What this app does
Four tools that hand work to each other. You do not need all of them on day one — start by counting.
The first three sections — this one, Setting up and Your first count — are everything you need to count a shelf and correct Shopify. About ten minutes.
Everything after that is reference. Come back to it when you need it, or use the boxes at the top to jump straight to a job.
| Tool | What it is for | What it does to Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Stock takes | Count what is really on your shelves | Replaces the quantity with your count |
| Deliveries | Check a supplier's boxes before they become stock | Adds what you received |
| Transfers | Move stock between your own locations | Moves it from one to the other |
| Reorder points | Get told what is running low | Nothing — it writes a draft order for you |
Counting never changes your Shopify stock. Everything you scan or type is held inside this app until somebody deliberately presses the button that applies it — and that button always tells you how many items will change before it does anything.
Which means a miscount is not a disaster. Fix a number, recount a shelf, or throw the whole count away. Shopify never knew.
Two places, one app
Almost everything exists in both places, and they are the same data — start a count on a computer and finish it on a phone if you like.
| Where | What you do there |
|---|---|
| Shopify admin on a computer | Set things up, create counts, review differences, approve changes |
| Shopify POS phone or tablet | The actual counting, scanning and unpacking, on the shop floor |
Throughout this guide, Admin and POS tell you which one a step happens in.
What you need
- A Shopify store with locations set up, and stock tracked on the products you want to count
- Shopify POS on a phone or tablet, signed in to the location being counted
- Admin access to your store, to install the app and set it up
A barcode scanner is optional — the device camera works, and so does a paired scanner gun. The app listens for both from the moment a count opens.
Setting up
Three things have to be true before your staff can update Shopify stock from a POS device. The app's Dashboard tracks all three and ticks them off as you go.
Until you set a manager passcode, POS refuses to change stock. Not a bug — on purpose. The app would rather stop a staff member than let an unsupervised device rewrite your inventory.
It also blocks finishing a count, not just applying one. So without a passcode your staff can scan a whole shop and then be refused at the last screen. Set it first.
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Set a manager passcode Admin
Go to Settings → POS access → Manager passcode and press Set passcode. Four to eight digits.
This is what your staff type on the device whenever something irreversible is about to happen: finishing a count, applying it, adding a delivery to Shopify, or adjusting a product.
Settings is where you decide what staff are allowed to do on POS. The manager passcode lives under POS access. -
Add the tiles to your POS POS
On a POS device: ≡ More → Settings → Customize home screen → Add tile → Apps, then add the tiles you want — Stock Take, Deliveries, Transfers.
This step ticks itself once something arrives from a real device.
Once added, the tiles sit on your POS home screen. Staff never need the admin. -
Run a count and apply it POS
Count one shelf, finish it, apply it. That last step is the one that corrects Shopify — and doing it once end to end is the fastest way to understand the whole app.
It is write-only. Nothing in the app can show it back to you, and changing or removing it needs the current one. There is no reset and no email recovery — write it down somewhere safe.
Five wrong attempts within fifteen minutes locks the whole shop out for a few minutes, not just that one device. A correct entry clears it immediately.
Your first count
Start small. Pick one shelf — one supplier's products, or one product type — rather than the whole shop. Ten minutes, and it teaches you the entire flow.
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Start the count POS
Tap the Stock Take tile, then Start a new count.
Under “What do you want to count?” choose One vendor and type a supplier's name exactly as it appears on your products. Name the count if you like — otherwise it is named with today's date.
Choosing One vendor instead of everything is what makes this a ten-minute job rather than an all-day one. -
Count the shelf POS
Scan each item with a scanner gun, or tap Scan with camera. Every scan adds one.
No barcode? Type part of the name into Search name, barcode or SKU and enter the figure in the Counted box.
Shelf empty? Tap None on shelf — that records a real zero, which is different from leaving the row alone.
Each row shows the product picture, what Shopify has, and a box for what you found. The badge on the right tells you at a glance whether a row has been counted. -
Finish counting POS
Tap Finish counting. The screen tells you how many items were counted and how many were not, and reminds you to make sure everyone counting has finished.
