Choose the right method for your task

Decision criteria: size, complexity, locations, timing

• Small scope (under a few dozen variants, single location): Inventory page.

• Medium scope (hundreds of variants, mixed fields): Products bulk editor.

• Large scope (thousands of variants, multi-location math): CSV.

• Recurring or time-based updates (daily, nightly, product drops): Flow or API.

• Multi-location restructuring (adds/removals, cross-location shifts): CSV or API.

Quick edits in the Inventory page

• Ideal for “top up 50 units,” “zero out a SKU,” or “adjust a single location.”

• Filter by product, tag, vendor, or location and edit inline.

Using the Products bulk editor

• Great for toggling Track quantity or Continue selling across many variants.

• Add per-location inventory columns to adjust quantities while editing policies.

Spreadsheet/CSV for large changes

• Export, edit with formulas, re-import, and keep a pristine backup.

• Safest route for price-matched inventory caps, safety stock, and resets.

When to use automation/API

• Nightly syncs from WMS/ERP or supplier feeds.

• Scheduled launches and sale rollbacks.

• Storefront preorders that need to flip states at a specific time.

Bulk edit from the Inventory page (fastest for day-to-day)

Filter and select products/variants

• Go to Products > Inventory.

• Filter by product status, vendor, tags, collections, or search by SKU.

• Use checkboxes to select variants you want to update.

Switch locations and show the right columns

• Choose the location you’re editing from the location picker.

• Show columns for Available, On hand, Committed, and Incoming to understand the full picture before changes.

Edit quantities and availability safely

• Use Update quantities to Set new quantity or Adjust by amount.

• If Track quantity is off, turn it on (variant-level) before expecting counts to matter.

• For preorders, enable Continue selling when out of stock instead of inflating stock.

Save, verify, and spot-check changes

• After updates, refresh filters and confirm Available changed as intended.

• Open a few product pages and check Inventory history to verify who changed what and by how much.

• If using multiple locations, confirm the change happened in the intended location.

Time-saving shortcuts and tips

• Press Tab/Shift+Tab to move across cells; Enter/Shift+Enter to move up/down.

• Copy/paste works across cells; use drag-to-fill where supported.

• Save filtered views you reuse often (e.g., vendor, tag, or collection filters).

Bulk edit with the Products bulk editor

Select items from Products and open bulk editor

• Go to Products.

• Filter to the desired set, select variants, then choose Edit products.

• The bulk editor opens with columns you can customize.

Add inventory-related fields (per location)

• Add columns such as:

  • Track quantity

  • Continue selling when out of stock

  • Available at [Location Name]

  • Incoming at [Location Name] (read-only and based on transfers)

• Add/remove columns to match your task, then save changes in bulk.

Apply changes across many variants

• Enter a value, then drag to apply down the column or copy/paste to multiple rows.

• To set the same value across selected cells, type once, then use fill shortcuts.

Track inventory vs continue selling

• Track quantity: Turn on to enforce stock limits by location.

• Continue selling when out of stock: Turn on to allow preorders/backorders; Shopify will sell below zero Available.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Editing quantities while Track quantity is off has no practical effect.

• Misreading Available vs On hand; edit with Committed in mind.

• Multi-location confusion: ensure you’re editing the right location columns.

• Fulfillment service-controlled SKUs may block direct edits; switch tracker if needed.

Bulk updates via CSV (best for large catalogs)

Export inventory as a backup

• From Products > Inventory, export a CSV of the items you will edit.

• Export only what you need (filters + selected locations) to reduce risk.

• Save a timestamped backup copy; this is your rollback file.

Fill the template and apply formulas (e.g., safety stock)

• Keep headers exactly as exported, including per-location columns like Available at [Location Name].

• Use integer values for quantities; avoid stray spaces or special characters.

• Example formulas you can apply:

  • Safety stock: New Available = MAX(0, Current Available − SafetyStock)

  • Reset to cap: New Available = MIN(Current Available, Cap)

  • Launch preload: New Available = Planned Launch Qty

• If you use SKUs as references, validate duplicates before applying formulas.

Import and validate results

• Import the updated CSV from the Inventory page.

• Start with a small batch to verify mapping and results.

• After import, spot-check:

  • A few top sellers

  • One item per location

  • Items with Committed > 0 to confirm Available = On hand − Committed

Rollback plan if something goes wrong

• Re-import your backup CSV to restore previous counts.

• If only a subset is wrong, filter and re-import a corrected CSV for that subset.

• Use Inventory history on variants to investigate who changed what and when.

Looking for more helpful tips and strategies for your Shopify store? Check out of full range of blogs.

Multi-location and multi-channel nuances

Per-location quantities and availability

• Inventory is tracked per location. Edits affect only the selected location columns.

• Ensure products are assigned to locations; unassigned locations won’t receive stock.

Available vs On hand vs Committed vs Incoming

• On hand is your physical count.

• Committed is reserved by orders not yet fulfilled.

• Available = On hand − Committed.

• Incoming is expected via transfers or purchase orders; you don’t sell Incoming until it arrives and is received.

Editing Available generally changes On hand. You cannot directly edit Committed. Incoming is controlled by transfer workflows.

Publishing channels vs inventory levels

• Publishing controls where a product appears (Online Store, POS, etc.).

• Inventory does not publish products; it only controls sellable quantity.

• A product can be published but unsellable if Available is zero and Continue selling is off.

POS vs Online store considerations

• POS uses the POS-assigned location’s inventory. Ensure the correct location has stock.

