Low Stock Alerts

Set up automatic inventory alerts in OmniOrders to get notified when stock falls below your threshold. Never run out of stock across any warehouse location.

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---
title: Low Stock Alerts
description: Set up automatic inventory alerts in OmniOrders to get notified when stock falls below your threshold. Never run out of stock across any warehouse location.
---

Low stock alerts automatically notify you when inventory levels fall below or rise above your set thresholds. This helps you reorder products at the right time and maintain healthy stock levels without constant manual checking.

:::tip[Quick Tip]
Set minimum and maximum stock levels for your SKUs, and OmniOrders will automatically show visual alerts in your inventory table. Green means everything is fine, orange means low stock, and red means critical.
:::

## Why Use Low Stock Alerts?

**Low stock alerts automatically notify you when any SKU falls below your minimum threshold or exceeds your maximum — so you can reorder before running out or reduce overstock before it ties up capital. Color-coded indicators show at a glance which products need immediate attention.**

<CardGrid>
  <IconCard title="Prevent Stockouts" icon="alert-circle" bgColor="#fef2f2" bgColorDark="rgba(239, 68, 68, 0.12)">
    Get warned before you run out so you can reorder in time and avoid lost sales.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Automatic Monitoring" icon="eye" bgColor="#f0fdfa" bgColorDark="rgba(20, 184, 166, 0.12)">
    The system checks stock levels continuously without you having to remember to check manually.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Visual Indicators" icon="check-circle" bgColor="#f0fdf4" bgColorDark="rgba(34, 197, 94, 0.12)">
    See at a glance which products need attention with color-coded status indicators.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Avoid Overstock" icon="package" bgColor="#fffbeb" bgColorDark="rgba(251, 191, 36, 0.12)">
    Get alerts when stock exceeds your maximum to help manage storage costs and aging inventory.
  </IconCard>
</CardGrid>

## Understanding Alert Levels

OmniOrders uses a simple color system to show stock status:

<CardGrid>
  <IconCard title="Green Check" icon="check-circle" bgColor="#f0fdf4" bgColorDark="rgba(34, 197, 94, 0.12)">
    **Everything is fine.** Stock levels are between your minimum and maximum thresholds.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Orange Warning" icon="alert-circle" bgColor="#fffbeb" bgColorDark="rgba(251, 191, 36, 0.12)">
    **Low stock.** Available quantity has fallen to or below your minimum threshold. Time to consider reordering.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Red Critical" icon="x-circle" bgColor="#fef2f2" bgColorDark="rgba(239, 68, 68, 0.12)">
    **Out of stock or overstock.** You've run out completely, or you have significantly more than your maximum threshold.
  </IconCard>
</CardGrid>

## How to Set Up Stock Alerts

<SupademoEmbed demoId="cmjbq7mla3k3gf6zp15tg2isg" />

<Steps>

1. **Go to Inventory**
   
   Click **Inventory** in the main navigation to see all your SKUs.

2. **Select SKUs to Configure**
   
   Check the boxes next to the SKUs you want to set thresholds for. You can select multiple items at once.

3. **Open Bulk Update Fields**
   
   In the bulk action toolbar at the bottom of the screen, click **Show More Actions** to expand, then click **Update Any Field**.

4. **Select Min Stock Field**
   
   In the "Field to Update" dropdown, choose **Min Stock**. This sets the minimum quantity before showing a low stock warning.

5. **Enter Minimum Value**
   
   Type the minimum quantity you want to maintain. When available stock falls to or below this number, you'll see an orange warning alert.

6. **Save Min Stock**
   
   Click **Update Fields** to save. Repeat steps 4-6 for **Max Stock** if you also want to set maximum thresholds.

</Steps>

## Setting Alerts for Individual SKUs

You can also configure stock thresholds for one SKU at a time:

<SupademoEmbed demoId="cmjdajbyc01s4o7eo5bar5m0z" />

<Steps>

1. **Open a Product**
   
   Go to **Products** and click on any product to view its details.

2. **View SKU Inventory**
   
   In the product details, find the SKU in the inventory table and click on it to open the inventory sidebar.

3. **Open Inventory Rules**
   
   In the sidebar, look for the **Inventory Rules** section (it may be collapsed). Click to expand it.

4. **Edit Global Defaults**
   
   You'll see a row for "Global (Default)". Enter values in the **Min** and **Max** columns to set your thresholds.

5. **Save Changes**
   
   The system saves automatically when you edit the values. Watch for a success message confirming the update.

