What Is the Shopify Variant Inventory Policy?
Understand what Shopify's variant inventory policy is, how it affects your inventory management, and the way it impacts your store’s overall functionality and customer experience.
Updated November 20, 2024
Efficient inventory management is essential for keeping your Shopify store running smoothly, especially as your sales grow. Understanding Shopify's variant inventory policy and learning how to handle product variants can help streamline operations and maintain accurate stock levels.
Using a CSV file to upload your products' data is one option, but by doing so, you must ensure that you follow Shopify's CSV structure requirements for the inventory variant policy. This option is also effective if you share product information between Shopify and another system.
» Enhance your inventory adaptability as you grow. Learn more about advanced inventory management techniques for your expanding Shopify store
Understanding Shopify's Variant Inventory Policy
Shopify's variant inventory policy dictates what happens when you run out of a specific product variation, like a certain size or color.
You have two choices:
- Deny: This is the default setting. When a variant reaches zero inventory, customers won't be able to add it to their cart. Instead, they'll see an "Out of Stock" message.
- Continue: If you turn this option on, customers can still add the out-of-stock variant to their cart. This allows for backorders, but it also means you risk overselling and facing fulfillment issues.
» Learn how to handle out-of-stock products. Find tips for managing inventory under Shopify's variant inventory policy
Benefits of Shopify’s Variant Inventory Policy
- Better inventory control: Shopify’s variant inventory policy allows you to set clear rules for handling out-of-stock items. This helps you avoid overselling and ensures customers only purchase what is available.
- Improved customer experience: By showing accurate stock statuses, you reduce the risk of customer frustration. Whether denying sales of out-of-stock items or enabling backorders, the policy ensures customers have clear expectations.
- Backorder management: Enabling the “Continue” option lets you accept orders for out-of-stock items, which can help maintain sales during inventory delays. This is especially useful for high-demand products.
- Optimized store presentation: Pairing the policy with tools like Out-of-Stock Police ensures your store remains organized. In-stock items appear prominently, making it easier for customers to find what they want without sifting through unavailable products.
Egnition | Out-of-Stock Police
Effectively manage out-of-stock products to streamline inventory and boost sales.
» Explore our detailed guide for more comprehensive instructions on setting products as "Out of Stock" in Shopify
How to Use Shopify's Variant Inventory Policy
The variant inventory policy determines the store's behavior when a product variation (such as a specific size or color) reaches zero stock. You can set this manually in the product editor or in bulk using a CSV file.
A. Setting the Policy Manually (In Shopify Admin)
Follow these steps for direct control over an individual product or variant:
Step 1: Head to Products: In your Shopify Admin, go to Products and make sure that you’re in the All products tab.
Step 2: Select the Product: Click on the specific product you want to configure.
Step 3: Find the Variant: Scroll down to the Variants section.
Step 4: Click on a specific variant to expand its details.
Step 5: In the Inventory section, look for the track quantity toggle.
Step 6: Toggle on to Inventory tracked if you have unlimited stock (like made-to-order cakes).
Step 7: Toggle off to Inventory not tracked if you want Shopify to track inventory for this variant.
Step 8: Plus, expand the section to see the "Continue selling when out of stock" checkbox.
Step 9: Uncheck "Continue selling when out of stock" to stop sales at zero (recommended).
Step 10: Check it to allow backorders/overselling.
Step 11: Click Save.
Method B: Setting the Policy in Bulk (Using a CSV File)
When using a CSV file to upload or update product data, you must follow Shopify's structure requirements to set the policy for variants in bulk.
- Prepare the CSV File: Ensure your CSV file includes the necessary columns to identify the variants (e.g., Handle, Title, Option 1 Name, Option 1 Value).
- Identify the Policy Column: Locate the column named Variant Inventory Policy.
- Enter the Policy Value: For each variant row, enter one of the following exact string values:
- To Deny Sales: Enter deny
- To Continue Sales (Allow Overselling): Enter continue
- Specify Fulfillment: Ensure the Variant Fulfillment Service column is also correctly set:
- For manual fulfillment, enter manual
- Otherwise, enter the name of your third-party fulfillment service
- Upload the CSV: Upload the completed CSV file to your Shopify Admin to apply the policies to all specified variants simultaneously.
» Keep your store tidy and efficient. Follow these easy steps to hide out-of-stock variants in Shopify
Push Your Out-of-Stock Items to the Bottom
Managing out-of-stock situations goes beyond just the basic policy setting. You can enhance the way you handle these situations with a dedicated app that specializes in the visibility management of out-of-stock items.
Out-of-Stock Police, can help you keep your store's collection pages neat, organized, and SEO-friendly by automatically pushing your out-of-stock products to the bottom.
Out-of-Stock Police puts the items you have in stock right up front. That way, shoppers won't get annoyed seeing a bunch of sold-out products first. This software can help you:
- Automatically manage your sold-out products in real time
- Get alerted via email or in-app when supplies are running low or out
- Avoid losing organic traffic by strategically hiding out-of-stock items
» Considering hiding out-of-stock items? Explore whether this strategy is right for your Shopify store
Learn more about how Egnition's Out-of-Stock Police can effectively manage sold-out products:
Leverage Smart Inventory Management for Shopify Success
Staying on top of your Shopify inventory is key to keeping your store running smoothly and your customers happy. By understanding how to upload product variants in bulk and mastering Shopify's variant inventory policy, you'll be well on your way to inventory management success. Plus, maintaining accurate stock levels and clear inventory policies helps keep customers coming back to your store.
And remember, when it comes to handling out-of-stock items, you've got options. Using a dedicated app like Out-of-Stock Police can help you keep your collection pages looking fresh and user-friendly while also giving your SEO a boost.
» Improve your e-commerce SEO. Discover strategies for managing out-of-stock products effectively
