# Set product safety stock for Shopify
URL: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000064-set-product-safety-stock-for-shopify
Canonical: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000064-set-product-safety-stock-for-shopify
Markdown: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000064-set-product-safety-stock-for-shopify.md
Updated: 2026-10-20

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.starshipit.com/llms.txt).

> Keep a product buffer out of Shopify availability without changing warehouse stock, using individual, bulk or CSV updates in WMS.

Use **Safety stock** on a WMS product to keep a buffer out of Shopify's available quantity. Your physical warehouse stock and picking allocations stay unchanged.

## Before you begin

* You need permission to manage products and access to the whole WMS account. Client-scoped users cannot change safety stock.
* Import or link the product from the correct Shopify store so WMS knows which listing to update.
* For the buffer to take effect, select a **Writeback Location** and enable **Auto Writeback** and **Location buckets** for that store under **System > Settings > Connections & Integrations > Inventory Writeback**. See [Configure Shopify inventory writeback](/articles/14700000000018-set-up-shopify-with-starshipit-wms#configure-shopify-inventory-writeback). Changing these settings requires permission to manage settings.
* In the product's **Integrations > Writeback Preferences**, leave **Disable Shopify writeback for this SKU** unselected. Products marked **On pre-order** pause inventory writeback, including safety-stock updates.
* To verify delivery, you or a colleague need permission to view **Process Logs** and access to the matching Shopify product and location.

The buffer applies to Shopify destinations with **Location buckets** enabled. It does not change inventory sent to other platforms. You can save values through bulk editing or CSV before a destination is ready, but they take effect only when the writeback requirements are met.

## Understand the buffer

WMS calculates eligible Shopify availability using sellable stock and pending and released order demand, then subtracts the product's safety-stock buffer. The result cannot be lower than zero. This demand check also applies when your usual inventory update timing is shipment-only.

For example, if a product has 20 units of eligible availability and **Safety stock** is `3`, WMS caps its Shopify available quantity at 17. It does not remove three units from the warehouse or reserve them against a pick job.

| Value | Result |
| --- | --- |
| A positive whole number | Deducts that many of the product's selling units from eligible Shopify availability. |
| `0` | Removes the buffer deduction. Normal stock, order demand and Shopify commitments still apply. |
| Blank | Keeps the existing setting. A product with no configured value has no product safety-stock buffer. |

The **Safety Stock** columns in **Products** and **Inventory** show the configured buffer. WMS **On hand** and **Available** retain their normal meanings; this buffer affects Shopify writeback rather than those warehouse figures.

## Set safety stock for one product

1. Go to **Products** and find the SKU.
2. Select the product name or its **Edit** action.
3. Open the **Inventory** tab.
4. Enter a whole number of zero or more in **Safety stock**, using the product's selling units.
5. Select **Save changes**.
6. Reopen the product and confirm the saved value, then [check the Shopify result](#verify-the-shopify-result).

The individual field is disabled when its Shopify writeback requirements are not met. Follow the message beneath the field to enable the required store or product setting.

To remove an existing buffer, enter `0` and save. Deleting the number and leaving the field blank preserves the previous value.

## Set safety stock for several products

1. Go to **Products** and select the intended SKUs using the row checkboxes.
2. Select **Bulk Edit**.
3. Enter the buffer in **Safety stock**. The same number is applied in each selected product's selling units.
4. Leave other fields unchanged unless you also intend to update them.
5. Select **Apply Updates**.
6. Review the result and check the saved values before verifying Shopify.

Leave **Safety stock** blank to preserve each product's value, or enter `0` to remove the buffer deduction from all selected products.

## Update safety stock by CSV

1. In **Products**, select **Export all products (CSV)** to start from the current product data.
2. Keep the rows for the SKUs you intend to update and retain the exported values in the other columns.
3. Enter each buffer in the `safetyStock` column. Use whole selling units, `0` to remove the buffer deduction, or blank to preserve the saved value.
4. Select **Import CSV** and import the completed file.
5. Wait for the import to finish, review the created and updated totals and any reported errors, then reopen the affected products to check their saved values.

Other CSV columns have their own blank-value rules, so preserve values you do not intend to change. See the [Product CSV reference](/articles/14700000000041-import-and-export-wms-data-by-csv#product-csv) for the full schema and import limits.

## Verify the Shopify result

Saving a configured buffer queues updates for eligible linked Shopify destinations. The product can save successfully before Shopify finishes processing the update.

1. Confirm the product's saved **Safety stock** value.
2. Go to **System > Process Logs** and check that the Shopify writeback completed for the SKU and intended destination.
3. In Shopify, open the matching variant at the configured location and check its **Available** quantity against current stock, order demand and the buffer.

If you need to reconcile the quantity, [run a manual inventory sync](/articles/14700000000018-set-up-shopify-with-starshipit-wms#run-a-manual-inventory-sync). Its confirmation preview can be higher than the final quantity because the buffer is applied during writeback. Check the completed result in Shopify.

Shopify's own safety-stock bucket can differ from the configured WMS buffer because reconciliation also accounts for live commitments. Verify sellable availability rather than expecting those two safety-stock numbers to match exactly.

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | What to check |
| --- | --- |
| **Safety stock** is disabled | Read the field's message. Check **Auto Writeback**, **Location buckets** and the product's Shopify writeback preference. If settings could not load, refresh and try again. |
| You cannot save a value | Use a non-negative whole number, up to `2147483647`. Ask an administrator to check your product-management permission and client scope. |
| The value saved but Shopify did not change | Check the product's Shopify link, selected location, store settings and writeback preference. **On pre-order** pauses writeback. Review **System > Process Logs** for a skipped or failed update. |
| Clearing the field did not remove the buffer | Enter `0`, save, and verify the completed Shopify update. Blank preserves the saved value. |
| Shopify availability is lower than the preview | Check pending and released demand, the product buffer and current Shopify commitments. The manual preview is not the final safety-stock result. |

If a writeback fails, resolve the reported link, location or provider error before syncing again. Contact Starshipit Support with the SKU, store, location, approximate time and process-log result if it continues to fail.

## FAQ

<!-- faq:start -->

<!-- faq:question -->How do units of measure and bundles affect safety stock?<!-- /faq:question -->

Enter the buffer in the units sold by that product. For a carton SKU, a buffer of `2` means two cartons, not two individual units. Configure related parent or child SKUs separately; the value is not inherited.

For an exploding bundle, set the buffer on the linked bundle parent to reduce that bundle's component-derived availability. A component's buffer does not automatically apply to its bundle parents. See [Sync exploding bundle availability to Shopify](/articles/14700000000048-sync-exploding-bundle-availability-to-shopify).

<!-- faq:question -->Can I use a different buffer for each Shopify store?<!-- /faq:question -->

The setting belongs to the WMS product. The same configured buffer applies to each eligible Shopify destination linked to that product.

<!-- faq:end -->

## Related articles

* [Configure WMS products and inventory](/articles/14700000000006-configure-wms-products-and-inventory)
* [Manage pre-order products in WMS](/articles/14700000000063-manage-pre-order-products-in-wms)