How to use the new Shopify Stock Counts for Retail and Online
Accurate inventory helps a retail or online store know what it can sell, where products are located and when it is time to reorder. But day-to-day selling can cause inventory records to drift from what is physically on the shelf. This simple counting mistake can leave your store out of sync.
Performing regular stock counts help you find and correct those differences. Shopify’s all new Stock Counts feature lets your team create a count for a location, record physical quantities in Shopify Admin or Shopify POS, then review and approve the results. This helps keep your store and retail locations up-to-date.
Stock counts are important
Keep online and in-store availability accurate
When Shopify shows more units than you actually have, customers may place orders for unavailable products. That can lead to cancellations or unwanted backorders. This puts lots of extra customer service work on your team. To prevent this, you should be performing regular stock counts on a consistent interval.
A stock count compares the quantity in Shopify with the physical quantity at a specific location. Reviewing and approving the count helps bring those records back in line. It's basically a physical counting process performed by your team members. But why is this important?
Catch errors before they become bigger problems
Inventory differences can build up over time due to returns or exchanges. Regular counts help identify missing, misplaced or damaged products. This also helps you catch errors created by receiving, returns, transfers or manual adjustments. Finding a discrepancy sooner gives your team a better chance to investigate what happened and correct the process behind it. When you know what you have in stock, you can better plan for the future.
Make better replenishment decisions
Reorder decisions depend on trustworthy on-hand quantities. If your records are inaccurate, you may reorder products you already have or miss the moment to replenish a fast-moving item. A steady count routine gives buyers and store managers a clearer view of what is available at each location.
Watch our YouTube video below for a walkthrough of the Shopify stock count process, then use this guide to plan a consistent counting routine for your store.
How often should you count inventory?
The first question we always hear is, "How often should I count my inventory?" There is no single schedule that fits every retailer. The right frequency depends on your sales volume, number of locations and even the product value itself can dictate the process. A store with fast-moving products may need to count those items more often than slower selling products. If you have a few big-ticket items, you'll want to make sure those are available, so count those more frequently to protect your value from theft or loss prevention.
Many retailers combine periodic full inventory counts with smaller cycle counts throughout the year. A cycle count focuses on a selected group of products or a particular location rather than trying to count every item at once. This makes it easier to keep attention on higher-risk or higher-priority products while keeping regular operations moving.
Start with a schedule your team can follow consistently. Then adjust it based on the discrepancies you find and the operational needs of your business. Let's review some tips for more reliable stock counts:
Count by location
Create a separate count for the location where the physical inventory sits. This keeps quantities organized and helps prevent stock in one store or warehouse from being confused with stock at another.
Prioritize products thoughtfully
Consider counting high-value, fast-selling or frequently adjusted products more often. You can also prioritize products that have had repeated discrepancies or are important to upcoming promotions and fulfillment needs.
Choose a clear counting window
Pick a time when the team can count with fewer interruptions. If sales or inventory movements continue during the count, make sure staff follow a consistent process for handling those changes so the physical count and Shopify records can be reconciled accurately.
Use scanners when they fit the workflow
Shopify Admin can accept barcode scanner input, and Shopify POS can use a scanner or an iPad camera to scan product barcodes. In the workflow shown in the video, each scan adds one to the counted quantity for that product. Scanning can help teams work through a list efficiently, while manual entry remains useful for corrections or products without a scannable barcode.
Name and organize each count
Use a clear name that helps your team identify the count later. Add a date, tags and notes when they provide useful context, such as the area being counted or the reason for the count. Shopify also provides search and filter tools to help locate products in a count list.
Review discrepancies before approving
Submitting a count sends it for review. Check the entered quantities before approving the count because Shopify updates inventory based on approved quantities.
Shopify tutorial: Create and complete a stock count in Shopify
Starting with their Fall 2026 Editions, Shopify has updated their stock counts feature. The steps below summarize this new workflow and matches the process shown in our video. Watch the video above and follow along below:
1. Create a stock count in Shopify Admin
The most important thing to understand about the new process is the involvement of the Shopify Admin. While you can use the POS to facilitate counts, you must still start and approve counts from the Admin. This is the only place where this step is conducted. You cannot start a new count from the POS app itself.
To start, open the inventory section in Shopify Admin and find Stock Counts. Select the location you want to count from the drop-down. You will now create a list for a new count at that location. Give the count a name so your team can easily recognize the job. For example, something like "Black Friday pre-count" or "Winter restock 2026", just something to stay organized. You can also choose a start date for the count. This date is only for guidance and will not limit your team from starting the count at anytime. You can also add tags or notes to further organize your list. Save the count to create it in draft mode.
2. Add the products to count
Choose the products you want to include and add them to the count list. Shopify provides handy filters to help you quickly find products by name, barcode, collections, vendors and more. There is no "add all" button so you will have to do a lot of clicking or upload a CSV to designate which items you want to count. After you save the list, Shopify displays the expected quantity for each product. This is the quantity currently recorded in Shopify, which your team will compare with the physical stock. You can return to the count later to edit its details or add products.
3. Start counting in Shopify Admin
Open the count and select Start. Enter each physical quantity manually or scan product barcodes with a connected scanner. In the video’s workflow, scanning a barcode adds one unit to that product’s counted quantity.
When the team finishes, close the count list and submit the count for review.
4. Review and approve the count in Admin
The count moves into review. Check the quantities and approve the items you want Shopify to update. Approved quantities adjust inventory for the selected location. Rejected items are not updated as part of that approval.
After approval, you can check a product’s adjustment history to see the update and its location source. The count then moves to completed status.
5. Count inventory in Shopify POS
You can also record quantities on a POS terminal. In Shopify POS, open Products and select Stock Counts. Choose an available count to begin.
Tap a product to enter its quantity. Use the increment or decrement controls, enter the quantity with the keypad or scan the item with a barcode scanner or the iPad camera. Continue until you have counted the items on the list, then submit the count for review.
6. Complete the review in Shopify Admin
Counts submitted from POS still need to be reviewed and approved in Shopify Admin. Once approved by a user with the required permissions, Shopify updates the inventory quantities. Set permissions carefully so the right staff can record counts and authorized users can approve changes.
Build stock counts into your operating routine
A stock count is most useful when it becomes a repeatable process. Decide which products and locations to count, set a schedule, give staff clear instructions and review discrepancies after each count. Use Shopify’s count list, audit timeline and permissions to keep the work organized and accountable.
Consistent stock counts help retail and online stores maintain more reliable inventory records, make better replenishment decisions and give customers a clearer picture of what is actually available. Use the Shopify Stock Counts workflow in Admin or POS to make physical counts part of your ongoing inventory routine.
