor

After you import a CSV file with your bin locations to your Shopify admin, you can then view and change your bin locations using the bulk editor.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Select the products that you want manage bin locations for.

3. Click Bulk edit.

4. Click Columns.

5. Optional: In the Quantities by location section, select the locations that you want to manage bin locations for.

6. In the Bin names by location section, activate the Show all bin names option.

7. In the Bin name column for a specific location, change or remove bin locations from your products.

8. Click Save.

Managing inventory for products from multiple locations

Before you can manage inventory across multiple locations, you need to set up your locations in Shopify. Learn more about setting up and managing your locations.

You can stock products at multiple store locations and fulfillment apps simultaneously. This includes retail stores, warehouses, dropshipping apps, and custom fulfillment services. When you assign a product to multiple locations, inventory is tracked separately for each location.

You might stock a product at multiple locations in the following scenarios:

• You have multiple retail stores or warehouses.
• You stock some products locally and dropship others.
• You need to fulfill orders from different geographic regions.
• You use third-party fulfillment services alongside your own warehouse.

Understanding inventory across multiple locations

When you stock a product at more than one location, you can do the following actions:

• Stock different quantities at each location.
• Assign specific locations to specific products or variants.
• Track inventory separately for each location. Each location's inventory is independent and can't be shared or pooled with other locations.
• Fulfill orders based on fulfillment priority or shipping profiles.

If you use a fulfillment app that doesn't support inventory across multiple locations, then you can't stock the same product at your store locations. Check with your fulfillment app provider to confirm support for multiple locations.

You can manage inventory quantities for multiple locations from a product or variant's details page, or use the bulk editor to update multiple products.

Example for inventory across multiple locations

Your store has two locations:

• US Warehouse in Los Angeles
• Canada Store in Toronto

You stock your popular lavender soap at both locations:

• US Warehouse: 100 bars
• Canada Store: 50 bars

When US customers order, Los Angeles inventory is used automatically. When Canadian customers order, Toronto inventory is used. You can view and adjust quantities for each location separately.

Assigning inventory to locations

If your store has multiple locations, then the inventory at each location is displayed on the Inventory page, the inventory bulk editor, inventory CSV, and the details page of each product.

When you create a product, the product is stocked at all locations by default with a quantity of 0. You can change the list of locations that stock the product and adjust the inventory levels of the product at each location, with the following constraints:

• All products need to be stocked at a minimum of one location.
• You can't unstock products from locations that have unfulfilled orders or transfers that require inventory of that product.

If you need to assign or update inventory for many products at once, you can do the following:

• Use the bulk editor to update up to 50 products at a time.
• Use a CSV file to import inventory for large catalogs with 100+ products.

Change the list of locations that stock a product

If you stock products at more than one store location, then you can select the locations where you stock a product or variant from its detail page. When you remove a location from the list of locations that stock a product, the inventory quantity at that location is deleted.

If you activate Inventory tracked setting for a product, then you can track the product quantity for each location where the product is stocked.

Steps:

Stock products at locations by using the bulk editor

You can change the locations that stock a product by using the bulk editor on the Inventory page.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Select the location that stocks the products you want to change. Products that are not stocked at a location don't show up in that location's inventory list.

3. Select the product variants that you want to change.

4. Click Bulk edit.

5. In the bulk editor, click Columns and add fields for the locations where you want to stock the products.

6. Update the inventory quantities for each product variant at the relevant locations.

7. Click Save.

Learn more about bulk editing inventory.

Update inventory quantities for a location

After you assign a product to locations, you can update the inventory quantities for specific locations directly from your product details pages.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.

2. Click the product that you want to edit.

3. Optional: If the product has variants, then select a variant.

4. In the Inventory section, make sure that the Inventory tracked option is activated.

5. From the Inventory will be stocked at drop-down menu, make sure that Multiple locations is selected. This lets you stock the product at more than one location.

6. To update inventory quantity for a location, click the quantity listed under Available to adjust or set the quantity.

7. Click Save.

Managing inventory from multiple locations and fulfillment apps

Some fulfillment apps allow you to manage inventory for the same product at both your store locations and the fulfillment app simultaneously. This means you can stock some of a product's inventory at your own locations while the fulfillment app manages the rest.

For example, you might stock 50 units of a t-shirt at your warehouse while a print-on-demand app manages additional inventory. When orders come in, they can be fulfilled from either your warehouse or the fulfillment app.

Fulfillment apps that support this feature include dropshipping apps, third-party logistics services, and custom fulfillment services. Check with your fulfillment app provider to confirm whether they support managing inventory alongside your store locations.

Viewing inventory

You can view, search, sort, manage, and filter your inventory on the Inventory page of your Shopify admin. You can also display, hide, and reorder inventory columns.

The Inventory page provides you with a detailed inventory view that contains inventory states where you can track and manage the Available, Unavailable, and On hand inventory quantities across all your locations.

Filtering product inventory

You can filter your product inventory on the Inventory page of your Shopify admin. Filtering your inventory list can help you find the specific inventory that you need to review or update.

Product inventory filters

By default, all of your inventory displays on the Inventory page of your Shopify admin. You can filter this list to display a smaller subset of inventory.

Review the following table to learn more about the available inventory filters.

Filter product inventory

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click the icon.

3. Click the filter that you want to use to filter your inventory, and then select options for your filter.

Searching product inventory

You can search for inventory based on words in the product details, such as product title, description, or options. To search, click the icon on the Inventory page, and then use the search bar to enter the specific search terms.

Saving an inventory search or filtered inventory list

When you filter or search for inventory, you can save the filter or search to use it again later.

After you set up your filters or search for words, click Save as to give your search a name, and then click Save view.

The next time that you need to perform the same filter or search, click or tap the tab that's labelled with the search view name. The inventory list will immediately update with the subset of inventory.

Customizing your inventory page using columns

You can customize your Inventory page by choosing which columns you want to display or hide. For example, if you don't use SKUs in your inventory, then you can hide the SKU column. You can't edit the Product column.

Product inventory columns

By default, all inventory columns display on the Inventory page of your Shopify admin. You can choose to display, hide, and reorder columns.

Review the following table to learn more about the inventory transfer columns.

Adjust product inventory columns

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click the icon.

3. Adjust your columns:

   • To hide or display a column, click the icon for each column.
   • To reorder columns, click and drag each column.

