Find the stock that needs attention
Search by product name, SKU, or ID. Click All products, Tracked stock, Running low or Zero or negative, then filter by category and sort. Reset clears the filters. Counts represent product listings; variations sharing a parent can refer to the same stock pool.
Save / manage views keeps the current search, filters and sorting under a name. Save up to 10 views per WordPress account and store. Views are private to your account and never store or change stock quantities.
Preview and apply a stock batch
- Select the stock-managed products you want to change.
- Choose an exact quantity, including zero, or a positive/negative quantity change.
- Enter a factual reason, then preview the resulting quantities.
- Review every row and apply the batch. A changed stock quantity or stock owner causes that row to be rejected for a fresh preview.
- Review saved, rejected, and retryable row results. Repeating a saved request does not add stock again.
Batches contain up to 200 rows and apply at most 25 rows per click. A batch can partly succeed: it is not one all-or-nothing transaction. A preview can be discarded before applying; there is no saved-history undo.
Standard whole-unit WooCommerce setups reject unsupported decimal quantities. Configured fractional stock is accepted only when the store preserves its precision.
Import stock with a CSV preview
Open StockControls → Import stock and download the template. The upload form keeps detailed column rules in an expandable reference. Match by product_id or sku; if both are supplied, both must identify the same product. Use quantity for an exact count or delta for a quantity change, plus a reason. Optional expected_quantity checks the stock you expected when preparing the file.
Files are limited to 1 MB and 200 data rows. Duplicate products or multiple rows targeting the same shared stock owner are rejected. Invalid rows must be corrected before a preview can be applied. Review row results after applying; retry only rows identified as retryable.
Unapplied previews expire after 24 hours. Batch results are retained for 30 days while the plugin and its cleanup schedule are active; movement history remains subject to the store administrator’s retention choices.
How variations share stock
A variation managing its own quantity changes its own stock. An inherited-stock variation changes its parent’s pool. History identifies the requested product and the stock owner. Include a shared pool only once per batch.
Understand the stock history
Search current product names, SKUs or IDs, then filter by source and UTC date range. Rows show current names/SKUs alongside the unchanged recorded stock-owner and requested-product IDs. Names reflect the current catalog, not a historical snapshot.
Searches support up to 500 matching catalog products; refine a broader search. To find a removed product, clear the name/SKU search and use the separate exact Product ID field. CSV exports keep the same filters.
Records include before/after quantities, source, user or system, time, and a linked WooCommerce order where available. StockControls changes include your required reason.
While active, the plugin observes WooCommerce stock hooks for sales, restorations, restocked refunds, product edits, and compatible REST/import operations. Direct SQL writes bypass those hooks. Old movements are not backfilled, and third-party integrations need qualification.
An external logging failure or unverifiable simultaneous stock update does not block checkout; an admin notice identifies a possible gap. Simultaneous external changes can also coalesce into one observation or be missed without a notice. StockControls writes keep their transactional movement record. This is an operational history, not a tamper-proof ledger.
Setup & health explains detected history warnings. Acknowledging one changes its reminder for your account; it does not reconstruct missing movements. New warnings still need review.
Thresholds and exports
Set a low-stock threshold on the stock-owning product, or clear it to use the WooCommerce default. Export filtered inventory or movement history as CSV. StockControls does not add a separate stock-alert email service.