Inventory / New feature

Stock counts
Run stocktakes end to end in Shopify admin: create, count, review, approve

Create a count, and staff record shelf quantities by barcode scan or manual entry. Discrepancies are reviewed before inventory quantities are updated. Spreadsheets and manual workarounds are no longer needed, and you keep a record of what was counted, who counted it, and what changed.

On this page
  1. What's actually changing (30-second overview)
  2. How it works: from creating a count to updating inventory
  3. What you can do (7 items)
  4. Before (spreadsheets) vs. Stock counts
  5. Roles and permissions: counters and approvers
  6. Requirements and what the article doesn't cover
  7. 5 key points for developers
  8. 3 practical use cases for your business
  9. One-line summary for proposals

1What's actually changing

Until now, stocktakes often meant counting with spreadsheets or manual workarounds, then correcting inventory quantities afterward.
Stock counts isa way to run inventory checks directly inside Shopify admin. Discrepancies are reviewed before inventory quantities change, so numbers are never overwritten without review.

Before: spreadsheets + manual work

Count results are recorded in a separate tool and manually applied to inventory quantities in admin. Records of who counted when and what changed tend to get scattered.

Stock counts: all in Shopify admin

Creation, assignment, recording, progress tracking, discrepancy review, and approval in one continuous flow.What was counted, who counted it, and what changedare all clearly recorded.

2How it works: from creating a count to updating inventory

① Create & schedule Create a count Set a schedule Add products Admin ② Assign To staff Multiple staff can work on the same count ③ Record Barcode scanning or manual entry Admin / POS Records who counted ④ Variance review Counted vs. recorded quantity ± Check before approving ⑤ Approve to update inventory Track progress from creation to completion
The key point: "Counting doesn't instantly change inventory" . You review the variance between counted and recorded quantities, and inventory levels change only after approval. This prevents miscounts from going straight into inventory.

3Features at a glance (7 items)

Create & schedule
Create and schedule counts in the admin
Add products
Add manually via search or by barcode scan
Assign to staff
Perform in the admin or on POS
Multiple people record at once
Without overwriting each other
Recorder visibility
See who recorded each quantity
Progress tracking
From creation to completion
±
Variance review
Check counted vs. recorded differences before approval
New permission settings
Control counters and approvers separately

4Before (spreadsheets) vs. Stock counts

ItemBefore (spreadsheets / manual work)Stock counts
Where work happens Scattered External tools + admin Centralized Shopify admin (counts can also be recorded on POS)
Product entry Manual entry / transcription Optional Manual add via search / barcode scanning
Multiple counters Risk of overwrites and double counting Safe Multiple people can record to the same count without overwriting each other
Tracking Hard to tell who counted what Logged Counter, progress, and changes are all logged
Updating inventory quantities Edited by hand After review Updated only after discrepancies are reviewed and approved
Permissions — Separated Set who can perform counts and who can approve them

5Roles and permissions: counters / approvers

Person performing the count In Shopify admin / POS Records quantities Recorded quantities Reviewer / approver Reviews discrepancies and approves inventory changes
With the new permission settings, you can separately control "who can perform counts" and "who can review and approve". This lets you set up a workflow where floor staff only record counts and only managers finalize inventory quantities.

6Requirements & what the article doesn't cover

Not stated

Eligible plans

The article doesn't say which plans include this.

Not stated

Regions & availability

The article doesn't state the rollout scope (regions, or whether it's a phased rollout).

Not stated

API / Webhook

The article doesn't say whether this can be done via the Admin API or webhooks.

The article says to "see the Shopify Help Center for details." Before adopting it, check on a real store that Stock counts appears in the admin and that counts can be performed from POS.

75 key points for developers

1. Recording and inventory updates are decoupled

Recording a count doesn't change inventory levels; they change only after the discrepancy review and approval. Other systems that read inventory quantities should expect values to change at approval time.

2. Simultaneous recording without overwrites

The article states that multiple staff recording to the same count won't overwrite each other. Even when a team splits a large SKU catalog, you avoid the conflicts common in shared spreadsheet editing.

3. Available in both the admin and POS

Assigned staff can complete counts in either the admin or POS. Store staff can use POS devices while back-office staff use the admin, so each team can use the device that suits its work.

4. Separate duties with permissions

Permissions are split between "performing" and "reviewing and approving" counts. This adds new items to staff account permissions, so revisit your role design when you adopt the feature.

API ?

5. No mention of API or external inventory system integration

The article only describes features in the admin and POS. It says nothing about APIs, webhooks, or integration with external WMS or inventory management apps.Stores that sync inventory quantities with an external system should verify in advance how inventory updates on approval interact with that system.

83 practical use cases

USE CASE 1

Move month-end and period-end stocktakes off spreadsheets

Problem
Count sheets are distributed and collected as spreadsheets, then inventory quantities are corrected by hand in the admin after tallying. This leads to transcription errors and confusion over which numbers are final.
Approach
Create and schedule counts in Stock counts and assign them to staff. Finalize inventory quantities through discrepancy review and approval.
Result
No more manual transcription, and the admin keeps a record of what was counted, who counted it, and what changed.
Technical notes
Rewrite any existing stocktake templates or procedures to follow the create → assign → record → review → approve flow.
Store A Store B Count on POS
USE CASE 2

Store staff count shelves on POS, and headquarters approves

Problem
In-store inventory checks are left to store staff, and headquarters can't see who counted what or when. Counting mistakes go straight into inventory quantities.
Approach
Give store staff only the "perform" permission and have them record counts by scanning barcodes on POS. Give the "review and approve" permission to managers at headquarters.
Result
Floor work and responsibility for finalizing inventory are separated, and inventory changes only after discrepancies are checked. Because the recorder is logged, you know whom to ask when a discrepancy is large.
Technical notes
Permission design is key. Check in the admin whether this works on POS and what the permission names and granularity are (the article doesn't go into detail).
USE CASE 3

Split a high-SKU warehouse count across multiple staff to finish in one go

Problem
There are too many SKUs for one person, but when several people edit the same sheet, overwrites and duplicate entries happen.
Approach
Add multiple staff to a single count and have them record in parallel with barcode scanning. Track progress from creation to completion.
Result
Staff can work in parallel without overwriting each other, and visible progress makes it easy to assign the remaining work.
Technical notes
If you plan to use scanning, first audit your data to confirm that product and variant barcodes are registered in Shopify.

9One-line summary for proposals

"A new feature that lets you run stock counts entirely in the Shopify admin and POS.
Record counts by barcode → review discrepancies → update inventory only after approval. Multiple people can count without overwriting each other, and the record shows who counted what.
The top choice for moving off spreadsheet-based stock counts."