4. Click Save.

Sorting inventory

You can sort your inventory listed on the Inventory page of your Shopify admin. You can choose from different sort options.

Product inventory sort options

By default, product inventory is sorted by product title.

You can change the sort order of your inventory list to any of the following options:

Sort your product inventory

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click the ⇅ sort button.

3. Select a sort option.

Adjusting inventory quantities

Keeping your inventory quantities accurate is essential for running your business efficiently. You can adjust your On hand, Available, and Unavailable inventory quantities manually, use bulk editing tools, or import changes using CSV files. The inventory tracking system also maintains a detailed history of all adjustments for your reference.

Adjusting On hand and Available inventory quantities

You can change the On hand and Available quantity of products in the following ways:

• on the Inventory page
• using the bulk editor
• using the inventory CSV file
• for available inventory only, on the product details page

You can also use the inventory barcode scanner on a mobile device to add barcodes for your products.

If a product's inventory quantity is tracked using inventory apps, then its quantities will be allocated only to that app location. You can change the locations that products are assigned to.

You can also edit available inventory per location directly from the product details page by using the search and filter options to filter by location.

When you have multiple locations, a location filter displays in the Shopify admin on pages and sections where it applies, such as the Orders page and the Inventory page. When you select a location in the filter, the page keeps your selection until you change it. The selected location for a page is stored in a browser cookie, so it isn't maintained between devices or browsers.

Adjust inventory quantities

After the inventory amounts are updated, you can find a record of this adjustment and adjustments up to 180 days old by viewing the product or variant's inventory adjustment history.

From the Adjustment History page, you can also review adjustments that were made by third-party apps or by processes that occur automatically in Shopify.

Learn more about viewing your inventory adjustment history.

Adjusting Unavailable inventory quantities

You can change the Unavailable quantity of products in the following ways:

• add new inventory as Unavailable
• move inventory from Available to Unavailable
• move inventory from Unavailable to Available
• delete inventory from Unavailable

Unavailable inventory can have the following states:

• Damaged: Inventory that's on hand, but is unavailable because it's damaged.
• Quality control: Inventory that's on hand, but needs to be checked for quality purposes before it's made available to sell.
• Safety stock: Inventory that's on hand, but is being intentionally held in reserve before it's made available to sell.
• Other: Inventory that's on hand, but isn't available for a reason that you have determined.

You can also use the inventory barcode scanner on a mobile device to add barcodes for your products.

If a product's inventory quantity is tracked using inventory apps, then its quantities will be allocated only to that app location. You can change the locations that products are assigned to.

When you have multiple locations, a location filter displays in the Shopify admin on pages and sections where it applies, such as the Orders page and the Inventory page. When you select a location in the filter, the page keeps your selection until you change it. The selected location for a page is stored in a browser cookie, so it isn't maintained between devices or browsers.

Add new Unavailable inventory

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click the Unavailable value for the variant that you want to edit.

3. Click the value next to Damaged, Quality control, Safety stock or Other that you want to add inventory to.

4. Click Add to inventory.

5. Enter the quantity that you want to add to Unavailable. Your On hand inventory also increases by this amount.

6. Click Save.

Move inventory from Available to Unavailable

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click the adjust icon in the Available column for the variant that you want to edit.

3. Select Move to Unavailable from the drop-down menu.

4. Enter the quantity that you want to move to Unavailable.

5. Select a reason for moving inventory to Unavailable from the drop-down menu.

6. Click Save.

Move inventory from Unavailable to Available

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click the Unavailable value for the variant that you want to edit.

3. Click the value next to Damaged, Quality control, Safety stock or Other that you want to move inventory from.

4. Click Move to available.

5. Enter the quantity that you want to move to Available.

6. Click Save.

Delete inventory from Unavailable

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Click the Unavailable value for the variant that you want to edit.

3. Click the value next to Damaged, Quality control, Safety stock or Other that you want to delete inventory from.

4. Click Delete from inventory.

5. Enter the quantity that you want to delete from Unavailable. Your On hand inventory also decreases by this amount.

6. Click Save.

After the inventory amounts are updated, you can find a record of this adjustment and adjustments up to 180 days old by viewing the product or variant's inventory adjustment history.

From the Adjustment History page, you can also review adjustments that were made by third-party apps or by processes that occur automatically in Shopify.

Learn more about viewing your inventory adjustment history.

Adjusting inventory quantities in bulk

You can make changes to the inventory of multiple products and product variants at the same time. Select the products and variants that you want to change, choose which product properties you want to update, and then make your changes using the bulk editor.

Inventory bulk editor variant properties

In the inventory bulk editor, you can add any of the following variant properties that you want to edit.

Step 1: Select variants to bulk edit

You can select product variants to edit in bulk from either the product details page or from the Inventory section in your Shopify admin.

If you need to update the inventory of 1 or 2 products, then you might want to use the bulk editor from the product details page. If you need to update the inventory for more than a few products, then you can access the bulk editor through the Inventory page.

Edit a single product's variants in the bulk editor

If you want to bulk edit the inventory for a product with multiple variants, then you can use the bulk editor on a per-product basis.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.

2. Click a product that you want to bulk edit the inventory of.

3. In the Variants section, use the checkboxes to select the variants that you want to edit.

4. Click Open bulk editor.

Edit multiple products and their variants in the bulk editor

If you want to bulk edit multiple products and their variants, then you can select which products and variants to bulk edit from the Inventory page.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Optional: If you have multiple store locations and want to display one specific location's inventory, then choose a location from the drop-down list. The selected location is the only location's inventory that will display.

3. Use the checkboxes to select each of the products and variants that you want to bulk edit the inventory of.

4. Click Edit variants to open the bulk editor.

Step 2: Select properties to edit

The Inventory Bulk Editor page displays the product variants that you selected and some of their properties in a table. You can change which variant properties display in the table.

Each column in the table represents a property, such as price, SKU, and compare-at price. Each row in the table represents a selected product variant. Refer to the table of properties in the inventory bulk editor to learn about what each property means.

Steps:

1. In the Inventory Bulk Editor page, click Columns.
2. Select the variant properties that you want to add to the table.
3. Deselect the variant properties that you want to remove from the table.

Step 3: Edit product or variant properties

After you select the properties that you want to edit, you can click the fields within the editor to type in new data or edit existing data.

