Your stock count does two jobs: it stops you selling something you haven't got, and it decides how many a customer can put in their basket.
Counted, or not counted
Every variant of a product is either counted or not counted.
- Counted — ShopKit knows how many you have. The number drops as orders come in, the product shows as Sold out when it reaches zero, and a customer can never order more than you hold.
- Not counted — ShopKit isn't tracking it, so there's no limit on how many a customer can order. A product you add one at a time with + New product starts out this way.
You'll see which is which under Products → (a product) → Inventory. A variant that isn't counted shows a dash and the words Not tracked, rather than a zero — those two mean very different things, and it's worth being sure which you're looking at. On the Products list, the Stock column shows a dash for the same thing.
To start counting a variant, open the Inventory tab, click Adjust, enter the number you have in Delta (+ / −), choose a Reason (for example Receive (incoming stock)) and click Apply. From then on it's counted. You can also set quantities for many products at once with Edit products on the Products list.
Importing
When you import a spreadsheet, any row without a quantity is brought in as 0 in stock.
That means those products are not for sale until you set a quantity. It's the safe default: if you sell one-off pieces, second-hand goods or collectables, the alternative would let a customer order five of something you have one of.
The Preview screen tells you this per row before anything is saved, so you'll see it coming. If your products aren't stock-controlled at all, map a quantity column, or set quantities afterwards with Edit products on the Products list.
Updating products you already sell? A row with no quantity leaves that product's stock as it is — only new products come in at 0 — so you can re-import to change prices without touching stock.
How customers choose a quantity
On a product page a shopper gets a quantity selector when there's more than one available, and it stops at the number you actually have. When you're down to 10 or fewer, it says Only 3 left (or however many). If only one is left, there's no selector — just Add to cart, which is the honest control for a one-off.
They can also change the quantity in the basket, and the + stops at your stock level there too.
Want to sell set quantities at set prices — three for $24, say? Open the product's Variants tab and use Quantity pricing (all colours). The shopper then picks from your quantities instead of using the selector.
When something sells out
By default a sold-out product stays on your shop. It's marked Sold out, and customers can ask to be emailed when it's back (on the Standard plan and above). That's usually what you want: the page keeps its place in search results, and the people who wanted it tell you so.
If you sell one-off stock, that isn't what you want — a card or a piece that's gone is gone, and the listing is dead weight.
Settings → Branding → Sold-out products has a switch: Hide sold-out products from my shop. Tick it and click Save branding, and sold-out items disappear from your catalogue, your home page, your brand pages, the You might also like, Customers also bought and Recently viewed rows, and from search engines.
Two things to know before you flip it:
- Shoppers browsing your shop won't come across those products, so they won't see the email me when it's back prompt either.
- The product's own page still works, so any link you've shared, or an ad you're running, doesn't break.
It's off unless you turn it on, and you can turn it back off at any time.
A quick guide
| You sell | Count stock? | Hide when sold out? |
|---|---|---|
| One-off pieces, collectables, second-hand | Yes | Yes |
| Goods you re-order | Yes | No — let people ask to be told |
| Made to order, print on demand, services | No | Not applicable |
Not sure which fits you? Ask us — happy to look at your catalogue with you.