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Inventory Import: How to Adjust Inventory in Bulk

Updated

This quick-start guide shows you how to adjust inventory levels using the Inventory Import feature. With only 5 fields, this is the simplest and fastest way to update stock quantities across multiple SKUs and warehouse locations at once.

Important: Navigate to Import/Export from the top navigation bar → Select Import → Choose Inventory Import

When to Use Inventory Import

Inventory Import is designed for fast inventory adjustments:

  • Physical Inventory Counts: Adjust quantities after counting stock
  • Stock Corrections: Fix inventory discrepancies across multiple SKUs
  • Warehouse Transfers: Add/subtract inventory at specific locations
  • Seasonal Adjustments: Bulk inventory changes for new seasons

CRITICAL: Adjustment Quantity vs Quantity on Hand

Most Important Concept: The Inventory Import uses Adjustment Quantity, which is the amount to ADD or SUBTRACT from current inventory. This is different from the Inventory Export, which shows Quantity on Hand (current total inventory).

Example:

  • Current inventory: 100 units
  • Adjustment Quantity: +10 → New inventory: 110 units
  • Adjustment Quantity: -5 → New inventory: 95 units

Template Overview

The Inventory Import template includes only 5 fields:

  • 4 Required Fields: Product Name, SKU, Adjustment Quantity, Warehouse Location
  • 1 Optional Field: Average Cost (for products using Average Cost costing method)
Key Point: Each SKU appears once per warehouse location. If you have 5 warehouse locations and 100 SKUs, your export will contain 500 rows (100 SKUs × 5 locations).

The safest and most efficient workflow:

Step 1: Export Current Inventory

1Navigate to Import/Export → Export → Inventory Export

2Select the category or categories you want to work with

3Click Generate Export File and then Download the file

4Open the exported file in Excel

Understanding the Export: The export shows your current Quantity on Hand for each SKU at each warehouse location. You'll see each SKU repeated multiple times (once per location).

Step 2: Prepare Your Import File

1Download the Inventory Import Template and Legend from Import/Export → Import → Inventory Import

CRITICAL: Do NOT use the export file directly for import! The export shows "Quantity on Hand" but the import template requires "Adjustment Quantity". Using the wrong template will cause errors.

2Filter the export by warehouse location if you're only adjusting one location

3Identify SKUs you want to adjust and copy their rows

4Paste into the Import Template (keep the template headers)

5Remove the Quantity on Hand column from your copied data

6Add Adjustment Quantity values (positive to add, negative to subtract)

Example: You exported and see SKU "WIDGET-001" has 50 units at Boston location. You received 10 more units. In your import template, set Adjustment Quantity to +10 (or just 10). After import, Boston will have 60 units.

Step 3: Import Your Adjustments

1Save your prepared file as CSV

2Navigate to Import/Export → Import → Inventory Import

3Verify the Inventory Import radio button is selected

4Click Choose File and select your import CSV

5Click Submit to process the import

6Review the import results summary

Import Results: You'll see how many records were successful and how many failed. For example: "123 SKUs imported, 123 successful, 0 failed."

7If there are failed records, click Download Log to see error details

Error Log: The log file shows the status of each line item and explains why records failed (e.g., invalid SKU, missing warehouse location, bad data, typos).

Required Fields (4 fields)

Field Name Description Format/Values
Product Name* Name of the product (max 255 characters) Text
SKU* Product Stock Keeping Unit (must match existing product SKU exactly) Text (case-sensitive)
Adjustment Quantity* Amount to ADD (positive) or SUBTRACT (negative) from current inventory Numeric (can be positive or negative)
Warehouse Location* Name of the warehouse location where inventory is adjusted Text (must match existing location name)

Optional Field (1 field)

Field Name Description
Average Cost Cost of the product (numeric value only). This value is applied ONLY if the product uses the "Average Cost" costing method. For products using "Fixed Cost" costing method, use Product Warehouse Import instead. Leave empty to retain existing Average Cost.
Costing Method Note: Products with "Fixed Cost" costing method will ignore the Average Cost column. To update costs for "Fixed Cost" products, use Product Warehouse Import instead.