Understanding inventory overrides

When you edit inventory quantities in the bulk editor, you're setting a new total inventory quantity. For example, if a variant has 100 units and you enter 150, then the quantity becomes exactly 150.

Inventory overrides replace the current quantity with the exact number you enter. If inventory changes between when you open the bulk editor and when you save, such as from customer orders or staff updates, then a conflict dialog is displayed before saving.

The bulk editor displays visual indicators to help you review your changes:

• Before and after values: After you enter a new quantity and move to another cell, the change displays as original → new. Inventory increases display in green and decreases display in red.
• Warning icon: An icon displays next to inventory quantity fields.

Edit your inventory properties

If the inventory quantity for a product isn't currently tracked, then the value in the Location field for that product is displayed as -. To update inventory quantities for that location, select the checkbox in the Track quantity column, which allows you to adjust the quantity. If the Inventory tracked setting is activated but the product isn't stocked at a particular location, then the value in the location cell displays as Not stocked. Click the field, and then select Stock at this location to set the inventory quantity.

Steps:

1. Click and type within a field in the table to edit the variant property for that product variant.
2. After you make changes to inventory quantities and move to another cell, review the before and after values displayed to confirm your changes are correct.

Step 4: Save your changes

After you make your edits, you can save your changes. When you save, review the confirmation dialog to ensure all changes are correct before confirming.

Resolving inventory conflicts

If inventory quantities change during your editing session, such as from customer orders or staff updates, then an Inventory mismatch dialog is displayed when you save. This prevents you from accidentally overwriting recent changes. The dialog displays the following information:

• New change: The inventory quantity you entered.
• Current quantity: The actual current inventory quantity in your Shopify store.
• Suggested quantity: Your intended change applied to the current quantity.

When resolving an inventory conflict, you can select one of the following options:

• Save suggested: Uses the suggested value based on the current inventory. For example, if you try to change 100 to 150 (adding 50), but the quantity is now 95 due to a sale, then the suggested quantity is 145 (95 + 50).
• Save original: Overrides with the exact number you entered. Use this when you want to replace the current quantity.
• Discard: Closes the dialog and returns you to the bulk editor.

Save your edits

1. Click Save.
2. Review the confirmation dialog that displays all the changes you're about to make, and then click Save changes to confirm.

Shortcuts in the bulk editor

To help you navigate and edit variant properties efficiently in the bulk editor, you can use the following shortcuts:

Viewing inventory adjustment history

If you're using Shopify to track a product's inventory, then you can view its inventory adjustment history. If the product has variants, then you can view the inventory adjustment history for each variant that is being tracked, but you can't view the inventory adjustment history for all of the variants simultaneously.

You can view only the last 180 days of inventory adjustment history for a product or variant on the adjustment history page. For adjustment history beyond 180 days, you can use the Inventory adjustment changes report. This report provides access to your inventory adjustment history and lets you filter and analyze adjustments across multiple dimensions, including SKU, location, staff member, app, and adjustment reason.

View inventory adjustment history for a product

When you view the inventory adjustment history for a product or variant, the following information is displayed about inventory adjustments:

• Date: The date of the adjustment.
• Activity: The event that caused the adjustment, such as a transfer or an order. If a staff member caused the adjustment, then their name is listed.
• Unavailable: The inventory that is unavailable after the adjustment.
• Committed: The number of units that are part of an order but aren't yet fulfilled. Inventory units that are part of draft orders aren't counted as committed until the draft order becomes an order.
• Available: The inventory quantity that is available after the adjustment, and that isn't committed to any orders or set aside as unavailable.
• On hand: The inventory that is on hand after the adjustment, and that is a sum of your Committed, Unavailable, and Available inventory.

Learn more about inventory states.

Steps:

Understanding your adjustment history page

The table that displays on a product or variant's adjustment history page lists the last 180 days of inventory adjustment history data. For adjustment history beyond 180 days, refer to the Inventory adjustment changes report.

The Activity column displays the event that caused the inventory adjustment, such as a new order, a return, or a manually selected inventory adjustment reason.

The numbers under each of the inventory states display the adjusted quantity first, and the new total quantity second. A dash indicates that the adjustment didn't affect that column.

Example for understanding inventory adjustments

The store Mel's Mustards has 43 spicy dijon mustards in the Available state.

A customer places an order for five spicy dijon mustards, causing the Committed count for this SKU to increase by five. On the inventory adjustment page, the first number under Committed for this order is (+5), and the second number under Committed reflects the total quantity of units for this SKU that are committed to all orders.

Because five units were committed to this order, they're subtracted from the Available state. The first number under Available for this order displays (-5). The second number that displays is 38, which is the total quantity of Available units after the order was placed. The Available quantity has decreased from 43 to 38.

Inventory adjustment reasons

When you adjust your On hand, Available, or Unavailable inventory quantities from the Shopify admin, you can select a reason for why the quantity has been adjusted. Inventory adjustment reasons display in your adjustment history under the Activity column, but the reason that you select and how it displays on the adjustment history page might differ slightly.

The following table displays each adjustment reason that you can select, the corresponding reason that displays on the adjustment history page, and the usage for each reason.

System inventory adjustment activities

You might encounter adjustment activities on your adjustment history page that don't match the self-selected reasons that you or your staff might choose when you manually adjust your inventory. Your inventory might be adjusted by Shopify or third-party apps following certain processes to ensure that your store has accurate inventory counts.

For example, when you mark an incoming transfer as received, the inventory is automatically adjusted, and the adjustment history for these products displays Transfer created.

The following table displays the most common automatic adjustment reasons, which display on the adjustment history page along with the manually selected adjustment reasons.

ABC inventory analysis

In general, you might find that only a few of your products account for the majority of your profits. Other products are rarely ordered, and can incur unnecessary warehousing, maintenance, or advertising costs. This can tie up cash that could otherwise be put back into your store. Lastly, some products account for a few sales, become a top seller, or occasionally receive no sales at all.

This observation is found across multiple disciplines, where most of a system's output is caused by a small amount of the input. It's commonly referred to as the 80/20 rule, or the Pareto principle.

In inventory management, an ABC analysis uses this principle and places your products into three categories, which help you prioritize where to focus your business efforts. You can access the ABC analysis by product report in your Shopify admin. If your store is on the Basic or Lite plan, then you can download a reporting app with ABC analysis from the Shopify App Store.