• If a product is visible online but sells only in-store, confirm online location inventory is zero to avoid overselling (unless preorders are intended).

Preorders, launches, and sale prep at scale

Enable continue selling in bulk

• In the Products bulk editor, add the Continue selling when out of stock column and set to enabled for preorder variants.

• Keep Track quantity on so you can report negative Available for demand tracking.

Set temporary caps or safety stock

• Use CSV formulas to hold back a buffer (e.g., maintain 5 units safety stock).

• For flash sales, cap Available to a known limit to control sell-through.

Schedule updates for drops and sales

• Use Shopify Flow to:

  • At a scheduled time, set a metafield/flag and trigger an inventory adjustment via API.

  • Flip Continue selling on/off at a specific time.

• If on Shopify Plus, Launchpad can schedule product publishing and price changes; pair with a Flow or API job to set inventory caps.

• As a simple fallback, schedule a CSV import at the desired time and test with a small subset beforehand.

Automation options (Flow, API, and apps)

Shopify Flow examples for recurring updates

• Nightly safety stock: Reduce Available by a fixed amount for specified collections.

• Preorder period: At launch time, enable Continue selling; at fulfillment start, disable it and set Available to warehouse counts.

• Low-stock alerts: Trigger Slack/email when Available at [Location] < threshold, then auto-create a transfer.

GraphQL Admin API mutation example for inventory

• Typical pattern:

  • Look up inventoryItemId for each variant.

  • For each locationId, set or adjust on-hand quantity.

  • Optionally toggle trackQuantity and inventoryPolicy (deny/continue).

• Use a mutation that accepts inventoryItemId, locationId, and either a delta (adjust by) or absolute on-hand quantity.

• Batch requests, handle throttling, and log results for audit.

When third-party apps make sense

• Bundles/kits that consume components automatically.

• Complex forecasting or multi-warehouse allocation rules.

• Real-time sync with 3PLs or ERPs that need two-way updates.

QA, troubleshooting, and safeguards

Common errors and how to fix them

• Import fails or partial updates:

  • Cause: Header mismatch or wrong location columns.

  • Fix: Use the exact exported CSV headers; don’t rename columns.

• Changes don’t stick:

  • Cause: Variant not tracking quantity or controlled by a fulfillment service.

  • Fix: Enable Track quantity or switch to manual tracking for that SKU.

• Negative Available when not intended:

  • Cause: Continue selling enabled or large committed orders offsetting On hand.

  • Fix: Disable Continue selling or increase On hand to cover Committed.

• Missing location quantities:

  • Cause: Product not assigned to the location.

  • Fix: Assign product to the location before editing inventory.

• Can’t edit Committed:

  • Cause: Committed reflects open orders.

  • Fix: Fulfill/cancel orders, edit allocations, or transfer stock to the order’s location.

• Bundles/kits off:

  • Cause: Parent product doesn’t auto-adjust components.

  • Fix: Use a bundling workflow/app; edit component SKUs directly.

• Archived or draft products unchanged:

  • Cause: Status prevents standard flows.

  • Fix: Unarchive or publish as needed; then edit inventory.

Permissions and audit trail best practices

• Grant only necessary permissions: Products, Inventory, Locations, and Import/Export where applicable.

• Require team members to work under their own accounts for inventory history attribution.

• Keep dated CSV backups and maintain a change log for high-impact updates.

Performance limits and batching strategy

• Avoid massive single imports; split CSVs by collection, vendor, or location.

• In the bulk editor, work in smaller pages and save frequently.

• With API, respect rate limits, queue jobs, and implement retries with idempotency keys.

• For very large catalogs, run a small test batch end-to-end before scaling.

Need help calculating your profit margin or looking to better understand your stock turnover? We've got covered with our range of merchant helping tools.

FAQs

Can I bulk edit inventory for multiple locations at once?

Yes. Use the Inventory page with location-specific columns, the Products bulk editor with “Available at [Location]” fields, or a CSV that includes columns for each location you plan to update.

What’s the difference between Available, On hand, Committed, and Incoming?

• On hand: Physical count at a location.

• Committed: Reserved by open orders.

• Available: Sellable now (On hand − Committed).

• Incoming: Expected via transfers or POs. You can’t sell Incoming until it’s received.

How do I undo or roll back a bulk inventory change?

Re-import your pre-change backup CSV to restore quantities. For smaller mistakes, filter the affected SKUs, correct the file, and import just that subset. Use Inventory history to confirm the rollback.

Why can’t I edit the Committed quantity directly?

Committed reflects existing orders and reservations. To change it, fulfill or cancel orders, or move stock between locations to ensure the order’s location has sufficient On hand.

How many products can I bulk edit at a time without timeouts?

Keep batches modest to avoid timeouts. In the bulk editor, work in smaller pages and save frequently. For large catalogs, use CSV imports in batches and validate each import before continuing.

Can I set continue selling when out of stock in bulk?

Yes. In the Products bulk editor, add the Continue selling when out of stock column and set it across selected variants. You can also update this via CSV or API.

Is CSV faster than the bulk editor for large catalogs?

Generally yes. CSV lets you apply formulas, process thousands of variants reliably, and maintain precise backups and rollbacks. Always test with a small sample first.

How do I schedule a bulk inventory update for a product launch?

Use Shopify Flow to run at a scheduled time and adjust inventory or policies via API. If you’re on Shopify Plus, pair Launchpad for publishing with Flow/API for inventory caps. As a simple option, prepare a CSV and import at the scheduled time after a test run.