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# 📦 Inventory/stock synchronization : how does it work?

You can synchronize your Inventory with Airtable thanks to SyncBase. This topic explains how it works.

# Overview

* Inventory data is available in your `Variants` table.
* Each Shopify location is represented by a dedicated column, named `Location: {your location name}`.

||| SyncBase syncs any column in the `Variants` table whose name starts with `Stock available in:`. If you add your own custom (non-synced) column to this table, make sure its name does not start with `Stock available in:`, otherwise SyncBase may try to sync it as an inventory location.
 
# Updating inventory from Airtable (Variants tab)

|| Each location you create can be found within the Variants tab call Stock available in {name of your location}

__To update stock levels directly in Airtable__:

1. **Check your Shopify settings.**

Make sure *Inventory tracking* is enabled for each Variant, and that the location is activated. This only needs to be done once in Shopify.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/3/5/e/8/35e84c43b53ca800/syncbase-help-center-image_1uaiucr.png =700x415)

2. **Go to your `Variants` tab.** Find the variant and the column for the location you want to update.
3. **Update the value.**

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/3/5/e/8/35e84c43b53ca800/syncbase-help-center-image_m1opsv.png =700x331)
✅ That’s it—SyncBase will push the new stock level to Shopify instantly.


# Updating inventory from Shopify

Inventory changes made in Shopify (via manual update, sales, or transfers) are **instantly reflected** in your Airtable base.

No manual refresh needed — SyncBase keeps it up to date in real time.


# Adding a new location

__To add a new inventory location and sync it__:

1. In your **Shopify Admin**, go to **Settings > Locations**.
2. Click **Add location** and complete the setup.
3. Open any product in Shopify and add a quantity at this new location.
4. SyncBase will automatically detect it and create a new column in Airtable.

✅ Done! You can now track and edit stock levels for this location directly from Airtable.


||| ⚠️ If a location's columns in the `Variants` tab are completely empty (no value at all, not even 0s), this means no inventory has ever been synced for that location. In most cases, the location has not been activated for that product in Shopify yet. 


# Special Case: New products created from Airtable and inventory tracking in multiple locations 


If your Shopify store has **several locations** and you create a new product from Airtable's `Products` table, Shopify only activates inventory tracking on one location by default — the others need to be activated before they can receive stock updates. This is a known limitation of the **Shopify API**.

__Easiest fix — activate a location straight from Airtable__:

1. Go to your **`Variants`** tab and find the variant.
2. Find the column for the location you want to activate (e.g. `Stock available in: Paris`).
3. Enter a value (even `0`).

✅ SyncBase auto-activates the location on that product in Shopify and syncs the value. Repeat for every location the product should track.

👉 [How to create a new product from Airtable with SyncBase](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-new-product-from-airtable-with-syncbase-u5ore0/)


# Your Inventory is not syncing as expected?

|| Good to know: SyncBase only reflects changes made in Airtable or Shopify. It never modifies inventory by itself. 

Why are the inventory numbers not correct? A common cause: a change was made in Airtable but **never actually synced to Shopify** due to an error in the stock adjustment workflow. When a later Shopify update (order, return, manual change) syncs back to Airtable correctly, it appears to "overwrite" the never synced Airtable edit — but SyncBase was working correctly the whole time. This is how you can debug:


### 1. Test a manual change
Edit a `Stock available in {location}` value directly in the `Variants` table in Airtable (no automation). Check if it updates in Shopify within a few seconds.

### 2. Check the Last Successful Update column
This timestamp shows when SyncBase last pushed a change for that record. Did it update? 

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/3/5/e/8/35e84c43b53ca800/screenshot-2026-06-08-at-15364_1512hok.jpg =700x355)

### 3. Fix the root cause
* **Manual edit worked** → the issue is in your Airtable Automation or workflow. Review and correct it.
* **Manual edit did not sync** → contact us via the in-app live chat and we'll investigate directly.