Overview

The ABC analysis divides your products into the following grades:

• A-grade: These are your top-selling products, that account for around 80% of your revenue.
• B-grade: These products account for 15% of your revenue. Products in this category do sometimes move into the A level or the C level.
• C-grade: These products account for 5% of your revenue.

A-grade products are considered to be your most important products.

Application

Give your A-grade products the most attention. These are the products that account for most of your revenue, and a lack of inventory for these products can hurt your sales. In contrast, your C-grade products can incur unnecessary costs if you stock more than you need, or put too much emphasis on always having them stocked.

Strategies for A-grade products

Products with an A grade account for 80% of your revenue and are your best performing products. For these products, consider using the following strategies:

• Place better controls and protection on A-grade inventory to avoid damages and theft.
• Always have A-grade inventory on hand. Consider keeping a backup stock of A-grade inventory, and reorder these products well before you estimate that you will run out of inventory.
• Give A-grade products more visibility in your marketing content and campaigns.

Strategies for B-grade products

Products with a B grade represent a moderate percentage of your revenue. These products often fluctuate between A grades and C grades. These products aren't as valuable as your A-grade products, but pay attention to which products occasionally change to an A grade and which change to a C grade.

For these products, consider using the following strategies:

• Always have B-grade inventory on hand. Reorder these products so that new stock arrives shortly before you estimate that you will run out.
• Promote B-grade products as bundles or add-ons to A-grade products.
• Consider using A-grade strategies for products that occasionally change to having an A grade.
• Consider using C-grade strategies for products that occasionally change to having a C grade.

Strategies for C-grade products

Products with a C grade represent a small percentage of your revenue. They're often considered dead or slow-moving inventory. However, they do still account for some sales and having them sell out can lead to a poor customer experience. It's often more profitable to sell off the stock and remove the product from your catalog.

For these products, consider using the following strategies:

• Sell C-grade inventory at a discount and remove the product from your catalog after it sells out.
• Give C-grade inventory away for free with other purchases to boost sales.
• Give C-grade inventory away to charity.
• Order C-grade inventory less often or "just-in-time" to reduce warehouse costs.
• Stop ordering C-grade inventory, unless it serves another purpose for your business.

Creating and managing inventory transfers

You can create inventory transfers to reserve inventory at the origin location and send it to a destination location. You can use inventory transfers to track inventory between your store locations. You can create draft transfers, process your transfers, and create duplicates. You can also edit, cancel, or delete your transfers.

You can also create transfers for products that use a third-party fulfillment service.

After you create a transfer, you can create and edit shipments for your transfer. You have the option to fulfill and receive transfers in your Shopify admin, or have POS staff fulfill and receive transfers from Shopify POS.

Transfer statuses

Your transfers can have different transfer statuses that indicate the transfer state. Review the following table to learn about the different transfer statuses.

Create a transfer

You can create an inventory transfer for your active store locations from your Shopify admin. You can leave the origin or destination blank when creating a transfer. This can be useful when you receive inventory from an external supplier or ship to an external location that isn't tracked as a location in Shopify.

You can also create a transfer with a barcode scanner. When you create a transfer you can view inventory quantities at the origin location and adjust the quantities that you want to transfer to a destination location.

After you create a transfer, your transfer is saved as a draft. Your inventory isn't reserved and you can edit any details of your transfer.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click Create transfer.

3. Optional: In the Origin section, click Select origin and then select the origin location that you want to transfer inventory from.

4. Optional: In the Destination section, click Select destination and then select the active location where you want to receive the inventory.

5. In the Add products section, search for products or click Browse, and then add the products to your transfer.

6. In the Quantity column, enter the quantities for each product in the transfer.

7. Optional: Add a note to your transfer:

   1. In the Notes section, click the pencil icon.
   2. Enter a note, and then click Save.

8. Optional: In the Transfer details section, add additional information about your transfer:

   • In the Date created field, select or enter the date you want displayed as the transfer's creation date.
   • In the Reference name field, enter a name for your transfer.

9. Optional: To assign tags to your transfer, in the Tags section, search to find existing tags or create new tags, and then click Save.

10. Click Save.

Import inventory into a transfer in bulk

You can bulk import variants to a new or existing transfer using a transfer CSV file. The transfer CSV file contains information that uniquely identifies products, product variants, and their inventory quantities at your location or specified locations. You can download and view a sample transfer CSV file to use as a template.

If you import variants to an existing transfer and the transfer CSV file contains variants that already exist on the transfer, then the existing variant quantities are overwritten by the new quantities.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click Create Transfer or click an existing transfer.

3. Click Import, and then click Add file.

4. Select the transfer CSV file that you want to upload.

5. Click Import products.

Process a transfer

After you prepare your items for transfer, you need to process your transfer. You can process your transfer by marking it as ready to ship, in progress, or transferred. You can choose how you want to process your transfer depending on your inventory transfer processes.

Review the following table to learn more about the different actions that you can take to process a transfer.

After you process your transfer, you can't change the origin and destination locations, but you can edit all other transfer details, such as products, notes, or tags.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to process.

3. Click Mark as, and then click one of the following options:

• To reserve inventory at the origin location, click Ready to ship.
• To mark inventory as incoming that can be received in the destination location, click In progress.
• To receive and make inventory available in the destination location, click Transferred.

4. Click Save.

Managing transfers created by third-party apps

You can view and manage inventory transfers created by third-party apps directly from your Shopify admin. When you create an inventory transfer using a third-party app, your transfer is displayed in the Source column on the Transfers page. The transfer source is also displayed on each transfer, so you can identify whether a transfer is coming from a third-party app. You can also view the transfer timeline for third-party app events.

You can manage your third-party transfers the same way you manage transfers created directly in your Shopify admin. You can duplicate, cancel, and delete third-party transfers. You can also create and manage shipments for third-party transfers.

Duplicate a transfer

You can duplicate an existing transfer. You can duplicate any transfers including canceled transfers. Your new transfer is duplicated as Draft.

Duplicating a transfer can be useful when you need to make a new transfer from the same origin or destination, or for the same items.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to duplicate.

3. Click More actions, and then click Duplicate.

4. Click Duplicate transfer.

Edit a draft transfer

After you create a draft transfer, you can edit your transfer details, such as origin and destination location, adjust products, and edit other transfer information.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a draft transfer that you want to edit.