Nothing has reached Shopify yet. Finishing only closes the count to further scanning. -
Apply it to Shopify POS
Choose Leave uncounted items alone — the safe option, and the right one for a first count.
Enter your manager passcode. The confirmation names how many items will change. Confirm, and Shopify is updated.
This is the only screen in the whole app that changes your Shopify stock — and it always tells you how many items it will touch first. -
Check it in the admin Admin
Open the app in your Shopify admin, go to Stock takes, and open the count. Every line shows what Shopify had, what you counted, and the difference.
That is the whole loop. Everything else in this guide is a variation on it.
Counting on POS
Everything the counting screen can do.
Three ways to count
| Method | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Scanner gun | Just scan. The screen listens from the moment it opens — no button to press first. | Fastest for a long shelf |
| Camera | Tap Scan with camera. It closes itself after each scan and shows you what it counted — tap Scan next to carry on. | When there is no gun to hand |
| Type it | Search the name, then use the Counted box. | Twelve identical shirts; missing barcodes |
Do not scan it twelve times — type 12 into the Counted box. Faster, and no risk of a lens reading the same label twice.
What you see after each scan
A scan counts straight away — there is nothing to tap first. The screen then shows you what it counted:
- The product picture, name and variant, so you can check it against the thing in your hand
- The number it now stands at, in a box you can type over if it is wrong
- Scan next to carry on, or Done scanning to go back to the list
Typing a new number shows a Save button that names the figure it will write. You do not have to tap it — carrying on with Scan next saves it too, so a correction is never lost.
Fix it right there. Type the correct number into the box on that screen — you do not have to find the item again in the list afterwards.
Scanned something twice by accident? Same fix: type what is actually on the shelf.
If the count was set to Scan every unit, quantities cannot be typed at all — that is the whole point of the setting, and the app will not let it be worked around.
So the screen offers Start this item again instead: it sets that product back to nothing, and you rescan the units that are really there.
If your staff need to type figures on that count, a manager can allow it from the counting screen with the manager passcode.
Counted zero is not the same as not counted
This is the distinction the whole app turns on, and the one thing worth teaching your staff.
| What it means | What happens when you apply | |
|---|---|---|
| Counted: none on shelf | Somebody walked to the shelf and it was empty | Shopify is corrected to 0 |
| Not counted | Nobody got to it | Left alone — unless you choose to zero uncounted items |
If two products share a barcode
Shopify allows it, so the app asks rather than guessing: “2 products share the barcode 5012345678900. Tap the one you scanned.” You are holding the item — you can tell them apart.
Counting with no signal
Counts are saved on the device first and sent when the connection returns. Rows update immediately either way. A device holds up to 250 pending counts.
If the screen says “Waiting for N saved count(s)”, get back into signal before closing. Those counts have not reached the server yet.
Counts from the admin
Everything you can do on a phone, you can do on a computer — plus the reviewing, which is easier on a big screen.
Creating one
Press New Stock Take, pick the location, and choose what to count.
Counts created here have “allow this stock take to be actioned and completed on POS devices” unticked by default. Leave it unticked and your staff will count the whole shelf, tap Finish, and be told the count must be finished in the admin.
They can still get through it — there is an Unlock with the manager passcode button on the device — but it is easier to tick the box now.
Reviewing a count
You can also scan straight into a count from here, using the scan bar at the top of the page — handy with a USB scanner plugged into the computer.
Changing what POS can do, mid-count
Cycle counts
Counting a section at a time, on a rota, instead of closing the shop for a full count.
There is no separate “cycle count” mode — it is simply what happens when you scope a count to part of a location. Pick a different slice each day and you are cycle counting.
| Scope | Matches | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Everything at this location | Every product stocked there | Both |
| One vendor | Products whose Vendor matches exactly | Both |
| One product type | Products whose Type matches exactly | Both |
| One tag | Products carrying that tag | Both |
| One collection | Matched by tag of the same name | Admin only |
Scope values must match what is on the product in Shopify, capitals included. Acme will not find ACME. If a count comes back empty, this is almost always why.
A rota that works
Split by whatever your shelves are actually organised by — usually vendor or product type. Count one slice a day, at the same time each day, and you get through everything in a fortnight without ever closing.
