Documentation
Shopify variant inventory policy
Learn how Variant Inventory Policy works in Shopify product CSVs (deny vs continue), how it differs from inventory tracker, and how to set it correctly before import.
Variant Inventory Policy controls whether a Shopify variant can still be purchased when available inventory reaches zero. It is a required concept for clean product CSV imports — and one of the most common sources of Admin validation errors.
deny vs continue
| Policy | Checkout when qty is 0 | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
deny | Block purchase | Standard retail catalog |
continue | Allow purchase | Preorders, made-to-order, backorders |
Shopify expects these exact English values in CSV uploads. Localized text will not work.
Policy vs tracker vs quantity
These columns are related but not the same:
| Column | Role |
|---|---|
Variant Inventory Qty | How many units are available |
Variant Inventory Policy | What happens at zero stock (deny / continue) |
Variant Inventory Tracker | Whether Shopify tracks inventory (shopify or blank for untracked) |
A file can have correct quantities and still fail import if policy is missing or invalid. See Fix "inventory policy is not included in the list".
How Import Ready handles it
Import Ready maps Shopify headers automatically:
Variant Inventory Policy→ Inventory PolicyVariant Inventory Tracker→ Inventory TrackerVariant Inventory Qty→ Stock Qty
In preview you can:
- Edit policy per row with a select control (
deny/continue) - Bulk edit policy across filtered SKUs
- Validate invalid values before export
- Include policy and tracker in the Shopify product CSV
Recommended defaults
- Use
denyunless you intentionally oversell - Keep tracker as
shopifyfor normal tracked inventory - Use
dont_trackin Import Ready when the variant should not be inventory-tracked (exported as a blank tracker cell for Shopify)