Why doesn't my scenario trigger when I change inventory in Shopify?

Make's Watch Products trigger polls every 15 minutes, not instantly. After updating inventory, wait at least 15 minutes then check your scenario's execution history.

Can this sync inventory from multiple Shopify stores to one spreadsheet?

Yes, but you need separate Shopify modules for each store and a router to direct updates to different spreadsheet sections. Add a 'Store Name' column to track which store each product comes from.

What happens if my Google Sheet is open while the scenario runs?

Google Sheets handles concurrent edits automatically. The API updates will appear in real-time even if you're actively editing the sheet, but avoid editing the same cells being updated.

How do I sync inventory back from Google Sheets to Shopify?

Create a reverse scenario using Google Sheets 'Watch Changes' trigger and Shopify's 'Update Product' action. Set it up as a separate scenario to avoid infinite loops between the two platforms.

Can I add low stock alerts to this automation?

Add a filter after the Google Sheets update that checks if inventory_quantity is below your threshold, then connect a [Gmail](/apps/gmail/) or [Slack](/apps/slack/) module to send alerts for low stock items.

Beginner~12 min setupProductivity & E-commerceVerified April 2026

How to Sync Shopify Inventory to Google Sheets with Make

Automatically update your inventory tracking spreadsheet whenever product stock levels change in your Shopify store.

Steps and UI details are based on platform versions at time of writing — check each platform for the latest interface.

Make

Also on:Zapier N8n

Best for

E-commerce stores with 50-500 products that need automated inventory tracking

Not ideal for

Simple stores with under 20 products or those needing real-time second-by-second updates

Sync type

polling

Use case type

sync

Real-World Example

💡

A 25-person fashion retailer uses this to track inventory across 300 products with multiple size/color variants. Before automation, their inventory manager manually updated the tracking spreadsheet twice daily, often missing stockouts that lasted hours. Now inventory levels sync automatically every 15 minutes, and they've eliminated 90% of overselling incidents.

What Will This Cost?

Drag the slider to your expected monthly volume.

Monthly workflow runs

/mo

505005K50K

Each platform counts differently — Zapier: 1 task per trigger. Make: 1 operation per module per record. n8n: 1 execution per run.

$30/mo if billed monthly

Pipedream

$29/mo

Basic plan

Prices shown for annual billing. Based on published pricing as of April 2026.

Estimated ROI

1000

min saved/mo

$583

labor value/mo

Free

no platform cost

Based on ~2 min manual effort per operation at $35/hr fully loaded labor cost.

Implementation

Skip the setup

Import this workflow directly into Make

Copy the pre-built Make blueprint and paste it straight into Make. All modules, filters, and field mappings are already configured — you just need to connect your accounts.

Before You Start

Make sure you have everything ready.

A Shopify store with products that track inventory

Google Sheets spreadsheet with existing inventory data and column headers

Products in your sheet that match Shopify products by SKU or title

Make account with available operations in your plan

Admin access to install apps in your Shopify store

Field Mapping

Map these fields between your apps.

Field	API Name	Description
Required
Product SKU	`handle`	Shopify's URL handle that serves as unique product identifier
Current Stock	`inventory_quantity`	Available inventory count for the product or variant

5 optional fields▸ show

Product Title	`title`	Display name of the product as shown in your store
Inventory Policy	`inventory_policy`	Whether to continue selling when out of stock (deny/continue)
Inventory Tracking	`inventory_management`	System managing inventory (shopify/null for untracked)
Variant SKU	`variants[].sku`	SKU for specific product variant when using iterator
Last Modified	`updated_at`	Timestamp when product inventory was last changed

Step-by-Step Setup

Scenarios > Create new scenario > +

Create a New Scenario

Start by setting up a new Make scenario to connect Shopify inventory changes to your Google Sheet. This creates the foundation for your automated inventory sync.

1Log into Make and click 'Create a new scenario'
2Click the large '+' button in the center of the canvas
3Search for 'Shopify' in the app search box
4Select 'Shopify' from the results list

✓ What you should see: You should see the Shopify app icon appear on your canvas with a list of available triggers.

Shopify module > Watch Products

Configure Shopify Trigger

Set up the 'Watch Products' trigger to monitor inventory changes. This trigger fires whenever a product's inventory level updates in your store.

1Select 'Watch Products' from the Shopify trigger options
2Click 'Create a connection' and enter your Shopify store URL
3Install the Make app in your Shopify admin when prompted
4Set the trigger to run 'Every 15 minutes'

✓ What you should see: The connection should show 'Verified' with a green checkmark, and you'll see trigger configuration options.

⚠

Common mistake — Don't use 'Watch Inventory Levels' — it only tracks quantity changes, not product updates that include inventory data

Make

click +

search apps

Google Sheets

Configure Shopify Trigger

Google Sheets

module added

Shopify module > Advanced settings

Set Product Filters

Configure the trigger to only fire for products with actual inventory changes. This prevents unnecessary runs when other product fields update.