Counts are capped at 3,000 products each, which is another reason to slice rather than count everything at once.
Blind counting
Hiding Shopify's own figure from whoever is doing the counting.
Someone who can see “Shopify has 12” tends to count up to twelve and stop. They stop counting and start confirming. And anyone hiding a shortfall can simply type the number the screen already gave them.
A blind count removes the number, so what gets recorded is what is genuinely on the shelf.
| Option | Staff on POS see | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Show Shopify's quantity | Everything | You are counting your own shop |
| Hide it until the count is finished | Nothing while counting; differences appear once they finish | Most blind counts |
| Hide it completely | Nothing, ever | You want differences reviewed only in the admin |
Blind applies to POS devices only. The admin always shows every expected quantity and every difference, whichever option you pick — and nothing is written to Shopify until you approve it.
Changing it later
From the admin, in either direction, instantly. From POS you cannot change a running count's mode at all.
There is one deliberate rule when starting a count on POS: making a count blinder is always allowed, but starting a less blind count over shelves already being counted blind is refused — otherwise anyone could open a second count over the same products and read the numbers off it.
Adjust stock is unavailable at that location for anyone without the passcode. It would show the live quantity and defeat the count.
Finishing and applying
The step that actually changes Shopify.
Finishing a count closes it to further counting. It changes nothing in Shopify. Applying is separate, and always tells you how many items will change first.
What to do with items nobody counted
| Option | What happens |
|---|---|
| Leave uncounted items alone | Only counted items are corrected. Everything else is untouched. |
| Set uncounted items to zero | Every product in scope that nobody counted is set to 0. |
It zeroes everything in the count's scope that nobody touched — including shelves nobody reached before closing time, and products that failed to load properly when the count was created.
Use it only when the count genuinely covered every product in scope and you know anything not found is genuinely gone. Otherwise choose Leave uncounted items alone. There is no undo.
Reading the count
| Column | Means |
|---|---|
| Expected | What Shopify had when the count was started — a snapshot, not a live number |
| Counted | What you found |
| Discrepancy | Counted minus Expected. Positive means more on the shelf than Shopify thought. |
Expected is fixed on purpose — if it tracked live stock, the difference would move every time you sold one. If a count has been open a while, press Update from Shopify on the count page to re-read it.
The app re-reads your stock from Shopify automatically just before it writes anything, so the figures that decide the update are never stale — only the ones you are reading on screen beforehand.
Changing your mind
Reopen puts a finished count back into counting. On a count already applied, use Reopen to recount — it re-reads Shopify's quantities first, so you are counting against current numbers.
Deliveries
Checking a supplier's boxes before their contents become your stock.
Applying a delivery adds what you received to what Shopify already has. A stock take replaces the figure with your count.
Never use a stock take to record a delivery — you would wipe out everything already on the shelf.
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Create the order Admin
Purchase orders → Create purchase order. Choose the destination location and the supplier, then add products with quantities and costs.
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Place it, then ship it Admin
Place order when it goes to the supplier, Mark as shipped when they dispatch. Both are record-keeping — nothing touches Shopify.
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Count what arrived POS
Open the Deliveries tile, pick the order, and scan each item as you unpack.
Each scan counts straight away and shows you what it counted — the product picture, its name, and the number it now stands at, with what the paperwork said was ordered. Change the number there if it is wrong, then Scan next to carry on or Done scanning to go back to the list.
The camera closes itself after every scan, so you always see what was recorded rather than a viewfinder.
In the admin you can also press Receive everything if you have checked the boxes by eye.
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Add it to Shopify POS
Press Add N units to Shopify and enter the manager passcode. Only now does your stock go up.
These are two different things, and it is the most common confusion in the app. Counting a delivery in only records numbers here. An order can read received while none of it has reached Shopify.
Watch for the amber strip: “3 received units have not been added to Shopify stock yet.” That is the one that matters.
The app only ever sends what it has not sent before, so a second press does nothing. Count a delivery over two days and only the new units go across.
Receiving more than you ordered is refused unless you turn on Allow receiving more than was ordered in Settings.
