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Why Shopify stock doesn't match ShipBob (and how to find which products)

Updated 16 October 2026 · 6 min read · ShelfTrue team

If your Shopify inventory doesn't seem to sync with ShipBob, the two are usually counting at different moments, or counting different things. Most differences come from six causes. One export from each side and a spreadsheet show you which products differ, and which of them can cost you money.

First, compare the right two numbers

Shopify and ShipBob each show several numbers for the same product. Only one pair means the same thing on both sides.

	Shopify	ShipBob
Everything at the location	On hand: Committed + Unavailable + Available	On hand: everything stocked at the warehouse
Promised to orders	Committed: set aside for orders not yet fulfilled	Committed: set aside for orders waiting to ship
What can still be sold or shipped	Available: what you can sell	Fulfillable: on hand minus committed

Compare Shopify Available with ShipBob Fulfillable. Don't compare Shopify Available with ShipBob On hand: ShipBob's on hand still includes units promised to orders, so it looks higher even when nothing is wrong. More on which numbers to compare.

The six usual causes

1. Paid orders that haven't reached ShipBob yet

When an order comes in, Shopify sets its units aside as Committed right away. Until ShipBob receives the order, ShipBob still counts those units as fulfillable, so ShipBob looks higher by exactly those units. For a short time that's normal. If the difference stays, the order may be stuck: look for paid, unfulfilled orders in Shopify that you can't find in ShipBob (how to find them).

2. Orders on hold at ShipBob

ShipBob holds an order it can't ship yet, for reasons such as Payment declined, Invalid address or Package preference not set. While an order waits there, it may not hold stock at ShipBob, but Shopify has already set its units aside. Check the orders on hold in ShipBob for the product that differs (what each hold reason means).

3. Stock moving between ShipBob warehouses

ShipBob can move stock from one of its warehouses to another. While the move is in progress, those units may not count as fulfillable, so ShipBob looks lower for a while. The difference goes away when the stock arrives. Nothing is missing.

4. Units set aside on purpose in Shopify

Shopify keeps damaged units and safety stock as Unavailable, and they don't count as Available. If you keep a few units back on purpose, Shopify will always be lower than ShipBob by that amount. That's a setting, not a problem.

5. Products that aren't linked

The two sides match products by product code (SKU). If a code is spelled differently, or a product is a bundle in Shopify but several separate products at ShipBob, the numbers can't be matched. These rows show up in only one of the two exports.

6. Another app, or a hand edit, changing Shopify stock

A preorder app, a second sales channel or a quick edit in Shopify admin can set Shopify's number after ShipBob has set it. To see who changed it, open the product in Shopify admin and click View adjustment history in the Inventory section. The Created by column names the staff member, app or sales channel behind each change.

Find which products differ

In Shopify admin, go to Products › Inventory, click Export, pick the location ShipBob ships from, and choose All states. The file has Available, Committed, Unavailable and On hand for each product.
From ShipBob, get the same products' on hand, committed and fulfillable numbers.
Put both lists in one spreadsheet and match the rows by product code (SKU).
Add a column: Shopify Available minus ShipBob Fulfillable.
Sort by that column. The largest numbers at the top and at the bottom are the ones to look at first.

Take both exports within a few minutes of each other. Orders keep coming in, so a difference of 1 or 2 on a fast seller can be just timing.

Which differences to fix first

What you see	What it means	Example
Shopify higher than ShipBob	Customers can buy units ShipBob can't ship. Fix these first, starting with your fastest sellers (what to check).	White Mug: Shopify 12, ShipBob 9. Three customers could buy a mug that never ships.
Shopify sold out, ShipBob has stock	You're missing sales on stock you already have (what to check).	Blue Scarf: Shopify 0, ShipBob 25.
Small difference on a slow seller	Often timing. Check again later before changing anything.	Desk Lamp: Shopify 31, ShipBob 30.

Timing, or a real difference?

Look again a few hours later, once orders in progress have reached ShipBob and any moves between its warehouses have finished. If the same product is off by the same amount on two fresh looks, the difference is real. Then either correct the number in Shopify, or ask ShipBob to recount if you think their number is the wrong one.

Related guides

ShelfTrue does this check for you. Upload your warehouse's stock file and ShelfTrue compares it with Shopify at least once an hour on paid plans. It tells you which products are at risk of overselling and which are sold out in Shopify while the warehouse has stock. Coming soon: connect ShipBob directly, and ShelfTrue will read its stock for you, allow for orders on the way and on hold, and list paid orders ShipBob never received. We can look, but never change anything at the warehouse.

Your first check is free.

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