Managing Inventory in Shopify (Step-by-Step SOP)
The Inventory section in Shopify allows you to view and update product stock levels across your store and warehouse locations.
Step 1: Go to Inventory
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Log in to Shopify Admin
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From the left sidebar, click Products
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From the Products dropdown, click Inventory
📌 This is your Inventory Management area where you can manage stock for all products.
Step 2: View & Update Inventory
In the Inventory table, you can check and modify stock by clicking on the relevant product cell.
Understanding Inventory Terms
Available
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Stock that customers can buy immediately on your website
Example:
If Available = 2, customers can place orders for 2 units
Available quantity changes when:
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You manually adjust stock
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A new order is placed
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A returned item is restocked
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Stock transfer is received
On Hand
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Total physical stock available in your warehouse or store
Includes:
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Stock available for sale
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Stock reserved for orders (Committed)
Formula:
On Hand = Available + Committed
Example:
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On Hand: 5
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Committed: 2
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Available: 3
Committed
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Stock reserved for confirmed orders that are not yet shipped
When a customer places an order:
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Quantity moves to Committed
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It cannot be purchased by another customer
Example:
If a customer buys 1 earring set:
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Committed = 1
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Available reduces by 1
Unavailable
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Stock that exists but is not available for sale
This happens when:
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Inventory transfer is in progress
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Stock is being moved between locations
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A location is disabled
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Stock is reserved for internal use
Step 3: Save Changes
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After making inventory updates, click Save
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Ensure all quantities are correct before saving
✅ Best Practices
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Update inventory daily to avoid overselling
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Do not edit inventory during peak sale hours unless necessary
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Regularly reconcile physical stock vs Shopify stock
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Use Committed stock to track pending orders