Change Inventory Quantities Using Bulk Editor

Last updated: October 07 2024

Written and researched by experts at Avada Learn more about our methodology

Efficient inventory management is vital for the success of any Shopify store. Whether you need to update stock levels after a shipment arrives, adjust quantities for a sale, or manage inventory across multiple locations, Shopify offers powerful tools to streamline this process.

In this guide, we'll walk you through two essential methods: using the bulk editor and adjusting inventory at a specific location.

How to Adjust Product Inventory Quantities in Bulk on Shopify

The ability to manage your product inventory efficiently is indispensable, and Shopify provides a bulk editor to make updates for multiple product variants across different locations easier.

Here’s a clear guide to help you adjust inventory quantities in bulk.

Step 1: From the Shopify admin panel, go to the Products

Step 2: Select the product that has the variants whose inventory quantities you want to update.

Step 3: In the Variants section, check the boxes next to the variants you want to edit.

Step 4: Click on Bulk Edit. This will open a spreadsheet-like interface where you can make bulk changes to your inventory.

Step 5: In the Bulk Editor, click on Columns. From the dropdown, select the locations where the products are stocked.

Repeat this process to include all locations where you need to adjust inventory quantities.

Step 6: For each variant, click on the cell under the relevant location to adjust the inventory quantity. Input the desired quantity for each variant in the selected locations.

Step 7: Once you've updated the quantities, click Save to apply the changes across all variants and locations.

Notably, there are some considerations that you must keep an eye on:

Non-tracked inventory: If inventory tracking is disabled for a product, the location field will display “-.” To enable inventory tracking and make adjustments, check the Track quantity box next to the product.
Stocking at a location: If a product is marked as Not stocked at a particular location, click the location field and select Stock at this location to start tracking and updating the quantity for that location.

How to Change Inventory Quantities At A Location For Selected Products

Let’s explore how to change inventory quantities at a location for selected products on your Shopify store:

Step 1: Go to Inventory

Log in to your Shopify admin.
In the left sidebar, click on Products.
Select Inventory.

Step 2: Select the Location

On the Inventory page, use the dropdown menu at the top right to choose the location for which you want to adjust inventory.

Step 3: Select Products

Use the checkboxes to select the products you want to update.
Click the Bulk edit to proceed.

Step 4: Add Location Column (if needed)

In the bulk editor, click Columns.
Add the column for the location you selected in step 2, if it's not already visible.

Step 5: Change Quantities

In the relevant location column, directly enter the new inventory quantities for each selected product or variant.

If a product wasn't previously stocked at this location, you might need to click "Not stocked" and change it to "Stock at this location" first.

Step 6: Save Changes

Once you've made all the necessary changes, click the Save button at the top right corner of the bulk editor.

FAQs

Yes, To update inventory quantities for multiple variants at a single location without using bulk action, select the variants from the variants list, click More actions, then choose Edit quantities. You can quickly adjust the stock for the selected variants at the chosen location and save your changes.

Yes, Shopify allows you to export product information as a CSV file, make bulk edits in a spreadsheet, and then re-import it. This method is ideal for large inventories or detailed edits like SKU or price changes.

After making edits, Shopify will save the changes automatically once you click Save. Additionally, you can review inventory adjustment history in the Inventory Reports under the Analytics section.

Shopify allows you to continue selling out-of-stock items by enabling the Continue selling when out of stock option. This is particularly useful for pre-orders, where stock is replenished at a later date.

To prevent overselling when inventory changes frequently, you should

Firstly, enable inventory tracking for your products in Shopify, allowing the system to monitor stock levels in real time.
Then, make sure to activate the option to "Stop selling when out of stock." With this setting, Shopify automatically prevents customers from purchasing an item once the stock reaches zero.
Additionally, it's beneficial to set up low-stock alerts or use third-party apps to notify you when stock is running low, helping you restock in time and avoid issues during high-traffic events.

No, the bulk editor in Shopify allows you to adjust inventory quantities for one location at a time. You'll need to repeat the process for each location if you need to update multiple.

Unfortunately, once you save the changes in the bulk editor, they cannot be undone directly. You'll need to manually correct the inventory quantities or revert to a previous backup if available.

No, the bulk editor is primarily used to adjust inventory quantities at a single location. To transfer inventory between locations, you'll need to create an inventory transfer within Shopify.

Bottom Line

By learning how to change inventory quantities in bulk and change inventory quantities at a location for selected products, you can keep your stock levels accurate with minimal effort.

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Sam

Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.