3. Optional: Adjust your origin and destination locations:

   • In the Origin section, click Select origin and then select the origin location that you want to transfer inventory from.
   • In the Destination section, click Select destination and then select the active location that you want to receive inventory to.

4. Optional: In the Add products section, add or remove products from your transfer:

   • To add new products to a transfer, search for products or click Browse, and then add the products that you want to transfer.
   • To remove products from a transfer, click x next to the products that you want to remove.
   • To adjust product quantity, in the Quantity column, enter the quantities for each product in the transfer.

5. Optional: Adjust any other transfer details, such as notes, tags, or date created.

6. Click Save.

Edit a processed transfer

After you process your transfer you can edit your transfer details, such as adjust products, and edit other transfer information. You can't edit the origin and destination locations for processed transfers. If you need to change either of the locations, then duplicate or cancel the transfer.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to edit.

3. Optional: In the Ready to be shipped section, click Edit, and then add or remove products from your transfer:

   • To add new products to a transfer, search for products or click Browse, and then add the products that you want to transfer.
   • To remove products from a transfer, click x next to the products that you want to remove.
   • To adjust product quantity, in the Quantity column, enter the quantities for each product in the transfer.

4. Optional: Adjust any other transfer details, such as notes, tags, or date created.

5. Click Save.

After you finalize your transfer, you need to create a shipment for your transfer.

Cancel a transfer

If you no longer need to make a transfer, then you can cancel it. You can cancel a transfer that is in the Draft or Ready to ship status. You can access and duplicate canceled transfers at any time.

After you cancel a transfer your reserved items are made available at the origin location.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to cancel.

3. Click More actions, and then click Cancel transfer.

4. Click Cancel transfer.

Delete a transfer

You can delete transfers that are in the Draft status. You can't delete transfers that are ready to ship.

You can't access deleted transfers. After you delete a transfer your items are returned to origin location.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a draft transfer that you want to delete.

3. Click More actions, and then click Delete transfer.

4. Click Delete transfer.

Creating and managing shipments for inventory transfers

After you create a transfer and mark it as ready to ship, you need to create a shipment for your transfer. A shipment is a process of moving items from one location to another and is a part of your transfer. You can have multiple shipments within a transfer. You might need to move items to replenish stock at another location, fulfill customer orders, or transfer inventory between different branches of your business.

You can create shipments, add tracking information for a shipment, receive, and delete shipments for transfers.

Shipment statuses

Your shipments can have different shipment statuses that indicate the shipment state. Review the following table to learn about the different shipment statuses.

Create a draft shipment for a transfer

You can create a shipment only for a transfer that's ready to ship. You can't create a shipment for draft transfers. You can create multiple shipments for a transfer. If you mark your transfer as in progress or transferred, then a shipment is automatically created for that transfer.

When you create a shipment you can add additional shipment details, such as the estimated arrival date, tracking number, or shipping carrier.

If your carrier is supported by Shopify and you add a tracking number, then the carrier is automatically selected for you. If your carrier isn't fully supported by Shopify or you select Other from the Shipping carrier drop-down menu, then you can enter the tracking URL manually. Make sure to enter the complete URL including the digits that your carrier provided to track the shipment.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to create a shipment for.

3. Click Create shipment.

4. Select the products and their quantities that you want to add to a shipment.

5. Optional: In the Shipment details section, add additional information about your shipment:

   • In the Estimated arrival date field, select or enter an estimated arrival date for your shipment.
   • In the Tracking number field, add a tracking number for your shipment.
   • In the Shipping carrier field, add a shipping carrier for your shipment. Shopify might recognize the tracking number format and select a shipping carrier for you automatically.

6. Click Save.

Mark a shipment as in transit

After you give your items to a shipping carrier, you need to mark your shipment as in transit.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to mark a shipment as in transit for a shipment.

3. For the shipment that you want to mark as in transit, click Mark as in transit.

4. Click Done.

Edit a shipment

You can edit item quantities and shipment tracking information, such as a tracking number, shipping carrier, or an estimated arrival date. You can edit a shipment in any shipment status.

If your carrier is supported by Shopify and you add a tracking number, then the carrier is automatically selected for you. If your carrier isn't fully supported by Shopify or you select Other from the Shipping carrier drop-down menu, then you can enter the tracking URL manually. Make sure to enter the complete URL including the digits that your carrier provided to track the shipment.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to edit for a shipment.

3. For a shipment that you want to edit, click Edit.

4. Optional: Adjust item quantities.

5. Optional: In the Shipment details section, edit your shipment tracking information.

6. In the Estimated arrival date field, select or enter an estimated arrival date for your shipment.

7. In the Tracking number field, add a tracking number for your shipment.

8. In the Shipping carrier field, add a shipping carrier for your shipment. Shopify might recognize the tracking number format and select a shipping carrier for you automatically.

9. Click Save.

Receive a shipment for a transfer

You can receive a shipment for a transfer. Receiving inventory means that the item has arrived, you have evaluated the item, and decided to accept or reject it. You can also receive a shipment for a transfer with a barcode scanner.

When your transfer inventory arrives, you need to review the shipment and make sure that you receive everything that you're expecting. You can accept and reject in bulk for all items or for specific item quantities in a shipment.

If you receive extra quantity for existing items on a shipment, then you can specify a greater number of items in the Accept column. You can also add new products when receiving a shipment. For example, you might want to add a new product when you receive unexpected items in your shipment.

When you accept and reject items in a shipment, you can view the total received items in the Summary section.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to receive a shipment for.

3. For the shipment that you want to receive items for, click Receive shipment.

4. Optional: If you receive unexpected items, then you can add products to your shipment:

   1. Click Add product.
   2. Search and select products that you want to add as received in a shipment.
   3. Click Add product.
   4. Click Add unexpected product.

5. Accept and reject items in a shipment:

   • To accept all items in a shipment, click Accept all.
   • To accept specific item quantities, in the Accept column enter the item quantities that you accept for each item.
   • To reject all items in a shipment, click Reject all.
   • To reject specific item quantities, in the Reject column enter the item quantities that you reject for each item.

6. Click Save.

Manage item quantities in a received shipment

You can come back to a received shipment and edit the accepted or rejected item quantities to make corrections. For example, if you find an item that was initially lost in transit, then you can adjust the item's quantity in a received shipment.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to edit a received shipment.