Transfers
Moving stock between your own locations.
Deliberately two-ended: one location sends, the other counts what actually turned up. Shopify changes only at that second step, so stock in transit is never lost.
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Build it Admin
Transfers → Create transfer order. Pick origin and destination, then add products. You can also start one on POS with the Transfers tile.
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Send it Admin
Mark as shipped. Nothing has moved in Shopify yet.
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Count it in at the other end POS
On a device signed in to the destination, the transfer appears under Arriving for you. Scan each item as you unpack.
As with deliveries, each scan counts immediately and shows you the product and its new figure, with a box to correct it. The camera closes after every scan so you can see what was recorded.
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Move the stock POS
Confirm, and Shopify moves it: down at the origin, up at the destination, in one step.
Handled automatically — the app starts stocking it there before moving the units. Nothing to set up first.
Once any stock has moved in Shopify the transfer cannot be deleted — that would leave the movement done and no record of why. Cancel it instead, which keeps the history.
Adjust stock
Correcting one product on the spot, without running a count.
Found one broken box? Open the product on POS and use Adjust stock. Type how many are actually there, pick a reason, save.
Unlike everything else in this app, an adjustment writes to Shopify the moment you save. No draft, no review, no undo. The number you type becomes the quantity.
It is for a one-off correction. To fix a whole shelf, run a count.
Reasons ship as Damaged, Theft or loss, Miscounted, Returned to supplier and Expired. Edit them in Settings → Stock takes → Adjustment reasons, one per line. Staff can also type their own.
Worth reviewing now and then: a month of theft says move the display; a month of damaged says fix the shelving.
Reorder points
Being told what is running low, before it runs out.
Set two numbers against a product at a location: warn me at, and fill back up to. When stock drops to the first, the product appears on What needs reordering — and the app can turn that list into a draft purchase order with the quantities already worked out.
- At the shelf — open the product on POS and use Reorder point
- In bulk — the Replenishments page in the admin, or import a spreadsheet
Nothing happens automatically. No orders are placed and no emails are sent — the app builds a draft for you to review.
Low stock is measured on available stock, so units already promised to unfulfilled orders do not count as stock you have. A product can be flagged low while boxes of it sit on the shelf, reserved for orders.
Settings
Everything on the Settings page, what it does, and how it ships.
Products to leave out of counts
Some of this is handled for you. A product whose quantity Shopify does not track — a gift card, a service, a deposit, a made-to-order line — is already left out of every count. There is no number to compare a count against and Shopify refuses to have one written, so such a product could only ever be a row nobody can use. You do not have to configure anything for that.
A product that is tracked but not yet stocked at the location you are counting still appears, with an expected quantity of 0. That is deliberate: counting one and applying the count is how you start stocking it there — which is exactly what you want the first time you count a new shop.
If you would rather not see them, tag them and use the setting below.
The setting is for the judgement calls — stock you could count but have decided not to: a dropship supplier's range, consignment stock, display-only samples. Tag those products in Shopify, then put the tag in Skip products with these tags. Separate several with commas:
consignment, display-only, staff-samples
From then on, every new count leaves those products out — on POS and in the admin, without anyone having to remember.
The setting applies when a count is created. A count that is already open keeps the products it was built with, so nothing disappears from under someone who is halfway through counting.
What staff can do on POS
| Setting | Default | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Skip products with these tags | Blank | Products with any of these tags are left out of every new count |
| Start stock takes on POS | On | Whether staff can begin a count from the tile |
| Receive deliveries on POS | On | The Deliveries tile |
| Receive transfers on POS | On | The Transfers tile |
| Mark counts as complete on POS | On | Whether staff can close a count |
| Update Shopify stock from POS | On | The big one — whether a device may change your inventory at all |
Manager passcode
| Setting | Default | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Ask for a passcode before updating stock | On | Applies to finishing counts, applying them, adding deliveries, and adjustments |
Switching this off asks for the passcode first — so a device cannot switch off the control protecting it.
