Set up fulfilment locations in Shopify
One warehouse cannot cover every order. This tutorial adds the Vancouver warehouse as a fulfilment location and sets it to fulfil online orders. The store already has 3 locations and is on the Basic plan, which allows 10 active locations, so 6 slots stay open after this one.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 4 minutes read
The worked example
| New location | Vancouver warehouse |
| Existing locations | 3 |
| Total after | 4 |
| Plan | Basic |
| Plan limit | 10 active locations |
| Slots left | 6 |
Download the register: locations-register.csv (139 bytes).
A locations register: 4 locations with routing priorities 1 to 4, all set to fulfil online orders. It is a planning record, not a file Shopify imports.
1Open Locations settings
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations. The page lists every location, and shows the plan limit and how many slots you have used.
2Click Add location
In the All locations section, click Add location. A form opens for the new location's name and address.
3Enter the name and address
Enter the location name, Vancouver warehouse, and the street address. Shopify verifies the address through Google when you enter it; if it cannot be verified, a suggested address is shown.
4Leave the online fulfilment toggle on
Leave the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option on. It is on by default for each new location, and turning it off means online orders never draw stock from here.
5Click Save
Click Save. The new location is added to the bottom of the order routing list, as priority 4, after Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.
6Set up fulfilment for the location
In Settings > Locations, click the Vancouver warehouse and check its fulfilment section: the delivery methods it offers, and whether it fulfils online orders.
7Assign inventory to the location
Stock the products the warehouse will ship. An empty location cannot fulfil anything, and Shopify will route orders to other locations until this one has stock.
The arithmetic
The plan limit is the number that matters here.
| Plan | Limit | Used | Left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 2 | ||
| Basic | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Grow | 10 | ||
| Advanced | 10 | ||
| Plus | 200 |
The store has 3 locations and adds 1, so 3 + 1 = 4 used. On Basic that leaves 10 - 4 = 6 slots. Deactivated locations do not count toward the limit, and app and custom fulfilment locations do not count either.
Held at the counter
An unverified address can block shipping at that location. An address Google cannot verify can prevent local delivery and label buying from that location. Check the address against the postal service's format and against Google Maps before you save.
A location with the toggle off never ships online orders. If a location should hold stock for in-person sales only, turn its online fulfilment toggle off. Left on, Shopify may route online orders to a shelf that was meant for the shop floor.
You cannot deactivate your default location first. To deactivate the default location, change the default to another location first. You always need at least 1 active location.
Sources
- Setting up and managing locations — Shopify's help pages: the add-a-location steps, the plan limits table, the address verification note, and the deactivation rules.
- Setting up order fulfillment for locations — Shopify's help pages: that a new location lands at the bottom of the order routing list and that online fulfilment is set per location.