Shopify Inventory CSV Fields: Handle, Location, Bin Name, and On Hand

Shopify inventory CSV workflows use fields that look simple but serve different purposes. When you combine inventory data with a product export for migration review, keeping those meanings separate helps prevent a stock row from being interpreted as ordinary product content.

The Shopify Product + Inventory Store Transfer Joiner preserves the inventory columns beside the product columns so you can review them in one working file.

Handle

Handle is a Shopify identifier used in product and inventory workflows. In a transfer join it can serve as a fallback key when a stable SKU is not available in both files. Check whether the Handle identifies the exact variant shape you need before relying on it.

Location

Location identifies the Shopify location associated with that inventory row. The same SKU can therefore appear once for a warehouse and again for a retail store. During migration, destination-store location names may differ, so treat the source value as something to review rather than blindly copy.

Bin name

Bin name is used when inventory is organized into bin locations. Values such as A-01 or a rack/shelf code can be meaningful inside one warehouse but invalid in another. Preserve the value in the working file, then decide whether the destination uses the same bin structure.

On hand (current)

On hand (current) represents the exported on-hand snapshot for a location in the relevant Shopify inventory workflow. It is useful as evidence of what the source export contained at that moment.

Inventory changes can continue after the export. If the transfer is not immediate, re-export or reconcile again before final import so the working file does not become a stale stock snapshot.

On hand (new)

On hand (new) is the quantity field used when preparing an inventory change in supported Shopify CSV workflows. A migration review should distinguish the source snapshot from the quantity you actually intend to set in the destination.

Do not automatically copy a source quantity into a destination update without checking whether orders, transfers, or other stock movements occurred after export.

Use the fields together

A useful migration working row might contain product title and variant SKU on the left, then Location, Bin name, On hand (current), and On hand (new) from the inventory side. That makes it easier to spot a correct product match with the wrong location, or a valid location row with no matching product.

FAQ

Is the joined working file itself a Shopify-ready inventory import?

No. It is intentionally a reconciliation file. Prepare the actual inventory import according to the destination store’s current Shopify requirements after reviewing the joined data.