Before you update Shopify
On hand (current) and On hand (new) do different jobs
You open Shopify's All states Inventory CSV and see two similar columns. One records the quantity at export time. The other is where you enter the quantity you want Shopify to set. Mixing them up can lead to a rejected stale update or an unintended quantity change.
Compare my count with Shopify →
Current is the snapshot; new is the proposed set quantity
On hand (current) records the on-hand quantity in the export. On hand (new) is the quantity to set when you import. It is not a change amount: if current is 12 and new is 7, the intended result is 7, a decrease of 5.
| On hand (current) | On hand (new) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 7 | Set quantity to 7 if Shopify's safety validation accepts the row |
| 12 | 12 | No quantity difference; no update is needed |
| 12 | 0 | Set quantity to zero; use only when zero is intended |
| 12 | blank | Leave the quantity unchanged |
| Not stocked | 5 | Set the quantity to 5 at that location, if the row is valid |
The current value is a snapshot, not a live connection
If the live Shopify quantity changes after export, CountAlign cannot see that change. Shopify's inventory CSV import compares On hand (current) with the current level during import; when a level has changed, the affected row fails validation and Shopify provides details about the failed row.
What CountAlign preserves
CountAlign retains the supplied On hand (current) snapshot and fills On hand (new) only for eligible, reviewed count differences. It does not query Shopify, confirm that the snapshot is still current, import the CSV, or guarantee Shopify will accept it. Shopify's import validation is the final check.
Review the change before you upload
- Confirm the file is Shopify's All states Inventory CSV, not a Product CSV or Available-only export.
- For each proposed update, compare current, counted, and new as separate values.
- Check blanks, explicit zeros, duplicates, and the exact location. Keep the original export available.
- Upload through Products > Inventory and review Shopify's import summary before starting the import.