How To Set up

Import your items from a spreadsheet you already have

Your old count sheet isn't perfect. It doesn't need to be. Stockcount's import is built to catch the mess, not refuse it.

Our take

Importing your inventory is where most apps quietly mess up your numbers from day one. Stockcount checks every row against the items you already have, sets aside anything it isn't sure about for you to review, and won't finish the import until you've cleared those. The result: you can paste in a messy spreadsheet and still trust what comes out the other side.

How to import

1. Open stockcount.io and go to the Imports page. The whole import flow — matching up columns, reviewing matches, finishing the import — is web-only. The iPhone app can't run it.
2. Paste in your spreadsheet, or upload the file. It needs to be a CSV — a plain spreadsheet file. From a Google Sheet, use File → Download → Comma-separated values (.csv). Files up to 5 MB.
3. Match up your columns. Stockcount automatically picks out the name, category, par, and unit columns. (Par is how much of an item you want to keep on hand.) If your column headings are named something unusual, use the dropdown to point each one at the right field. Cost and vendor columns aren't imported yet — scanned invoices fill in costs later.
4. Let Stockcount sort the rows. It compares every row to the items you already have and sorts each one into three groups. You only ever have to deal with the middle one:
   • Confident matches — Stockcount is sure the row is an item you already have, so it links them automatically. Nothing for you to do.
   • Not sure — it found a possible match but isn't confident. These go to your Inbox for you to decide on (next step).
   • Brand new — nothing in your catalog (your saved item list) comes close, so Stockcount creates it as a new item when you finish.
5. Clear the review queue. The "not sure" items collect in your Inbox. Open each one and make the call: accept Stockcount's suggested match, create it as a new item, or dismiss it. Stockcount won't let you finish the import until this queue is empty. That's on purpose.
6. Hit Commit. Stockcount creates the new items and remembers every match you confirmed, so the next import recognizes those names. You're done.

Why the review queue exists

Stockcount sets the bar high on purpose: it only links two items automatically when it's at least 92% sure they're the same thing. It would rather ask you than guess wrong and create a duplicate. That's why the review queue can feel chatty on day one and goes quiet by day three.

What a clean import needs

• One unit per item. "1 case" and "1 lb" of the same tomato read as two different items. Pick one and stick with it; conversions can be added later.
• Consistent names. "Whole Milk 2% Gallon" everywhere beats three different versions. Stockcount's matching handles small typos, not three different naming systems.
• Drop the formatting. Merged cells, color-coded rows, headers that span two rows: flatten them. One header row, one item per row.
• Pack size belongs in the name. "Olive Oil 3L Tin" reads better than "Olive Oil" with the pack size buried in a description column.

Day 2–7 cleanup

After your first import, two quick moves in chat tighten things up:

1. Ask Stockcount to "find likely duplicates." This catches near-misses like "Roma Tomato" and "Tomatoes Roma" that slipped past the first check. Stockcount also shows an amber likely-duplicates banner on the Catalog page, with a one-click merge right there.
2. Ask Stockcount to check for setup gaps. It flags items missing a par level, a counting schedule, or a reorder point (the level where Stockcount should tell you to buy more) — small gaps that quietly throw your numbers off if you leave them.

What good looks like

A typical first import for an 80-item cafe: 6 minutes to paste and match columns, 8 minutes to clear 12–15 review items, then commit. From signup to a clean catalog: under 20 minutes.

If you're clearing 40+ review items, your sheet had a duplicate problem before Stockcount ever touched it. Worth fixing the source spreadsheet while you're at it.

Where this connects

• Before you sign up: 30 minutes of prep: what to gather before this step.
• Count your walk-in in 10 minutes by voice: the loop your import unlocks.

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