Set inventory to a counted quantity in Shopify
After a physical count, the admin number has to match the shelf, not the other way around. This tutorial sets the Trail Crew Tee stock to the counted 41 units after the record said 47, and records why, so the 6 unit gap is on the record instead of hidden.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 6 minutes read
The worked example
| Product | Trail Crew Tee, Small Red |
| Location | Main Street store |
| Recorded stock | 47 units |
| Counted stock | 41 units |
| Gap | 6 units short |
| Method | Set to |
Download the record: trail-crew-tee-count-sheet.csv (184 bytes).
A count sheet for the Trail Crew Tee at the Main Street store: recorded, counted, and gap figures for the variants counted.
1Count the shelf first
Count the Small Red shirts on the shelf at the Main Street store and write the count down before you open the admin. The count here is 41 units. Count in a quiet window, so no sale lands between the count and the save.
2Open the Inventory page
From your Shopify admin, go to Products, then Inventory. The Inventory page shows stock for many products at one location in a single view.
3Pick the location
From the location picker, select Main Street store. Stock is tracked per location, so a number set at the wrong location fixes nothing at the shelf you counted.
4Click the quantity to change
In the Available or On hand column, click the quantity for the Small Red variant, which reads 47. Clicking the number opens the adjustment form.
5Set the quantity to the counted number
In the Set to field, enter 41. Set to is the method to use when you know the exact inventory quantity, such as after a physical count.
6Add a reason
Click Add reason and select a reason, such as Count. The reason is saved with the adjustment, so the next person to read the history can see why the number moved.
7Stage it, then save
Click the check icon to set the adjustment as pending, review the pending change in the table cell, then click Save. If you leave the page before saving, the pending adjustment is discarded.
The arithmetic
The gap is a straight subtraction:
| Figure | Units |
|---|---|
| Recorded stock | 47 |
| Counted stock | 41 |
| Gap (recorded minus counted) | 6 |
| Stock after Set to | 41 |
47 recorded minus 41 counted is a gap of 6 units. Setting the quantity to 41 makes the admin match the shelf, and the reason and the history entry keep the gap on the record.
Held at the counter
Pending is not saved. An adjustment is only staged when you click the check icon. Until you click Save, it is pending, and leaving the page throws it away. Always review the pending cells, then save.
Set to is for counts, not for movements. Use Set to when you know the exact count after a physical count. Use Adjust by when stock moves in or out, such as a delivery or a damaged item, so the origin and destination are recorded.
A stale count is a wrong count. If a sale or a delivery lands between your count and your save, the number you enter is wrong by that amount. Recount any variant that moved, or count when the shop is quiet.
Sources
- Adjusting inventory quantities — Shopify's help pages: the Set to method after a physical count, the two step pending then Save flow, and the reason field.