Locations

A location is any physical place or an app where you do any or all of the following activities:

• sell products
• ship or fulfill orders
• stock inventory

You can set up multiple locations in your Shopify store so that you can track inventory and fulfill orders at your locations. Your locations can be retail stores, warehouses, popups, dropshippers, or any other place where you manage or stock inventory. With multiple locations, you have better visibility into your inventory across your business.

Tip

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To make sure your inventory quantities are accurate, online orders and in-person sales are assigned to locations. If some of your inventory is out of stock at one location, but it's in stock at another location, then you can use Shopify to split the order so that it can be fulfilled from multiple locations.

If you make sales from physical locations using the Shopify POS app, then you can add a location to your sales device to track your inventory accurately.

The maximum number of locations that you can have depends on your plan. Locations that you deactivate don't count toward your location limit. Apps that stock inventory or fulfill orders for you are considered to be locations, but don't count towards those limits. When you add such an app to your store, the app is automatically added as a location.

If you have a custom app that was developed specifically for your store, then you might have to update it to use inventory tracking for multiple locations. Developers can learn more about migrating to support multiple locations.

Setting up locations

You can add, deactivate, reactive, and delete your locations. You can also view, filter, sort, and search your locations in Settings > Locations > All locations.

The maximum number of locations that you can have depends on your store's Shopify subscription plan.

• Location quantity limit
• Add a location
• Verify your location address
• Filtering and searching locations
• Deactivate a location
• Reactivate a location
• Delete a location

Location quantity limit

The maximum number of locations that you can have depends on your store's Shopify subscription plan. Review the following list to learn more on how many locations you can have in your store:

• Starter: 2 locations
• Basic: 10 locations
• Shopify: 10 locations
• Advanced: 10 locations
• Shopify Plus: 200 locations

Locations that you deactivate don't count toward your location limit. You can find your location limit and how many you used in the Locations settings page.

If you use apps that physically stock inventory for you, then they're treated as locations. Inventory apps include dropshipping apps, third-party logistics services, and custom fulfillment services. For example, an app can be a warehouse that fulfills orders on your behalf. Location apps are listed in the Locations settings in the App and custom fulfillment locations section. Although these apps are treated as locations, they don't count toward your location limit.

Some fulfillment apps allow multi-managed inventory, so that you can manage some of a product's inventory at store locations while some of its inventory is managed by the fulfillment app. If you manage a product's inventory by using a fulfillment app that doesn't allow multi-managed inventory, then you can't also stock the product in your store locations.

Add a location

You can add a location. Your inventory is made available for online purchases by default in each new location.

After you create a location, you can activate delivery methods for your location. Your location is added to the bottom of your fulfillment priority list.

Note

By default, new products are stocked at all locations. You can adjust inventory levels from Products > Inventory, selecting a location, and editing variants. For large updates, use the bulk editor or CSV imports. You can't remove all stock from locations that have pending orders or transfers.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.

2. In the All locations section, click Add location.

3. In the Location details section, add your location name and address:

   1. In the Name section, click Add.
   2. Enter a location name, and then click Done.
   3. In the Address section, click Add.
   4. Enter a location address, and then click Save.

4. Optional: If you don't want to make your inventory available for online purchases at this location, then deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option. This option is activated by default for each new location.

5. Click Save.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap Add location.
4. In the Location details section, add your location name and address:
   1. In the Name section, tap Add.
   2. Enter a location name, and then tap Save.
   3. In the Address section, tap Add.
   4. Enter a location address, and then tap Save.
5. Optional: If you don't want to make your inventory available for online purchases at this location, then deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option. This option is activated by default for each new location.
6. Tap Save.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap the ☰ button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap Add location.
4. In the Location details section, add your location name and address:
   1. In the Name section, tap Add.
   2. Enter a location name, and then tap Save.
   3. In the Address section, tap Add.
   4. Enter a location address, and then tap Save.
5. Optional: If you don't want to make your inventory available for online purchases at this location, then deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option. This option is activated by default for each new location.
6. Tap Save.

Verify your location address

When you enter your location's address, it's automatically verified by Google. If your address can't be verified, then a suggested address is displayed. If you have a location with an unverified address, then this can prevent you from offering local delivery in your store or buying shipping labels in Shopify admin.

If your address can't be verified, then check whether a postal service or Google recommends a different address format, and update your address to the new format. If the postal service uses a different address format than Google, then you can submit a correction to Google directly.

Steps:

1. Verify that the address is recognized by a postal service, such as Canada Post, DHL, or USPS.
2. Search the address in Google Maps to view what it suggests is the correct address formatting.
3. If the address formats in the previous steps don't match, then you can submit an address correction to Google.