1Click 'Show advanced settings' in the Shopify module
2Toggle on 'Only updated products'
3Set 'Fields to watch' to 'inventory_quantity'
4Click 'OK' to save the trigger settings

✓ What you should see: The advanced settings panel should show your inventory_quantity filter is active.

⚠

Common mistake — Skip the 'Created after' date filter — it blocks updates to existing products and you'll miss inventory changes

Google Sheets

trigger

filter

Condition

matches criteria?

yes — passes through

no — skipped

Shopify

notified

Scenario canvas > Run once

Test Shopify Connection

Run a test to pull sample product data from your store. This verifies the connection works and shows you the data structure you'll map to Google Sheets.

1Click 'Run once' at the bottom of the scenario
2Wait for the test to complete (usually 10-30 seconds)
3Click on the Shopify module to view the returned data
4Verify you can see product titles, SKUs, and inventory_quantity fields

✓ What you should see: You should see at least one product record with fields like title, handle, inventory_quantity, and variants data.

Make

▶ Run once

executed

✓

Google Sheets

✓

Shopify

🔔 notification

received

+ > Google Sheets > Update a Row

Add Google Sheets Module

Connect your Google Sheets account and select the spreadsheet where you track inventory. This module will update rows when Shopify inventory changes.

1Click the '+' button to the right of the Shopify module
2Search for 'Google Sheets' and select it
3Choose 'Update a Row' from the action list
4Click 'Create a connection' and authenticate with Google

✓ What you should see: Google Sheets should show 'Connected' status and display a list of your available spreadsheets.

⚠

Common mistake — Use 'Update a Row' not 'Add a Row' — you want to modify existing inventory records, not create duplicates

Google Sheets module > Spreadsheet selection

Select Your Inventory Spreadsheet

Choose the specific spreadsheet and worksheet where you maintain your inventory data. Make needs to know exactly which sheet to update.

1Select your inventory tracking spreadsheet from the dropdown
2Choose the correct worksheet tab (usually 'Sheet1' or 'Inventory')
3Set 'Table contains headers' to 'Yes'
4Click 'Choose' to confirm your selection

✓ What you should see: The module should display your spreadsheet name and show the available column headers for mapping.

⚠

Common mistake — If your sheet has merged cells in the header row, Google's API will fail — keep headers in single cells only

Google Sheets module > Row selection

Configure Row Search Method

Set up how Make will find the correct row to update in your spreadsheet. Usually this matches by SKU or product title.

1Set 'Row number' to 'Select by filter'
2Choose your identifier column (typically 'SKU' or 'Product Name')
3Click in the value field and map it to Shopify's corresponding field
4Select 'handle' for SKU or 'title' for product name from the Shopify data

✓ What you should see: The search configuration should show your chosen column mapped to the corresponding Shopify field.

⚠

Common mistake — Don't use Shopify's product ID as the search key — your spreadsheet likely tracks SKUs or names, not internal Shopify IDs

Google Sheets module > Field mapping

Map Inventory Fields

Connect the Shopify inventory data to your spreadsheet columns. This determines which inventory information gets updated and where.

1Find your 'Quantity' or 'Stock' column in the field list
2Click in the value box next to it
3Select 'inventory_quantity' from the Shopify data dropdown
4Map any other relevant fields like 'Last Updated' or 'Product Title'

✓ What you should see: Your quantity column should show the mapped Shopify inventory_quantity value, typically displaying as a blue pill.

⚠

Common mistake — Shopify's inventory_quantity can be null for products not tracking inventory — add a fallback value or filter these out

Google Sheets fields

Column A

Column B

Status

Notes

available as variables:

1.props.Column A

1.props.Column B

1.props.Email

1.props.Status

1.props.Notes

+ > Flow Control > Iterator

Handle Variant Products

Configure how to handle products with multiple variants since each variant has its own inventory level. Most stores need to sum variants or pick the main one.

1Add an 'Iterator' module between Shopify and Google Sheets if you have variants
2Connect it to the 'variants' array from Shopify
3Update your Google Sheets mapping to use the iterator's inventory_quantity
4Set up a filter to skip variants with zero inventory if needed

✓ What you should see: The iterator should show it will process each variant separately, and your field mapping reflects variant-level data.

⚠

Common mistake — Without the iterator, you'll only update based on the first variant — other variant inventory changes won't sync

Right-click module > Add error handler

Add Error Handling

Set up what happens when a product exists in Shopify but not in your spreadsheet, or when the Google Sheets API fails.

1Right-click the Google Sheets module and select 'Add error handler'
2Choose 'Ignore' for the error handler route
3Add a 'Create Row' module to the error handler
4Map the same fields to create new inventory entries for missing products

✓ What you should see: You should see a dotted line from Google Sheets to an error handler with a Create Row module attached.