New counts started on POS
The defaults a count inherits when staff start one on a device. They do not affect counts created in the admin.
| Setting | Default | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Count name prefix | Stock Take | The date is added automatically |
| Scan every unit | Off | Staff scan each item rather than typing a quantity. They can still mark a shelf empty. |
| POS devices can add to the count | On | Turn off to make counts viewable on POS but editable only in the admin |
| Treat uncounted items as zero | Off | See the warning under Finishing and applying. Leave this off. |
Receiving
| Setting | Default | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Show a receive all button | On | Lets staff accept a whole delivery in one tap |
| Allow receiving more than was ordered | Off | Whether a quantity above the ordered amount is accepted |
Common questions
The things people ask before they hit a problem.
What does it cost?
Nothing. The app is free, with no trial period, no usage limits and no paid tier to upgrade to.
Do I need Shopify POS Pro?
No. Everything works on standard Shopify POS — counting, barcode scanning, deliveries and transfers included.
Do I need a barcode scanner?
No. The device camera works, and you can always search a product by name and type the quantity.
A paired scanner gun is faster on a long shelf, and the app works with one immediately — it listens from the moment a count opens, with nothing to set up.
Does it work with more than one location?
Yes. Each count belongs to one location, and a POS device counts into the location it is signed in to.
To count two shops, run one count per shop. Transfers are how stock moves between them.
Can two people count at the same time?
Yes, on separate devices, into the same count. Their scans add together — each scan means “one more of this”.
That is usually what you want. It does mean two people counting the same shelf will double it, so split the shop up between them.
Does it work without internet?
Counting does. Scans are saved on the device and sent when the signal returns, and the screen updates immediately either way.
Starting a new count and applying one both need a connection. A device holds up to 250 pending counts — get back into signal before closing the app if the screen says it is waiting.
How many products can one count hold?
3,000. If a location holds more than that, count it in slices — by vendor or product type — which is better practice anyway. See Cycle counts.
Will it change my stock without asking?
No. Counting, receiving and building transfers all stay inside this app. Shopify changes only when somebody presses the button that applies them, and that button says how many items it will touch first.
The one exception is Adjust stock, which is designed to be immediate and says so on screen before you save.
What permissions does it ask for, and why?
Four, and no more than it uses:
- Read products — to build the list of what to count
- Read locations — to know which shops you have
- Read inventory — to show what Shopify currently has
- Write inventory — to apply your counts
It asks for no access to orders, customers or payments, because it never needs them.
What happens to my data if I uninstall?
Your Shopify inventory is untouched — anything already applied stays applied, because it is your stock, not ours.
Your counts, orders and transfers inside this app are erased shortly after uninstalling, as Shopify requires. If you reinstall quickly your data is still there; leave it and it goes.
Which barcodes work?
Any format the device camera or your scanner can read — EAN-13, UPC-A, Code 128, QR and others.
What matters is that the code is in the Barcode field on the product variant in Shopify. A scan that finds nothing almost always means the barcode is not on the variant, rather than the format being unsupported.
Can I get the results out?
Yes. Every count has an Export CSV button in the admin, with product, barcode, SKU, expected, counted, difference and when it was counted.
Can I undo a count after applying it?
Not as a single undo. Applying writes real quantities to Shopify.
What you can do is Reopen to recount, which re-reads Shopify's current figures so you are counting against what is there now, then count and apply again to correct it.
This is why the safe option at the apply step is Leave uncounted items alone — see Finishing and applying.
Troubleshooting
The messages you are most likely to meet, and what each one means.
“Ask your manager to set a manager passcode…”
The passcode is required but has never been set. Go to Settings → POS access → Manager passcode → Set passcode. This is the most common thing to hit on a brand-new install — see Setting up.
“This count can only be finished in the Shopify admin”
That particular count was created with POS finishing switched off. Counts created in the admin default to this.
You do not have to walk to a computer — tap Unlock with the manager passcode on the device. Or tick the box on the create page next time.
“…is switched off for your store”
A shop-wide switch is off. Check Settings → POS access. Wording that mentions your store means the shop-wide setting; wording that mentions this count means that one count's own setting.
“No products matched this stock take”
Almost always the scope value not matching exactly — check capitals and spelling against the product in Shopify. Also check you picked the right location.
