Troubleshooting Incorrect Inventory Levels in Stock Sync

If Stock Sync is not reflecting the correct inventory levels in your store, the issue is typically caused by how products are identified, how locations are configured, or how the feed is processed. Below are the most common reasons and how to resolve them.

1. Product Identifier Issues (Handle or SKU Changes)

Stock Sync relies on a unique identifier to match products during updates. Depending on your setup, this may be the handle or the SKU.

Handle Used as Identifier

If your Add feed uses the handle as the identifier, any changes to the handle in Shopify will cause Stock Sync to treat the product as new, resulting in duplicates.

Symptom: Duplicate items keep appearing even though they represent the same product.

Fix:

• Do not change the handle in Shopify.
• Make sure the identifier field in the feed (handle or SKU) remains consistent.
• If the handle was edited, delete the affected products and reimport them.

2. Product Not Assigned to the Correct Inventory Location

If a product is not stocked at the location mapped in Stock Sync, quantity updates will not apply.

Symptom: The feed shows the correct quantity, but Shopify does not update.

Fix:

• In Shopify, assign the product to the correct location used by the feed.
• In Stock Sync, go to Step 2 → Matching Column → Quantity → Smart Settings → Location and confirm the location matches your Shopify settings.

3. Caching Issues for Frequently‑Running Feeds

If a feed runs very frequently (for example, every hour), cached data may cause outdated quantity values to be used.

Fix:

• Contact support to disable caching for that specific feed profile.

4. Duplicates Caused by SKU Movement

If the SKU originally appears only in the description and later is moved into the actual SKU field, Stock Sync may no longer recognize the product and may create a new one.

Fix:

• Ensure the SKU exists in the correct SKU field before importing.
• Reimport products after the SKU is properly placed.

5. Incorrect or Missing Mapping

Incorrect quantity mapping, missing fields, or misconfigured smart settings can prevent the correct stock values from being applied.

Fix:

• Double‑check all mappings in Step 2: Matching Column.
• Use Preview Sync to confirm what Stock Sync will update.

6. Supplier Feed Not Providing Stock for a Given Location

If the feed indicates stock only at certain locations, but your Shopify product is set to a different one, updates will not appear.

Fix:

• Verify the feed’s location settings against supplier data.
• Adjust Smart Settings → Location accordingly.

Recovering From Incorrect Stock Caused by Supplier Feed Changes

If a supplier feed pushes incorrect quantities (such as setting all items to out of stock), Stock Sync cannot automatically revert to a previous day's inventory. However, you can restore quantities manually using a prior change log:

• Download the change log from a previous successful sync
• Create a new Update feed using the Upload File connection
• Upload the downloaded change log
• Map the Quantity field to Before Qty in Step 2

This allows you to roll back stock levels to a previous state.

Additional scenarios that may prevent accurate stock updates:

• The feed file may fail to load due to an incorrect or non‑standard row separator. This can only be corrected from the backend, so contact support if the file is not being read despite correct settings.
• If products should be set to 0 or archived when removed from the feed, ensure Out of Stock strategy is enabled and "Remove feed-to archived discontinued products" is turned on.
• If the feed was previously failing to load or connect, clearing the feed cache may resolve the issue.
• A quantity field mapped to the wrong column (for example, mapping to "Totals" instead of "Total:") will prevent updates.

Summary

Incorrect inventory updates are usually caused by:

• Changing the identifier (handle or SKU)
• Location mismatch
• Cached feed data
• Incorrect mapping
• SKU placement changing after import
• The feed file containing the wrong quantity (for example, supplier file only shows a max value such as 20)
• Scheduled runs pulling an outdated or archived file from SFTP instead of the latest version
• Prefix removal rules not matching SKUs as expected, causing Stock Sync to map to the wrong product

Additionally, ensure:

• The Shopify inventory policy is not manually modified, as this can prevent Stock Sync updates.
• Inventory tracking is enabled for the product; otherwise quantities will not update and may show as “not tracked”.
• If multiple variants share the same SKU, Stock Sync will update all those variants to the same quantity. If each variant should track stock independently, ensure each has a unique SKU.

Following the steps above should resolve most issues. If the problem continues, contact support with:

• Your feed name
• A sample SKU
• A sample SKU
• A screenshot of your Shopify product’s inventory section
• Your mapping settings

This will help identify the root cause quickly.

Updated on: 06/07/2026