Adjustments let you record ad-hoc stock changes with a reason code — damage, shrinkage, found inventory, data correction — without running a full count. Every adjustment is logged with who made it, when, and why.
When to Use an Adjustment
Use an adjustment when the change is small, targeted, and has a specific cause:
A unit was damaged in the stockroom
You found stock that was miscounted
A customer return was processed outside of Shopify
You need to correct a typo in on-hand without running a full count
Shrinkage has been confirmed after a physical check
For anything larger — reconciling a whole section of the store, counting a category after receiving a delivery — use an Inventory Count instead.
Creating an Adjustment
From the Inventory page, click any variant to open its drawer, then click Adjust.
Delta — the change in units (positive to add, negative to remove)
Location — which Shopify location the change applies to
Reason — pick from the reason codes (Damage, Shrinkage, Correction, Found, Return, Other)
Notes — optional free-text explanation
Save, and the change posts to Shopify immediately at the chosen location.
Reason Codes
Reason codes are what make adjustments useful versus just editing on-hand directly. They let you run the Adjustments Audit report and see patterns — e.g. “damage is concentrated in these three SKUs” or “this location has more shrinkage than the others.”
Viewing the Adjustments Audit
Go to Reports > Adjustments Audit to see every adjustment across your account, with filters for date range, location, reason, and user. See Reports for details.
Adjustment vs Count vs Direct Edit
Three ways to change on-hand, each with a different purpose:
Direct edit (the on-hand field in the drawer) — fast, no reason recorded. Use for quick fixes where you don’t need an audit trail.
Adjustment — records a reason and appears in the audit report. Use when the why matters.
Inventory count — full session with scanning, expected vs counted reconciliation, and a committed delta per item. Use when you’re reconciling many items at once.
When in doubt, prefer an adjustment over a direct edit — the extra reason code makes future analysis much easier.