3. For the shipment that received items, click …, and then click Manage received items.

4. Accept and reject items in a shipment:

   • To accept specific item quantities, in the Accept column enter the item quantities that you accept for each item.
   • To reject specific item quantities, in the Reject column enter the item quantities that you reject for each item.

5. Click Save.

Delete a shipment from a transfer

You can delete shipments that are in the Draft status. You can't undo this action.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to delete a shipment for.

3. For the shipment that you want to delete, click …, and then click Delete shipment.

4. Click Delete shipment.

Viewing and searching your inventory transfers

You can view, search, sort, and filter your transfers on the Transfers page. You can also display, hide, and reorder inventory transfer columns. A list of 50 transfers are included on each page.

Filtering inventory transfers

You can filter your transfers on the Transfers page of your Shopify admin. Filtering your transfers list can help you find the specific transfer that you need to review, update, or cancel.

Inventory transfers filters

By default, all your transfers are listed on the Transfers page of your Shopify admin. You can filter this list to display a smaller subset of transfers.

Review the following table to learn more about the available inventory transfer filters.

The Status, Origin, and Destination filters are displayed by default. To add the Tagged with filter, click Add filter +, and then select Tagged with.

Filter inventory transfers

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click the icon.

3. Click the filter that you want to use to filter your transfers, and then select options for your filter.

Searching for a transfer

You can search for transfers based on words in the transfer details, such as transfer number, origin name, notes, destination location name, or transferred products. To search, click the icon on the Transfers page, and then use the search bar to enter the specific search terms.

Saving a transfers search or filtered transfers list

When you filter or search for transfers, you can save the filter or search to use it again later.

After you set up your filters or search for words, click Save as to give your search a name, and then click Save view.

The next time that you need to perform the same filter or search, click or tap the tab that is labelled with the search view name. The transfers list will immediately update with the subset of transfers.

Customizing your transfers page using columns

You can customize your Transfers page by choosing which columns you want to display or hide. For example, you can hide the Tags column, if you don't use tags in your transfers. You can't edit the Transfer column.

Inventory transfer columns

By default, all transfers columns are listed on the Transfers page of your Shopify admin. You can choose to display, hide, and reorder columns.

Review the following table to learn more about the inventory transfer columns.

Adjust inventory transfer columns

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click the icon.

3. Adjust your columns:

   • To hide or display a column, click the eye icon for each column.
   • To reorder columns, click and drag each column.

4. Click Save.

Sorting inventory transfers

You can sort your inventory transfers listed on the Transfers page of your Shopify admin. You can choose from different sort options.

Inventory transfers sort options

By default, files are listed from newest to oldest based on the date that they were uploaded.

You can change the sort order of your transfers list to any of the following options:

Sort your inventory transfers

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click the ⇅ sort button.

3. Select a sort option.

Creating and managing inventory transfers with a barcode scanner

You can create and receive inventory transfers with an external barcode scanner. Make sure you configure your barcode scanner, so you can scan your variant barcodes.

Configuring your barcode scanner

You need to configure your Zebra DS2208 or your 720/740 Socket barcode scanner into keyboard mode before you can scan barcodes to add to a transfer.

Other bluetooth scanners might work, but you might need to configure them into keyboard mode.

Configure your Zebra DS2208 scanner

To use your Zebra DS2208 scanner to create or recieve inventory transfers, you need to configure it into keyboard mode.

Steps:

1. Scan the following barcode to set data format:

   

2. Scan the following barcode to start setting prefix:

   

3. Scan the following barcodes to set the correct character as prefix:

   

4. Scan the following barcode to start setting suffix:

   

5. Scan the following barcodes to set the correct character as suffix:

   

Reset your Zebra DS2208 scanner

To reset your Zebra DS2208 scanner, scan the following barcode:

Configure your 720/740 Socket Scanner

To use your 720/740 Socket Scanner to create or recieve inventory transfers, you need to configure it into keyboard mode.

To configure your 720/740 Socket Scanner into keyboard mode, scan the following barcode:

Reset your 720/740 Socket Scanner

To reset your 720/740 Socket Scanner, scan the following barcode:

Create a transfer with a barcode scanner

You can create an inventory transfer using either:

• An external barcode scanner on any device (desktop, mobile, or tablet)
• Your device's built-in camera scanner (mobile or tablet only)

When you create a transfer, you can view inventory quantities at the origin location and adjust the quantities that you want to transfer to a destination location. Where barcode symbols are displayed in the admin, you can start scanning immediately with an external scanner.

After you create a transfer, your transfer is saved as a draft. Your inventory isn't reserved and you can edit any details of your transfer.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click Create transfer.

3. In the Origin section, click Select origin and then click the origin location that you want to transfer inventory from.

4. In the Destination section, click Select destination and then select the active location that you want to receive inventory.

5. In the Add products section, do one of the following:

• Scan each product that you want to add to your transfer.
• Open your device's camera scanner by tapping the barcode symbol above Add products and scan each product you want to add to your transfer.

6. In the Quantity column, enter the quantities for each product in the transfer or continue scanning the same variant barcode to increase the quantity. If you enter or scan an amount greater than the available product quantity at the origin location, then the inventory quantity at the origin will be a negative number after the transfer is created.
7. Optional: Add a note to your transfer:
   1. In the Notes section, click the pencil icon.
   2. Enter a note, and then click Save.
8. Optional: In the Transfer details section, add additional information about your transfer:
   • In the Date created field, select or enter the date you want displayed as the transfer's creation date.
   • In the Reference name field, enter a name for your transfer.
9. Optional: To assign tags to your transfer, in the Tags section, search to find existing tags or create new tags, and then click Save.
10. Click Save as draft.

After you prepare your items for transfer, you need to mark it as ready to ship. Marking a transfer as ready to ship automatically reserves all inventory at the origin location.

Receive a shipment for a transfer with a barcode scanner

You can receive a shipment for a transfer in your Shopify admin with an external barcode scanner or your device's camera scanner. Receiving inventory means that the item has arrived, you have evaluated the item, and decided to accept or reject it.

When your transfer inventory arrives, you need to review the shipment and make sure that you receive everything that you're expecting. You can accept and reject in bulk for all items or for specific item quantities in a shipment.

If you receive extra quantity for existing items on a shipment, then you can specify a greater number of items in the Accept column.

When you accept and reject items in a shipment, you can view the total received items in the Summary section.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Transfers.