⚠

Common mistake — Test the error handler with a product that doesn't exist in your sheet — if it fails, check that your Create Row module includes all required columns

Scenario canvas > Run once

Test the Complete Flow

Run the full scenario to verify inventory data flows correctly from Shopify to your spreadsheet and updates the right rows.

1Click 'Run once' to test the complete scenario
2Check your Google Sheet to confirm a row was updated
3Verify the inventory quantity matches what's shown in Shopify admin
4Look for any error messages or failed modules

✓ What you should see: Your spreadsheet should show updated inventory numbers, and all modules in Make should have green checkmarks.

⚠

Common mistake — If nothing updates, check that your search column values exactly match between Shopify and Sheets — case sensitivity and extra spaces will break the match

Scenario controls > Scheduling

Schedule and Activate

Turn on the scenario to run automatically and set how frequently it checks for inventory changes. Most stores check every 15-30 minutes.

1Click the 'Scheduling' toggle at the bottom left
2Set interval to 'Every 15 minutes' for active stores
3Click 'OK' to save the schedule
4Toggle the scenario to 'ON' to activate it

✓ What you should see: The scenario should show 'ON' status with a green indicator and display your chosen schedule interval.

⚠

Common mistake — Don't set it to run every minute — Shopify's API has rate limits and you'll hit them quickly with frequent polling

Drop this into a Make custom function.

JavaScript — Custom Function{{if(1.inventory_quantity > 0; 1.inventory_quantity; "Out of Stock")}}

▸ Show code

{{if(1.inventory_quantity > 0; 1.inventory_quantity; "Out of Stock")}}

... expand to see full code

{{if(1.inventory_quantity > 0; 1.inventory_quantity; "Out of Stock")}}

Scaling Beyond 500+ products or 50+ updates per hour+ Records

If your volume exceeds 500+ products or 50+ updates per hour records, apply these adjustments.

Batch Updates with Aggregator

Use Make's aggregator module to collect multiple inventory changes and update your sheet in batches of 10-20 rows. This reduces API calls and avoids rate limits.

Implement Smart Filtering

Add filters to only sync products with inventory changes above a threshold (like 5+ unit changes) or focus on high-value items. This cuts unnecessary operations by 60-70%.

Use Data Store for Caching

Store previous inventory levels in Make's data store and only update Google Sheets when values actually change. Prevents redundant spreadsheet writes that eat your quota.

Going live

Production Checklist

Before you turn this on for real, confirm each item.

Set error handling to create new rows for products missing from spreadsheet

Applies when: Always

Add iterator module if you have products with multiple variants

Applies when: Always

Configure 15+ minute intervals to avoid Shopify API rate limits

Applies when: Always

Test with products that have zero inventory to handle null values

Applies when: Always

Set up data store to track sync history for troubleshooting

Applies when: High volume

Add webhook fallback for critical inventory threshold alerts

Applies when: Enterprise

Troubleshooting

Common errors and how to fix them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this workflow.

Analysis

VerdictWhy Make for this workflow

Use Make for this if you need real-time inventory sync and have products with variants or complex inventory rules. Make's iterator handles variant-level inventory better than other platforms, and its visual interface makes it easy to add filters for low stock alerts or inventory value calculations. Pick Zapier instead if you have under 50 products and want the simplest setup — their Shopify integration is more plug-and-play for basic inventory tracking.

Cost

This workflow uses 2 operations per product update — one for the Shopify trigger and one for the Google Sheets update. At 200 inventory changes per month, that's 400 operations total. That fits Make's free tier of 1,000 ops/month. Zapier's free tier only gives you 100 tasks, so you'd need their $20/month Starter plan. N8N self-hosted is free but requires server management. Make wins on cost until you hit 500+ inventory changes monthly.

Tradeoffs

Zapier's Shopify trigger includes a built-in 'Inventory Level Changed' option that's more precise than Make's generic product watcher. N8N has better bulk operations for initial spreadsheet setup if you're syncing 500+ existing products. But Make's error handling is superior — when a product exists in Shopify but not your sheet, Make can automatically create new rows while Zapier just fails. Make's iterator also processes variant inventory correctly without complex filters.

Google Sheets API rate limits hit hard with frequent updates — you'll get 429 errors if you sync more than 100 products within a few minutes. Make's scenario queue helps but doesn't eliminate the bottleneck. Shopify's webhook system is inconsistent for inventory changes, so polling every 15 minutes often catches updates that webhooks miss. Product variants complicate everything — you need the iterator or you'll only sync the first variant's inventory, missing size/color-specific stock levels.

Ideas for what to build next

→
Add Low Stock Notifications — Connect a Slack or email module to alert your team when inventory drops below specified thresholds during the sync process.
→
Create Purchase Order Automation — Set up a follow-up scenario that generates purchase orders in Google Docs or emails suppliers when specific products hit reorder points.
→
Build Inventory Value Tracking — Extend the sync to include product costs and calculate total inventory value, updating a separate dashboard sheet with financial metrics.