How It Works

Six steps from chaos to clarity

Inventra turns stock-taking into a guided, repeatable workflow. Here is exactly what happens from install to your first finalized count.

Shopify is the database

Every piece of state lives in Shopify metafields, inventory objects, or product tags. Nothing external, nothing to sync.

Session-based workflow

Each stock-take is a self-contained session: snapshot, count, finalize, release. Structured and repeatable every time.

Multi-location counting

Showroom, warehouse, garage — each counted independently so you always know where stock actually sits.

01

Install & configure

Add Inventra from the Shopify App Store. On first launch it auto-creates the metafield definitions it needs — no manual setup, no migration scripts.

  • One-click install from the Shopify App Store
  • Metafield definitions created automatically on first load
  • Works with your existing products and variants immediately
  • No external databases or third-party accounts required
Step 01 illustration
02

Tag products to a session

Group the products you want to count by adding a session tag (e.g. Inventra-session-1). Only tagged products participate in the stock-take.

  • Tag products in Shopify Admin or via bulk actions
  • Each session is isolated — run multiple sessions in parallel
  • Omit individual variants with the inventra_omit flag
  • Session tags keep a permanent audit trail
Step 02 illustration
03

Snapshot your baseline

Click "Run Snapshot" to capture the current Shopify inventory into each variant's metafield. This becomes your starting reference point.

  • Captures current_qty from Shopify's official inventory levels
  • Initializes every location counter to zero
  • Sets all variant statuses to pending
  • Batched writes — handles hundreds of variants in seconds
Step 03 illustration
04

Count by location

Walk through each storage area — showroom, warehouse, garage — and tap in the quantities you see on the shelf. Status updates automatically.

  • Dedicated counter modal with large touch-friendly buttons
  • Each location is tracked independently (count + counted flag)
  • Status moves to in-progress as soon as any count is entered
  • Real-time save — every tap writes directly to Shopify metafields
Step 04 illustration
05

Finalize the session

Once every variant is marked done, finalize to lock in the numbers. Inventra aggregates counts per product and tags them by location.

  • Completion gate — finalize is blocked until all variants are done
  • Products auto-tagged by location (e.g. Inventra-locations-showroom)
  • Garage alerts flag products stored in non-standard areas
  • All workflow state preserved for audit purposes
Step 05 illustration
06

Release & repeat

Release the session to reset counters and remove session tags. Your baseline snapshot and last-done timestamps are preserved — ready for the next count.

  • Resets all variants to pending with zeroed counters
  • Removes session-specific tags while keeping location tags
  • Preserves historical data (current_qty, last_done)
  • Start a fresh session whenever you need one
Step 06 illustration

The complete lifecycle

Every session follows the same predictable path. No surprises, no missed steps.

01
Install
02
Tag
03
Snapshot
04
Count
05
Finalize
06
Release

Ready to try it yourself?

Install Inventra and run your first session in minutes. Your Shopify inventory stays the single source of truth.

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