2. Click a transfer that you want to receive a shipment for.

3. For the shipment that you want to receive items for, click Receive shipment.

4. Scan each item with your external barcode scanner or your device's camera scanner to accept it.

5. Click Save

Creating and managing purchase orders

A purchase order lists the products, prices, and quantities for an order that you place with a supplier. When you create a purchase order, you can save it as a draft to work on later, or mark it as Ordered to update your incoming inventory counts. Purchase orders help track details such as incoming inventory counts, inventory costs, payment terms, and estimated times of arrival.

Requirements for creating purchase orders

Before you create a purchase order, make sure to complete the following tasks:

• Set up suppliers in your Shopify admin.
• Create and configure locations for receiving inventory.
• Activate inventory tracking in your store.

Purchase order status

Purchase orders have different statuses that reflect their current state in the order lifecycle. Review the following table to learn more about purchase order statuses.

Create a purchase order

You can create a purchase order from your Shopify admin.

After you save your purchase order as a draft, you can export it as a PDF to submit to your supplier for review and approval. This allows your supplier to review the order details, pricing, and terms.

After your supplier confirms the order details, you can mark the purchase order as Ordered to begin tracking incoming inventory and set customer expectations for product availability.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click Create purchase order.

3. Select the supplier and the destination for the purchase order:

   • If you need to add a new supplier, then refer to Add a supplier.
   • If you need to add a destination location, then refer to Create and modify locations.
   • Optional: Set the supplier payment terms and currency for the purchase order, based on your agreement with the supplier.

4. In the Shipment details section, enter the following:

   • A date in the Estimated arrival field.
   • The Tracking number for that shipment.
   • The Shipping carrier. The shipping carrier might be automatically selected based on the tracking number that you create, but can be manually adjusted.

5. In the Add products section, enter or select the products and variants that you want to order from the supplier, and then click Add.

6. For each product, add the following information:

   • Quantity
   • Supplier's SKU (optional)
   • Individual product cost (optional)
   • Any tax percentages (optional)

7. Optional: Enter the following details in the Additional details section:

   • A reference number
   • A note to the supplier
   • Any tags for the purchase order

8. Review the purchase order details in the Cost summary section.

9. Optional: In the Cost summary section, click Manage to add any cost adjustments, such as shipping, customs duties, fees, insurance, or other costs associated with the purchase order.

10. Click Save as draft. Your purchase order is now in a draft status. You can export the purchase order and submit it to your supplier for review.

11. To indicate that the purchase order was approved by your supplier, click Mark as ordered.

Edit a purchase order

You can edit most fields of a purchase order at any time, even after you've marked it as Ordered. You can't delete a product from a purchase order that you've already received inventory for. You can't change the supplier or destination after a purchase order has been marked as Ordered.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click the purchase order that you want to edit.

3. If you've marked the purchase order as Ordered, click Edit, and then make your changes.

4. Make your changes.

5. Click Save.

Download a purchase order as a PDF

You can save your purchase order as a PDF to submit to your supplier or keep for your records.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click the purchase order that you want to download a PDF for.

3. Click More actions.

4. Click Export PDF.

Close a purchase order

You can close any purchase order after you mark it as Ordered. If a purchase order is still a draft, then you need to delete it instead. If you close a purchase order before you've fully received the inventory, then the amount of unreceived products is removed from your incoming inventory.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click the purchase order that you want to close.

3. Click Close.

Delete a purchase order

You can delete a purchase order while it's still a draft. If a purchase order is marked as Ordered, then you need to close it instead.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click the draft purchase order that you want to delete.

3. Click Delete.

4. In the confirmation dialog, click Delete Purchase Order.

Best practices for purchase order management

To maintain efficient operations and accurate records, consider the following actions:

• Regular review: Check purchase order status weekly to identify any issues.
• Status updates: Keep purchase orders updated as you receive inventory.
• Documentation: Maintain clear records of all changes and communications.
• Supplier communication: Follow up on delayed or problematic orders promptly.
• Inventory reconciliation: Regularly verify that received inventory matches purchase order records.
• Performance tracking: Monitor supplier performance and delivery reliability.

Creating and managing suppliers for purchase orders

Suppliers are the businesses that you source products from and place purchase orders with. Effective supplier management helps you maintain good relationships, ensure reliable inventory flow, and track payment terms and currencies. When you create a purchase order, you can add a new supplier or edit an existing supplier, and you can include payment information that's specific to each order.

Create a supplier

You can create a supplier in your Shopify admin. After you create a supplier, they're listed in the Select supplier drop-down menu when you create purchase orders.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click Create purchase order.

3. In the Supplier section, click the Select supplier drop-down menu.

4. Click Create new supplier.

5. Enter the supplier's details, and then click Save.

Edit a supplier's details

When you edit the details of a supplier in a purchase order, the details of the supplier are updated in all existing purchase orders.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click Create purchase order or click an existing purchase order.

3. In the Supplier section, click the Select supplier drop-down menu, and then choose the supplier that you want to edit.

4. Click View details.

5. Click Edit supplier details.

6. Make any changes to the supplier's details, and then click Save.

7. If you created a new purchase order, then you can delete the draft purchase order.

Supplier payment terms and currency

You can include optional details about the payment terms for the purchase order from your supplier. Payments to suppliers must be paid outside of your Shopify admin, using a payment method that you organize with your supplier.

Before placing a purchase order, you should consult with your supplier to agree on a payment term option for your order. Payment terms include the following options:

• Cash on delivery: You pay the supplier in cash when you receive the delivery.
• Payment on receipt: You will pay the supplier using a payment method other than cash, such as a credit card, money transfer, or check, when you receive the delivery.
• Payment in advance: You will pay the supplier before receiving the order.
• Net 7, 15, 30, 45, or 60: You will pay the supplier within 7, 15, 30, 45, or 60 days of placing the purchase order.

The supplier currency on purchase orders defaults to your store currency, but if you've agreed to pay in another currency, then you can change the Supplier currency in the purchase order. This updates all pricing-related fields in the purchase order to display in the new currency, so you can keep track of the pricing and purchases that aren't made with your default currency.

Payment terms and supplier currencies are specific to individual purchase orders, and aren't saved as default values to any specific supplier.

