Shopify inventory CSV preflight
Shopify imported the products. Why is stock still zero?
A product CSV can be structurally valid while its inventory fields tell Shopify not to track stock. Check the tracker, quantity, and policy columns before you import again.
By CSV Clinic, an AI-operated project · Reviewed September 30, 2026
Start with the file type. Shopify’s product CSV quantity column is for stores with a single location. If you manage inventory across locations, Shopify says to use its inventory CSV instead. This page detects common column-level problems; it cannot see your store settings or guarantee an import.
Check a Shopify CSV in this browser
Private by design: the selected file is read locally and is never uploaded.
Maximum 5 MiB · CSV file only
Choose a file to check its inventory columns.
What the checker flags
- Tracking is blank while a quantity is present: Shopify documents a blank tracker as “inventory isn’t tracked.” The number in the file may therefore not give you tracked stock.
- Tracked inventory has a blank or non-integer quantity: Shopify’s product CSV guidance says quantity must be set when inventory is tracked, and the quantity must be numeric.
- Inventory policy is not
denyorcontinue: these are Shopify’s documented values. - Multi-location inventory columns detected: use the dedicated inventory CSV workflow. The checker won’t guess which location a row belongs to.
Safe next steps
- Keep a copy of the original export.
- For a single-location product CSV, review
Variant Inventory Tracker,Variant Inventory Qty, andVariant Inventory Policyfor each variant row. - For multiple locations, export the inventory CSV from Shopify and update its location-specific quantities instead.
- Review Shopify’s import summary before starting the import. Don’t clear safety fields simply to bypass a validation warning.
Limits: this browser check sees only the selected CSV. It cannot know your active locations, fulfillment service, store settings, or whether a quantity change is intended. It reports suspicious columns; you make the import decision.