</Steps>

## Viewing Stock Alerts

Once you've set min and max thresholds, alerts appear automatically in your inventory table:

**Alert Indicator Column**  
The first column shows a colored status icon for each SKU:
- Green check circle = Stock levels are healthy
- Orange exclamation = Low stock warning
- Red exclamation triangle = Critical (out of stock or overstock)

**Stock Thresholds Column**  
Shows your min and max values with a visual progress bar indicating where current stock falls in the range.

:::note[Hover for Details]
Hover your mouse over any alert icon to see the exact message, like "Low stock: 5 (Min: 10)" or "Out of stock".
:::

## Understanding Global vs Location Rules

<CardGrid>
  <IconCard title="Global Defaults" icon="globe">
    Set at the SKU level and apply to total available quantity across all locations. Most users only need global defaults.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Location-Specific Rules" icon="map-pin">
    Set thresholds for individual warehouse locations. Currently read-only in the UI but may inherit from global defaults in the future.
  </IconCard>
</CardGrid>

:::note[Current Limitation]
Location-specific min/max stock rules are currently read-only. You can only edit global (SKU-level) thresholds. The system checks your total available quantity across all locations against the global min and max.
:::

## Alert Calculation

The system calculates alerts based on your **total available quantity** across all locations:

- **Low Stock Alert**: Triggers when `Total Available ≤ Min Stock`
- **Over Stock Alert**: Triggers when `Total Available > Max Stock`
- **Out of Stock Alert**: Triggers when `Total Available = 0` (critical)

**Example:**  
If you set Min Stock = 10 and Max Stock = 50:
- Total Available = 35 → Green check (healthy)
- Total Available = 8 → Orange warning (low stock)
- Total Available = 0 → Red critical (out of stock)
- Total Available = 60 → Orange warning (over maximum)

## Best Practices

<CardGrid>
  <IconCard title="Set Realistic Minimums" icon="calculator">
    Base your min stock on lead time and sales velocity. If it takes 2 weeks to restock and you sell 10/day, set minimum at 140+ units.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Update Thresholds Seasonally" icon="calendar">
    Increase minimums before busy seasons and decrease during slow periods to optimize cash flow and storage.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Monitor Fast Movers Closely" icon="trending-up">
    Set higher minimums for products that sell quickly to give yourself more buffer time to reorder.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Use Max Stock Wisely" icon="package">
    Set maximum thresholds for items with limited shelf life or high storage costs to prevent overbuying.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Review Alerts Daily" icon="eye">
    Check your inventory view each day and address orange warnings before they turn red.
  </IconCard>
  <IconCard title="Bulk Set Similar Products" icon="layers">
    Select multiple products of the same type and set thresholds all at once to save time.
  </IconCard>
</CardGrid>

## Common Scenarios

**Fast-Moving Products**  
Set Min Stock at 2-4 weeks of typical sales to avoid stockouts during lead time. For example, if you sell 50 units/week and restocking takes 2 weeks, set Min Stock at 100.

**Seasonal Items**  
Adjust thresholds before peak season. Increase minimums 2-3 months before the busy period starts so you have time to build up inventory.

**Slow-Moving Products**  
Set lower minimums (maybe 1-2 weeks of sales) to avoid tying up cash in slow inventory. You can afford to order less frequently.

**High-Value Items**  
Use conservative min/max ranges. You don't want too much expensive inventory sitting in your warehouse, but you also can't afford to run out.

## Troubleshooting

**Alerts not showing up**  
Make sure you've set both min_stock and max_stock values. The system needs these thresholds to calculate alerts. If values are blank, no alerts will appear.

**Alert shows but stock looks fine**  
Remember that alerts check **total available** quantity across all locations. A SKU might show plenty of stock in one location but be low when you add up all locations.

**Can't edit location-specific rules**  
This is expected. Currently, only global (SKU-level) thresholds are editable. Location-specific rules are read-only and inherit from global defaults.

**Want to remove alerts from a SKU**  
Set both Min Stock and Max Stock to 0 (or leave them blank) to turn off alerts for that SKU. The system won't warn you about stock levels if no thresholds are set.

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**Related Topics:**  
- [Stock Management](/inventory/stock/) - Learn about on-hand, available, and committed quantities
- [Stock Adjustments](/inventory/adjustments/) - Update inventory quantities when stock levels change
- [Inventory Overview](/inventory/overview/) - Get familiar with the main Inventory view
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