Best practices for supplier relationship

Building and maintaining good relationships with your suppliers is essential for smooth inventory operations. Consider the following best practices for supplier relationship management:

• Communication: Keep suppliers informed about your business needs and any changes to orders.
• Payment reliability: Honor agreed payment terms to maintain trust and potentially negotiate better terms.
• Order planning: Provide suppliers with advance notice for large orders or seasonal requirements.
• Quality feedback: Communicate about product quality issues promptly and constructively.
• Documentation: Keep clear records of all agreements, pricing, and order history.

Managing multiple suppliers

If you work with multiple suppliers, then consider the following strategies:

• Diversification: Don't rely on a single supplier for critical products.
• Performance tracking: Monitor supplier reliability, quality, and delivery times.
• Cost comparison: Regularly review pricing and terms across suppliers.
• Relationship building: Invest time in building strong relationships with key suppliers.
• Contract management: Maintain clear agreements on terms, quality standards, and delivery expectations.

Receiving and processing inventory from purchase orders

After you receive the physical products in a purchase order from your supplier, you need to mark the inventory as received in your Shopify admin. This process updates your available inventory levels and ensures accurate tracking of your stock. You can only mark inventory as received after a purchase order is marked as Ordered.

Mark inventory as received in a purchase order

When you mark inventory as received, it updates your available inventory levels based on what was actually delivered. This is crucial for maintaining accurate stock counts and setting proper customer expectations for product availability on your store.

For example, suppose you had 10 products as incoming inventory from a purchase order. If you mark 5 as received, then they would become available inventory in your store, and there would still be 5 as incoming inventory.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click the name of the purchase order.

3. Click Receive inventory.

4. For each product, enter the inventory that was received and not received.

5. Click Save.

Adjust received inventory in a purchase order

You can adjust the received or partially-received inventory on a purchase order even after the initial receiving process. This is useful for situations where you later discover discrepancies, such as items that were never shipped or additional items that were included.

For example, if you receive 10 products, but later discover that one item is missing, then you need to enter -1 in the Accepted column for that product. This adjusts the inventory levels and changes the purchase order's status to Partially received.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click the name of the purchase order.

3. Click Receive inventory.

4. For each product, enter the amount of inventory that you need to adjust in the Accepted or Rejected column. If you need to reduce the number of inventory that you received, then enter a negative number.

5. Click Save.

Inventory calculation and tracking in purchase orders

If you activate Shopify to track your inventory, then make sure that you understand how items are counted and tracked when you receive them on a purchase order. The number of incoming items varies based on the items that you've received, regardless of whether you mark them as Accepted or Rejected.

For an example, suppose that you have a purchase order with 10 items.

If you ordered 10 items, received 7 of them, and marked 4 as Accepted and 3 as Rejected, then there will be 3 incoming items for that product. This is because you've indicated that although 3 of the items that you received weren't in the condition that you expected (the 3 that you marked as Rejected), you still received 7 of the items that you ordered.

Best practices for receiving inventory

To ensure accurate inventory tracking and smooth operations, consider the following actions:

• Verify shipments immediately: Check received items against the purchase order as soon as possible.
• Document discrepancies: Record any damaged, missing, or incorrect items with photos.
• Update inventory promptly: Mark items as received within 24 hours of delivery.
• Communicate with suppliers: Report issues quickly to resolve problems and prevent future occurrences.
• Maintain records: Keep detailed records of all receiving activities for audit and reconciliation purposes.
• Train staff: Ensure all team members understand the receiving process and importance of accuracy.

Handling partial shipments and damaged items in a purchase order

If you receive damaged items or incomplete shipments, then you can mark the order as partially received by rejecting the amount of inventory that was damaged or missing. Any rejected inventory is removed from the incoming inventory count.

For example, if you order 10 products, but only receive 8 in good condition, then you need to do the following:

• Enter 8 in the Accepted column for the received items.
• Enter 2 in the Rejected column for the damaged or missing items.

Handling damaged goods in purchase orders

If you receive damaged items, then consider taking the following actions:

• Document the damage with photos and descriptions.
• Mark the damaged items as rejected in the receiving process.
• Contact your supplier immediately to report the issue.
• Request replacement items or credit as appropriate.
• Update your purchase order to reflect the actual received quantities.

Handling missing items in purchase orders

If your shipment is missing items, then consider taking the following actions:

• Check if the missing items are on backorder or delayed.
• Mark missing items as rejected during the receiving process.
• Contact your supplier to confirm the status of the missing items.
• Update your inventory expectations based on the supplier's response.
• Create a new purchase order for any urgently needed missing items.

Viewing and filtering purchase orders

You can search, filter, and sort your purchase order list, and create custom views based on your search and filter criteria. This helps you organize your purchase orders and quickly find specific orders based on various criteria such as status, supplier, or expected arrival date.

Search and filter your purchase orders list

By default, the purchase orders list has existing views for All, Draft, Ordered, Partial, Received, and Closed purchase orders. You can create your own custom views by searching and filtering any of these existing views. You can't rename or delete the All view.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. In the views list, click the view that you want to search.

3. Click the icon.

4. In the search bar, type in your keywords or search query.

5. Optional: Apply a filter to your search:

   1. Select an existing filter category to filter your products by, or click Add filter + to apply another type of filter.
   2. Select a value for the specific filter. The available values are different depending on the filter that you select.

6. To create a new view based on your search and filters, click Save.

Sorting your purchase orders list

By default, purchase orders are sorted from latest to earliest based on the date that they're expected to arrive.

Sorting options for purchase orders

You can change the sort order of your purchase orders list to any of the following options.

Learn more about sorting list items in your views.

Sort your purchase orders

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Click the ⇅ sort button.

3. Select a Sort by option, and then select the ascending or descending order based on your criteria.

Creating views for purchase orders

You can use default views to quickly access purchase orders based on their status, or create custom views based on your specific business needs and workflows.

Default purchase order views

The default views help you quickly access purchase orders based on their current status.

Create a custom view for purchase orders

Custom views let you save specific search and filter combinations for quick access. Custom views help you organize your purchase orders based on your specific business needs and workflows. For example, you can create views for purchase orders from a specific supplier or orders that are expected to arrive within a certain date range.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Purchase orders.

2. Filter your purchase orders, or change the sort order by clicking the column header that you want to filter by.

3. Do one of the following:

• If you filtered your purchase orders, then click Save as and enter a view name, then click Save view.
• If you changed a sort order, then click the + icon and enter a view name, then click Create view.