Filtering and searching locations

All your locations display on the Locations page by default. You can search your locations using keywords, or filter locations by location status and by POS plan in your locations list. You can also sort locations by name in ascending or descending order.

Review the following table of available locations filters and their options.

Filter and their options in the locations list

Filter	Filter option
Location status	Active, Inactive
POS plan	Pro, Lite

Deactivate a location

If you no longer want to sell, fulfill, or stock inventory at a location, then you can deactivate a location. When you deactivate a location, it's no longer displayed on filters and menus, you can no longer manage or transfer inventory in the location, and you can't use it as your default location. You always need to have at least one active location.

Deactivated locations don't count towards your locations limit.

You can't deactivate a location that's a private or third-party app. Instead, remove the app.

You can't deactivate the location that's currently set as your default location. You first need to change the default location to another location.

Before you deactivate a location, you need to complete all orders and transfers that are assigned to it, and reassign them to another location. If you don't, then you'll be prompted to fulfill the orders and have the inventory quantities reassigned.

If the location's on the POS Pro subscription plan, then you need to change the location to the POS Lite plan before you can deactivate it.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.

2. In the All locations section, click a location that you want to deactivate.

3. Click Deactivate location.

4. Optional: If your location has any inventory, orders, or transfers assigned, then select another location to move the inventory to.

5. Click Deactivate location to confirm.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap the location that you want to deactivate.
4. Tap Deactivate location.
5. Optional: If any inventory, orders, or transfers are assigned to this location, then select another location to move the inventory to.
6. Tap Deactivate location to confirm.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap the ☰ button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap the location that you want to deactivate.
4. Tap Deactivate location.
5. Optional: If any inventory, orders, or transfers are assigned to this location, then select another location to move the inventory to.
6. Tap Deactivate location to confirm.

Reactivate a location

You can reactivate a location that you previously deactivated and continue fulfilling orders from this location.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.

2. In the All locations section, click a location that you want to reactivate.

3. Click Activate location.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap the location that you want to reactivate.
4. Tap Activate location.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap the ☰ button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap the location that you want to reactivate.
4. Tap Activate location.

Delete a location

If you no longer want to sell from, fulfill from, or stock inventory at a location, then you can delete a location permanently. Historical data is saved for reporting purposes.

Before you can delete a location, you need to deactivate it.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.

2. In the All locations section, click a location that you want to delete.

3. Click Delete location, and then click Delete location to confirm.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap a location that you want to delete.
4. Tap Delete location, and then tap Delete location to confirm.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap the ☰ button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap a location that you want to delete.
4. Tap Delete location, and then tap Delete location to confirm.

Assigning inventory to locations

If your store has multiple locations, then the inventory at each location is shown on the Inventory page, the inventory bulk editor, inventory CSV, and the details page of each product.

When you create a product, the product is stocked at all locations by default. You can change the list of locations that stock the product and adjust the inventory levels of the product at each location, with the following constraints:

• All products need to be stocked at a minimum of one location.
• You can't unstock products from locations that have unfulfilled orders or transfers that require inventory of that product.

If you need to update the inventory quantities for a large number of products across locations, then use a CSV file.

Change the list of locations that stock a product

If you stock products at more than one store location, then you can select the locations where you stock a product or variant from its detail page. When you remove a location from the list of locations that stock a product, the inventory quantity at that location is deleted.

If you enable Track quantity for a product, then you can track the product quantity for each location where the product is stocked.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.

2. Click the product with the location that you want to change.

3. If the product has variants, then select a variant.

4. Make sure that Multiple locations is selected in the Inventory will be stocked at list.

5. In the Inventory section, click Edit locations.

6. Select the locations that stock the product, and deselect the locations that don’t stock the product.

   Note

   Available locations will include your store locations and any fulfillment apps that allow multi-managed inventory.

7. Click Save.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, go to Products.
2. Tap the product with the location that you want to change.
3. If your product has variants, then tap the variant selector, and then tap the variant with the location that you want to change.
4. Tap Inventory. If you want to track that product's quantity, then make sure Track quantity is enabled.
5. In the Quantity section, tap Edit locations.
6. Select the locations that stock the product, and deselect the locations that don’t stock the product.
7. Tap Save.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, go to Products.
2. Tap the product with the location that you want to change.
3. If your product has variants, then tap the variant selector, and then tap the variant with the location that you want to change.
4. Tap Inventory. If you want to track that product's quantity, then make sure Track quantity is enabled.
5. In the Quantity section, tap Edit locations.
6. Select the locations that stock the product, and deselect the locations that don’t stock the product.
7. Tap Save.

