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Preparing your store for RevoStock

Run through this checklist before your first sync and RevoStock will start with the most complete picture of your business possible. None of these items block you from installing — but the ones you address upfront will pay off in more accurate forecasts and more useful reorder suggestions from day one.

Why sales history is the most important input​

RevoStock uses up to two years of historical order data to learn each SKU's demand pattern, seasonality, and sales velocity. The more history a product has, the richer the forecasting model that runs on it.

Sales history per variantWhat RevoStock does
No history (brand new product)Uses a fallback model based on store-wide averages
Less than 1 weekUses a simple "repeat yesterday" approach
1 week – 30 daysUses basic smoothing models
30 days or moreNoticeably better accuracy — statistical models become available
6 months or moreBest accuracy — full model set including seasonal and machine learning models

If you are a new store: Install now and let RevoStock start learning. You do not need to do anything — accuracy improves automatically as orders come in. Within 30 days, forecasts improve noticeably; within 6 months, RevoStock is running its richest models on your data.

If you are an established store: Your historical orders sync automatically on first setup. You are already in the best position.

Check 1 — Assign SKU codes to every variant​

Why it matters: RevoStock identifies each product variant by its SKU code. Variants without SKU codes sync and appear in the Buying Table using option values (for example, "Blue / Large"), but having a SKU makes it easy to match RevoStock's reorder suggestions to your purchase orders, warehouse system, or supplier forms.

How to check:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Products.
  2. Open a product and scroll to the Variants section.
  3. For each variant, confirm the SKU field is filled in.
  4. Repeat for your most important products, especially fast-movers.

If you use a naming convention in your warehouse or with suppliers (for example, TSHIRT-BLU-LG), use the same codes in Shopify. Consistency here pays off every time you export a purchase order from RevoStock.

Check 2 — Enable inventory tracking on every product​

Why it matters: RevoStock reads your on-hand stock quantity from Shopify to calculate reorder timing and trigger low stock alerts. Variants that have Track quantity disabled in Shopify appear as Disabled in the Buying Table — RevoStock cannot generate reorder suggestions for them because it has no stock level to work from.

How to check:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Products and open a product.
  2. In the Variants section, click into a variant.
  3. Confirm the Track quantity checkbox is enabled.
  4. Repeat for each variant, or use the bulk editor (Products > Edit products) for large catalogs.

Check 3 — Set the Vendor field on every product​

Why it matters: RevoStock groups buying decisions by the Vendor field set in Shopify. The Buying Table's vendor grouping view — which lets you see all reorder needs for a supplier at once and export a single purchase order per vendor — relies entirely on this field being populated.

The vendor field is also how vendor-level replenishment configuration rules (lead time, MOQ, days of supply) attach. If a product has no vendor set, it will not inherit vendor-level rules.

How to check:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Products.
  2. Open a product and look for the Vendor field in the right-hand panel (under Product organization).
  3. Enter the supplier or brand name that you want to group this product under.
  4. Repeat for all active products, or use the bulk editor to update vendor in batch.

Check 4 — Add cost per item to each variant (recommended)​

Why it matters: RevoStock uses cost data to calculate the capital value of inventory on the Dashboard and to estimate purchase order value in the Restock Cart. Without cost, the Unit Cost and Line Cost columns are skipped in purchase order exports.

How to check:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Products and open a product.
  2. In the Variants section, click into a variant.
  3. Scroll to the Cost per item field and enter the cost.
  4. Repeat for your top-selling variants at minimum.

You do not need to fill in every product before installing. Even partial cost data is useful. You can add or update costs at any time and RevoStock will pick them up on the next sync.

Check 5 — Verify your timezone and currency in Shopify​

Why it matters: RevoStock reads your timezone and currency directly from your Shopify store settings. Your timezone drives forecast windows and determines when "today" starts and ends for daily sales calculations. Your currency drives purchase order formatting and cost figures throughout the app.

How to check:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > General.
  2. Confirm the Store timezone matches the timezone your business operates in.
  3. Confirm the Store currency is correct.

These settings are usually correct by default. It takes about ten seconds to verify.

Check 6 — Review your locations if you operate multi-location inventory​

Why it matters: RevoStock works at the store level and aggregates inventory across all active Shopify locations. If you operate multiple warehouses, retail stores, or third-party logistics providers, each should be a separate location in Shopify so inventory quantities are accurate. If your multi-location setup is complex or you fulfill from more than one site, contact [email protected] before your first sync to discuss how aggregation will look.

How to check:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.
  2. Confirm that each physical or logical location where you hold stock is listed.
  3. If a location is missing, add it and assign inventory to it before running your first RevoStock sync.

If you only fulfill from one location, this check takes about ten seconds and most single-location stores are already set up correctly.

What you do NOT need to do before installing​

  • Clean your orders or "freeze" the store. RevoStock syncs whatever order history is there. You do not need to do anything special before the sync runs.
  • Set lead times, MOQs, or days of supply. RevoStock ships with sensible factory defaults that take effect immediately: a 14-day lead time, 30 days of supply, a 7-day safety stock buffer, and a minimum order quantity of 1. These defaults apply globally the moment setup is complete. You can refine them per vendor or per SKU at any time after install — the first sync does not require them.
  • Wait until your catalog is perfectly clean. If your store has missing data or a catalog that could use a cleanup, install RevoStock today anyway. The app improves as you improve your data. Waiting until everything is perfect delays the forecasts and reorder signals that can start helping you now.

After install​

Once your store is ready, the next step is to install RevoStock and complete the four-step onboarding wizard. The wizard walks you through connecting your store, running the initial sync, and verifying that your data came through correctly — all in a few minutes.

Installing RevoStock from the Shopify App Store