Use Case 1: Physical Inventory Count Adjustment

Scenario: You counted physical stock and need to correct discrepancies.

Example:

  • System shows: 100 units of SKU "WIDGET-001" at Boston
  • Physical count: 95 units
  • Adjustment Quantity: -5 (subtract 5 units)

Use Case 2: Receiving New Inventory

Scenario: You received a shipment and need to add inventory for multiple SKUs.

Steps:

  1. Export inventory for the category
  2. Filter by your receiving warehouse location (e.g., "Main Warehouse")
  3. Copy SKUs from your receiving report to import template
  4. Enter positive Adjustment Quantities (e.g., +50, +100, +25)
  5. Import to add inventory

Use Case 3: Warehouse Transfer (Add/Subtract at Different Locations)

Scenario: Moving 20 units of SKU "ABC-123" from Boston to New York.

Import Template:

Product Name SKU Adjustment Quantity Warehouse Location
Widget Product ABC-123 -20 Boston
Widget Product ABC-123 +20 New York

One import handles both the subtraction and addition.

SKU Not Found Error

Symptoms: Import fails with "SKU not found" or "invalid SKU"

Cause: SKU doesn't match any existing product

Solutions:

  • Verify SKU spelling and capitalization (SKUs are case-sensitive)
  • Check for extra spaces before or after SKU
  • Confirm the product exists in your catalog
  • Export inventory first to get exact SKU spelling

Warehouse Location Not Found

Symptoms: Import fails with "warehouse location not found"

Cause: Warehouse Location name doesn't match existing locations

Solutions:

  • Verify exact warehouse location name from your export
  • Check for typos or extra spaces
  • Location names are case-sensitive

Wrong Template Used

Symptoms: Import fails or produces unexpected inventory totals

Cause: Using Inventory Export file instead of Inventory Import template

Solution:

  • Download the official Inventory Import Template
  • Remember: Export shows "Quantity on Hand", Import uses "Adjustment Quantity"
  • Never import using the export file directly

Negative Inventory Result

Symptoms: Import succeeds but creates negative inventory

Cause: Adjustment Quantity subtracted more than available inventory

Prevention:

  • Export current inventory first to check quantity on hand
  • Calculate adjustments carefully
  • System allows negative inventory, but it may indicate data entry error

Cost Not Updating

Symptoms: Inventory adjusted successfully but Average Cost didn't update

Cause: Product uses "Fixed Cost" costing method, not "Average Cost"

Solution: Use Product Warehouse Import to update costs for "Fixed Cost" products. Inventory Import only updates costs for "Average Cost" products.

Before Importing:

  • Always export first: Get current inventory levels and exact SKU/location names
  • Use the correct template: Download Inventory Import template (not export file)
  • Filter before copying: Filter export by location to work with specific warehouses
  • Double-check math: Verify adjustment quantities are correct (positive to add, negative to subtract)

Data Preparation:

  • Match exact names: SKU and Warehouse Location must match existing records exactly (case-sensitive)
  • Format as text: Format SKU column as "Text" in Excel to prevent auto-formatting
  • Remove extra columns: Only include the 5 template columns (don't keep "Quantity on Hand" from export)
  • Test with small batch: Import 5-10 SKUs first to verify your template is correct

Import Execution:

  • Verify location: Ensure you're adjusting the correct warehouse location
  • Review import log: Check for failed records and error messages
  • Verify inventory: Spot-check a few SKUs in the admin panel to confirm adjustments
  • Download error log: If failures occur, download log to see specific error messages

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  • ❌ Using export file directly for import (wrong column: "Quantity on Hand" instead of "Adjustment Quantity")
  • ❌ Entering total inventory instead of adjustment amount
  • ❌ Typos in SKU or warehouse location names
  • ❌ Mixing up positive/negative adjustments
  • ❌ Forgetting to filter by location (adjusting wrong warehouses)

Watch Video Tutorial:

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Need Help?

  • Download the Inventory Import Template Legend from the Import page for detailed field specifications
  • Check your import log for specific error messages and failed row numbers
  • Contact support with your import log for faster troubleshooting

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