Stock products at locations by using the bulk editor

You can change the locations that stock a product by using the bulk editor on the Inventory page.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory.

2. Select the location that stocks the products you want to change. Products that are not stocked at a location don't show up in that location's inventory list.

3. Select the product variants that you want to change.

4. Click Bulk edit.

5. In the bulk editor, click Columns and add fields for the locations where you want to stock the products.

6. Update the inventory quantities for each product variant at the relevant locations.

7. Click Save.

Note

If the inventory quantity for a product isn't currently tracked, then the value in the Location field for that product will be -. To update inventory quantities for that location, click the checkbox in the Track quantity column, which allows you to adjust the quantity. If the Track quantity is selected but the product is not stocked at a particular location, then the value in the location cell will say Not stocked. Click the field, and then select Stock at this location to set the inventory quantity.

Learn more about bulk editing inventory.

Managing inventory from multiple locations or fulfillment apps

You can manage inventory for products from multiple locations, which could include one or more store locations as well as one or more fulfillment apps that has multi-managed inventory enabled.

Multi-managed inventory allows you to manage some of a product's inventory at store locations while some of its inventory is managed by the fulfillment app. Fulfillment apps could include dropshipping apps, logistics services, and custom fulfillment services. For example, an app could be a warehouse that fulfills orders on your behalf.

Note

If you manage a product's inventory by using a fulfillment app that doesn't allow multi-managed inventory, then you can't also stock the product in your store locations.

When you manage your store's inventory from multiple locations, you need to set a product's inventory to be stocked at Multiple locations before you can update its inventory quantities when the following is true:

• The product is stocked at multiple store locations.
• The product is stocked at one or more store locations, and some inventory is managed by one or more fulfillment apps that allow multi-managed inventory.

You can manage inventory quantities for multiple locations from a product or variant's details page.

Steps

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.

2. Click the product that you want to edit.

3. If the product has variants, then select a variant.

4. In the Inventory section, make sure Multiple locations is selected from the Inventory will be stocked at list.

5. If you want to add or remove locations, then click Edit locations and check or uncheck locations in the list, and then click Save.

6. If you want to update inventory quantity for a location, then click the quantity listed under Available to adjust or set the quantity, and then click Save.

7. If you want to enable tracking for the product or variant, then check Track quantity.

8. If you made any changes, then click Save.

Note

You can also use the bulk editor to update whether products or variants are stocked at store locations.

Setting up location fulfillments

If you have more than one active location, then you need to specify how to fulfill online orders. There are several ways to set up your locations for fulfilling orders:

• If you want all items for online orders to fulfill from a single location, then you need to make that your default location and prevent other locations from fulfilling online orders
• If you want items for online orders to fulfill from a primary location, and fulfill from other locations if the product isn't in stock at the primary location, then you can set locations for order fulfillment priority. Make sure each location that you want to fulfill from has the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option activated.
• If you want to customize which location fulfills orders based on location and products, then you can update your shipping settings to use shipping profiles.
• If you're using a dropshipping app or fulfillment service to fulfill all of your orders, then you don't need to make any changes to your locations or the default location. The default address of your store is set as your default location. Your default address isn't used by the dropshipping app or fulfillment service, and isn't displayed to your customers.

In-store purchases that are completed using Shopify POS use available inventory from the location where the sale is made. If the orders are placed to be shipped to the customer's address, then they use inventory based on how online orders are set up rather than the store's location.

• Change the default location
• Activate or deactivate delivery methods for a location
• Setting locations for order fulfillment priority
• Prevent a location from fulfilling online orders
• Example for online order fulfillment

Change the default location

If you don't update your shipping settings, then your shipping rates are calculated based on the location that's set as your default location. Your default location is indicated by a Default tag in your Locations settings.

You can set any of your active locations to be the default location. Apps and deactivated locations can't be set as the default location.

If you change the default location to a location where a carrier isn't supported, then the rates for that carrier are hidden at the checkout. For example, if you set a default location in the United States, then Canada Post rates aren't displayed at the checkout.

Rates for buying shipping labels from the Shopify admin are calculated based on the fulfillment location, not your store's default location.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.

2. In the Default location section, click Change.

3. Select a location, and then click Save.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the Default location section, tap Change.
4. Select a location, and then tap Save.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the Default location section, tap Change.
4. Select a location, and then tap Save.

Activate or deactivate delivery methods for a location

If you have the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option activated for your location, then you can view available delivery methods, and activate or deactivate them for a location. You can also view the status of each delivery method for a location.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.