“Some products could not be loaded from Shopify”
Shopify did not return everything, usually because it was busy. The count is missing products. Review the list before counting, or delete it and create it again.
“Waiting for N saved count(s)”
The device is holding counts that have not reached the server. Get back into signal and they send themselves. Do not close the app until this clears.
“This stock take is already being applied to Shopify”
Somebody else is applying it right now, or a previous attempt is still running. Wait a moment and refresh. This exists to stop the same stock being written twice.
“Only N of X were expected”
You are receiving more than was ordered. Turn on Allow receiving more than was ordered in Settings if that is normal for your suppliers.
“A blind stock take is running at this location”
Adjust stock is unavailable while a blind count is running there, because it would show the quantity the count is hiding. A manager with the passcode can still adjust.
“Too many attempts. Try again in N minutes.”
Five wrong passcodes within fifteen minutes. It locks the whole shop briefly, not just that device. A correct entry clears it.
I have forgotten the manager passcode
There is no self-service recovery — it is stored in a form nothing can read back, which is what makes it safe. Changing or removing it needs the current one. Email us and we can clear it for you.
Two people counted the same shelf
Their counts add together, because each scan means “one more of this”. If you think a shelf was double-counted, open the count in the admin and type the correct figure before applying.
The count is finished but Shopify has not changed
Finishing and applying are two different steps. Finishing only closes the count. Open it and press Action — Update Shopify, or apply it from the device.
Glossary
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Apply / Action | The step that writes to Shopify. Nothing before it changes your stock. |
| Expected | What Shopify had when the count started. A snapshot. |
| Discrepancy | Counted minus Expected. |
| Blind count | A count where staff cannot see Shopify's figure. |
| Cycle count | Counting a section at a time on a rota, rather than everything at once. |
| Scope | Which products a count covers — everything, or one vendor / type / tag. |
| On hand | Everything physically present, including units promised to orders. |
| Available | On hand minus units committed to unfulfilled orders. |
What it does not do
Said plainly, so you can tell early whether it fits how you work.
- Nothing happens automatically. No orders are placed for you, no emails are sent, no counts are scheduled. Reorder points build a draft for you to review — they never buy anything.
- One location per count. To count two shops, run two counts.
- It does not track serial numbers, batches or expiry dates. It counts how many of a variant you have.
- It does not print barcode labels or generate barcodes for products that have none.
- It does not forecast demand. Reorder points are numbers you set, not a prediction.
- It does not connect to accounting software or push costs anywhere. Export the CSV if you need the numbers elsewhere.
Email and say so. It is genuinely useful to know — several things in the app exist because somebody wrote in about what was missing.
Card for your staff
Your staff will not read this guide. Print this bit and pin it in the stockroom.
- Open the Stock Take tile on the POS device.
- Tap the count you were asked to do, or Start a new count.
- Scan each item, or search the name and type the number.
- Shelf empty? Tap None on shelf. Do not skip it — an empty shelf and a shelf nobody checked are different things.
- Twelve of the same item? Type 12 rather than scanning twelve times.
- Finished your section? Tap Finish counting.
- If it asks for a passcode and you do not have one, stop and fetch a manager.
Nothing they do can break the stock. Counting changes nothing in Shopify until a manager approves it, so a wrong number is fixable and worth reporting rather than hiding.
If the screen says it is waiting to send counts, walk back into signal before closing the app.
Getting help
Support is by email, from the person who built the app.
That means no hold music and no first-line script — but it also means one person answering, so the more your first email contains, the faster this is over.
Before you write
Check Troubleshooting. Most refusals are the app deliberately stopping something, and the message says which setting is responsible.
What to include
| Tell us | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Your store address something.myshopify.com | Nothing can be looked up without it |
| Admin or POS | They are different screens with different rules |
| The message, word for word | Wording identifies the exact cause; a paraphrase usually does not |
| What you were doing | “Applying a count” and “finishing a count” fail for different reasons |
| A screenshot | Often answers all of the above at once |
Say so in the first line and do not apply anything else to that count meanwhile. Include the count name and roughly when it was applied. Stock problems get looked at first.