Bulk Updating Product Inventory – SHOPLINE Help Center

If your store manages a large number of products or operates across multiple locations, updating inventory manually can be time-consuming. To simplify this process, SHOPLINE lets you export and import inventory data in bulk. Inventory files are exported in CSV format, and you can import either CSV or Excel (.xlsx) files. This allows you to update inventory quantities for specific locations in just a few steps.

This guide explains how to export and import inventory files, understand each template field and its requirements, troubleshoot common import errors, and view inventory adjustment records for products and product variants.

Updating Inventory Using Import and Export Files

You can export a CSV file containing inventory quantities for all locations. The exported file can be used as a template for inventory updates. After editing the file, import it back into SHOPLINE to sync the latest inventory quantities for each location.

Note: If your store has multiple locations enabled, use the Inventory import/export feature described in this guide to update inventory. Updating inventory through the Products import/export feature is not supported.

Exporting Inventory CSV Files

To export an inventory CSV file, follow these steps:

From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Products > Inventory.
Select the variants you want to export and click Export at the top.

To export all variants: click Export without making a selection.
To export specific variants: select them first, then click Export.
To export filtered variants: apply filters first, then click Export.

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In the pop-up window:

Choose the export range: All variants, Selected variants, or All results.
Select the location(s) to export inventory from. If you have multiple locations, you can export from one or all.

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Enter the email address to receive the report and click Export.

Notes:

The inventory export supports up to 130,000 rows. If your store contains more records, the exported file will be truncated. To export complete data, apply filters or export in batches.
SKUs with Track quantity with orders disabled will not be included in the export.
Your store allows a maximum of 10 concurrent export operations at a time. If this limit is reached, the Export button will be temporarily unavailable until one of the active export operations is completed.

Importing an Inventory File to Update Inventory

Once you’ve exported the CSV file, use it as a template to update inventory levels. The file is SKU-based, allowing easy identification of products and variants. To update and import inventory using the CSV file:

Open the exported file in a spreadsheet editor.

Note: Using Microsoft Excel may cause encoding issues. We recommend using WPS. For how to resolve the encoding issue, refer to Solutions to Garbled Characters in Exported Tables.

Update the inventory quantities:

Edit values under the On hand column.
You can enter positive, negative, or zero values.
Leave the field blank or enter Not stocked for products never stored at that location.
If your CSV includes locations you don't want to update, delete those columns entirely, including the headers.

Notes:

During import, SHOPLINE reads only the values in the On hand column. It does not recalculate the total inventory based on the values in the Incoming, Unavailable, Committed, or Available columns. If you update only those columns without updating the On hand column, the total inventory for that location will remain unchanged.
If your store has shared fulfillment locations connected through a third-party fulfillment app (shown with an App badge in SHOPLINE admin), those locations appear in the exported CSV file. However, inventory rows for app-managed locations cannot be updated by re-importing the file — those rows will be skipped during import. To update inventory at these locations, make changes through the fulfillment app directly.

Save the file.
Return to the Inventory page, click Import at the top of the page, and upload or drag and drop your saved inventory file. Both CSV and Excel (.xlsx) files are supported.

Notes:

Ensure the file format is correct before uploading. Invalid field values will be skipped silently—no error messages will be shown.
Do not use SHOPLINE's Products import file to update inventory. The system cannot recognize inventory updates from product files. Always use the Inventory import file when updating inventory in bulk.
Inventory import files support both CSV and Excel (.xlsx) formats.
Your store allows a maximum of 4 concurrent import operations at a time. If this limit is reached, the Import button will be temporarily unavailable until one of the active operations completes.

Understanding the Inventory File Fields

Each column in the inventory file corresponds to a field in the Inventory module. Complete the file according to the field descriptions below to ensure your inventory data is imported accurately.

Column Name	Description
handle	Handle is the unique identifier for each product. It can include letters, hyphens, and numbers, but not spaces. The handle is used in the product URL.
Title	Title helps you identify the products. If you enter a value in this field, it will not affect the original product title when importing. This column is optional but cannot be deleted.
Option1 name	If products have multiple attributes, each combination of attributes is called a variant. For example, a T-shirt product can be offered in different sizes and colors. Size and color are the attributes. Enter the name of the first attribute for the variant here. Option Name and Option Value in the inventory CSV file are key fields for identifying which variant the row represents. If they are missing, the row will be invalid.
Option1 value	For products with multiple variants, each variant corresponds to a specific combination of attributes. Enter the value of the first attribute for the variant here. Name and Option Value in the inventory CSV file are key fields for identifying which variant the row represents. If they are missing, the row will be invalid.
Option2/3/4/5 name	See Option1 name.
Option2/3/4/5 value	See Option1 value.
SKU	SKU helps you identify the variants. If you enter a value in this field, it will not affect the original product title when importing. This column is optional but cannot be deleted.
Location	The name of the location. This field is case-sensitive and must match the name of one of your configured locations. Inventory for each location should be listed in separate rows. For each variant, include a separate row for each location where you want to update inventory. Delete any rows for locations where inventory updates are not required. If your store has shared fulfillment locations connected through a third-party fulfillment app, these locations also appear in the exported CSV. Inventory for app-managed locations cannot be updated by re-importing the file — those rows will be skipped during import.
Incoming	The quantity of inventory being transferred to this location. Incoming inventory is not available for sale until it is received.
Unavailable	The quantity of inventory reserved for draft orders or other business scenarios. This inventory is not available for sale.
Committed	The quantity of inventory assigned to orders that have been created but not yet shipped.
Available	The quantity of inventory available for sale.
On hand	The total quantity of inventory at a specific location. This is the sum of Committed, Unavailable, and Available inventory. The value can be positive, negative, or zero. During import, SHOPLINE uses the value entered in this column as the total inventory quantity for the location. It does not automatically recalculate the total based on the values in the Incoming, Unavailable, Committed, or Available columns. If you update only those columns without updating this column, the total inventory quantity for the location will remain unchanged.

Viewing Inventory Adjustment History

If your store tracks inventory, you can view the history of inventory adjustments for specific products. For products with multiple variants, you can view the adjustment history of each variant individually. Adjustment records help identify discrepancies and provide traceability for who made changes and when.

Note: Only adjustment records from the past 3 months are available.

To view inventory adjustment history:

From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Products and click the product you want to view.
Scroll to the Inventory section and click View history.
On the inventory adjustment history page:

Review changes made over time.
Use the dropdown in the top-right to switch between locations

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For products with variants:

Click a variant to open the variant details page.
In the Inventory section, click View history.
To switch variants, use the selector on the left and repeat the same steps.