2. In the All locations section, click a location that you want to active or deactivate delivery methods for.

3. In the Fulfillment section, click a delivery method that you want to active or deactivate.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap a location that you want to active or deactivate delivery methods for.
4. In the Fulfillment section, tap a delivery method that you want to active or deactivate.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap a location that you want to active or deactivate delivery methods for.
4. In the Fulfillment section, tap a delivery method that you want to active or deactivate.

Setting locations for order fulfillment priority

When orders are placed through any online sales channel, they're assigned to a location where they should be fulfilled from based on the priority list and available inventory. If any location can fulfill the entire order, then the inventory is taken from that location. If no location can fulfill the entire order, then the location with the highest priority oversells the product. Overselling happens when you sell more of a product than the quantity that you have in stock for that product at that location.

For example, you sell shirts and have two locations with the following priorities:

• Location A set to top priority
• Location B set to second priority

Location A has 1 shirt and Location B has 2 shirts. If you receive an order for 2 shirts, then Location B fulfills it. If you receive an order for 3 shirts, then Location A oversells the shirt and finishes with an inventory of -2.

You can set up order routing rules and determine which locations are assigned to fulfill an order using order routing.

Prevent a location from fulfilling online orders

Some businesses have locations that hold inventory for in-person sales only, or locations that are only for storage. Preventing a location from fulfilling online orders helps to prevent orders from sales channels such as the Online Store and Facebook Shop don't use inventory from these locations.

Preventing a location from fulfilling online orders removes any inventory assigned to the location from a product's online quantity. The online quantity of a product is displayed on the Inventory page, and is the number that's displayed to customers if you display inventory levels on your online store.

Preventing a location from fulfilling online orders also prevents Shopify POS ship-to-customer orders from using inventory from these locations.

The location's inventory can still be used to fulfill draft orders and orders from other sales channels. Check whether your sales channels follow your store's inventory policies when they create orders.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.

2. In the All locations section, click the location that you want to stop fulfilling online orders from.

3. In the Fulfillment section, deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option, and then click Continue.

4. Click Save.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap the location that you want to stop fulfilling online orders from.
4. In the Fulfillment section, deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option, and then tap Continue.
5. Tap Save.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.
3. In the All locations section, tap the location that you want to stop fulfilling online orders from.
4. In the Fulfillment section, deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option, and then tap Continue.
5. Tap Save.

Example for online order fulfillment

In this example, a store has four locations and receives online orders for various items. The orders are assigned to locations based on the fulfillment priority and the following rules:

• Try to assign the order to a single location.
• If required, then assign a line item to a location that has enough inventory, but don't split line items between locations.
• If an item is oversold, then assign the order to the priority location where the item is stocked.

Assume the following inventory is available at the locations:

Inventory levels for hats, shirts, mugs, and shoes across four store locations.

Location	Hats	Shirts	Mugs	Shoes
New York	5	1	Not stocked	Not stocked
Los Angeles	0	5	1	Not stocked
Chicago	1	0	5	1
Pittsburgh	10	10	10	10

The location priority is 1 - New York, 2 - Los Angeles, and 3 - Chicago. Pittsburgh does not fulfill online orders.

An order is assigned to locations as follows:

Distribution of online orders to priority locations based on inventory and rules.

Order	Assigned locations
1 shirt	New York
1 shirt, 1 mug	Los Angeles
1 hat, 1 mug	Chicago
2 shirts	Los Angeles
2 hats, 2 shirts	Hats assigned to New York, shirts assigned to Los Angeles
6 shirts	New York
7 shirts	New York
1 hat, 1 shirt, 1 mug, 1 pair of shoes	Hat and shirt assigned to New York, mug assigned to Los Angeles, shoes assigned to Chicago

Tips for optimizing your location management

• Inventory replenishment: Use CSV imports to update stock levels across locations efficiently.
• POS integration: In-store sales deduct inventory from the POS location, while shipped orders follow online fulfillment rules.
• Low-stock alerts: Monitor location-specific thresholds to avoid overselling.
• Custom app integration: Custom apps might need updates to support multi-location inventory tracking. Developers should use Shopify's API to sync inventory across locations.

Troubleshooting locations

• "Inventory Unavailable" errors: make sure that the location is set up for fulfilling online orders and has sufficient stock.
• Shipping rates not displaying: The default location must support the selected carrier (for example, USPS requires a U.S. default address).

Address verification issues

• If Google can't verify an address:
  1. Confirm the formatting of the address with postal services (for example, USPS, Canada Post).
  2. Submit corrections through Google Maps.