Exporting or importing inventory with a CSV file

You can export an inventory CSV file that contains your inventory quantities at your locations. You can use that exported CSV file as a template to update the inventory quantities. Then you can import the CSV file to update Shopify with the inventory quantities for each product in each location.

Note

You need to use the inventory CSV file to export or import inventory quantities. The product CSV doesn't update inventory quantities.

Export inventory

You can export an inventory CSV file either to create a template that contains your uniquely identified products or product variants for the location or specified locations, or to export the inventory quantities for use in other systems or processes.

If you have multiple locations, then you can specify whether you want to export the data for all of your locations or just for one specific location.

Steps:

1. Go to Products > Inventory.
2. Click Export.
3. Specify the rows that you want to export, and whether you want to export from a single location or all locations if you have more than one.
4. Click Export inventory.

Update the inventory amounts

After you've exported the CSV file to get a template, you need to update the inventory quantities in the file.

The CSV file has several columns to help you identify your product, as described in Inventory CSV file format. When you're converting your store to use multiple locations, edit only the location columns.

Steps:

1. Open your exported CSV file in a spreadsheet program.
2. Update the On hand quantity in a location row for a particular variant. The number that you enter in each row can be positive, negative, or 0. You can also enter Not stocked to indicate that the product is never stocked at the location.
3. Save the CSV file.

Note

By default, you can export the inventory CSV that contains all inventory states. If you'd like to export the legacy CSV template, which only contains Available inventory at each location, then click Export Legacy CSV after specifying the rows and locations that you want to export.

Import inventory

Before you import inventory, make sure that you have created a CSV file in the correct file format.

If you don't want to update quantities for a specific location, then make sure that the rows for that location are removed from the CSV file.

Note

Don’t use the product CSV file to import inventory quantities. You need to use the inventory CSV file.

The import procedure updates and overwrites On hand inventory quantities only. It doesn't override any other inventory state quantities. It doesn't create a location or update the values that identify products.

Importing inventory quantities overwrites your inventory data, so you should import your inventory only when other inventory adjustments, such as ongoing sales or manual changes, aren’t taking place.

Note

You can import changes only to the HS Code, Country of Origin, and On hand columns of the inventory CSV.

Note

If you are using the legacy inventory CSV template, the import procedure updates and overwrites Available inventory quantities only.

Note

If you are using the legacy inventory CSV template, there is a <Name of location> column header for each of your locations. The column heading is case sensitive and must be the name of one of your locations. Include a column for each location where you want to update inventory. Remove any other location columns and headings.

Steps:

1. Go to Products > Inventory.
2. Click Import.
3. Click Add file and choose your CSV file.
4. Click Upload file
5. Verify what you intend to import, and then click Start import.

Inventory CSV file format

The inventory CSV file contains information that uniquely identifies products, product variants, and their inventory quantities at your location or specified locations. It's similar to other CSV files that you use with Shopify, but has different columns.

If you plan to import your inventory amounts, then you need to create a CSV file that has the following columns:

• Handle - Handles are unique names for each product. They can contain letters, dashes, and numbers, but no spaces. A handle is used in the URL for each product.
• Title - The Title column is optional. If you include it, then the values can be left blank.
• Option1 Name - If a product has an option, then enter its name. For example, Color. If a product has no options, then this should be set to Title.
• Option1 Value - If a product has an option, then enter its value. For example, Black. For products that have no options, this should be set to Default Title.
• Option2 Name - As above, but can be left blank.
• Option2 Value - As above, but can be left blank.
• Option3 Name - As above, but can be left blank.
• Option3 Value - As above, but can be left blank.
• SKU - SKUs (stock keeping units) are codes that you can use internally to track your inventory and report on your sales. The SKU column is optional. If you include it, then the values can be left blank. For accurate inventory tracking and reporting, the SKUs that you add should be unique.
• HS Code - The HS Code (Harmonized System Code) column is used to estimate duties and taxes for international customers. This column is optional. If you include it, then the values can be left blank.
• COO - The COO (Country/Region of Origin) column is used to estimate duties and taxes for international customers. Accepted values are ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes. This column is optional. If you include it, then the values can be left blank.

• Location - The names of each of your locations. The inventory for each location is shown in the corresponding location row.

  The location row is case sensitive and must be the name of one of your locations. For each variant, include a row for every location where you want to update inventory. Remove any other location rows.

  The On hand inventory values that you input can be positive, negative, or 0. You can also enter Not stocked to indicate that the product is never stocked at the location.

• Incoming - Inventory that’s on its way to your location. Incoming inventory isn’t available to sell until it's been received.

• Unavailable - Unavailable inventory refers to the number of units that are reserved for draft orders or set aside by apps. It's not available to be sold.

• Committed - The number of units that are part of a placed order but aren't fulfilled.

• Available - Inventory that you can sell. Available inventory isn’t committed to any orders or reserved for any draft orders.

• On hand - The number of units that you have at a location. On hand inventory is made up of the total of your Committed, Unavailable, and Available inventory.

To uniquely identify a variant, specify values for the Handle, Option1 Value, Option2 Value, and Option3 Value columns.

Your inventory CSV file must be in the correct format and needs to have a .csv file extension.