ShipWave Channels

How inventory sync works

Understanding real-time and periodic inventory synchronization across channels, with or without a connected store.

Where the inventory count lives

ShipWave keeps one inventory record for every product variant and pushes it to each marketplace after applying that channel's buffer and floor. The record is fed by whichever product source you use:
  • Products created in ShipWave – The quantity on hand you set in ShipWave is the count. Edit it under Admin → Products; no store connection is required.
  • A connected Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce store – The store's stock is the source. ShipWave mirrors it into its inventory record and pushes the adjusted quantity to every channel.
In both cases:
  • Restock in your source → All channels update
  • Sell on any channel → ShipWave deducts the units → All other channels update (and the sale is written back to your Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce store when a store is the source)
  • Manual adjustment in your source → All channels update

Real-time sync from a connected store

When inventory changes in a connected store, the store tells ShipWave:
  • Shopify – Shopify fires an inventory_levels/update webhook, ShipWave verifies the signature (HMAC), updates the inventory record, and for each active channel with auto-sync enabled applies the buffer and floor and calls the marketplace API. Total latency is usually under 10 seconds from the Shopify change to the marketplace update.
  • BigCommerce – BigCommerce inventory webhooks create sync jobs that update the inventory record once read-only sync is enabled for the store.
  • WooCommerce – Stock changes arrive through the webhooks registered by the connector and the companion plugin once sync is enabled for the store.
Timing for BigCommerce and WooCommerce depends on the store's sync state; see the connection guide for each platform.

Periodic reconciliation

Twice an hour (at :21 and :51), a reconciliation job runs to catch any missed updates:
  1. Query all channels with autoSyncInventory = true
  2. For each channel, get all active listings
  3. For each listing, compare the current ShipWave quantity to the last-pushed quantity
  4. If different, push the updated quantity
  5. Log results to the sync log
This is a safety net for webhook failures, network issues, or edge cases, and it is how quantity edits made directly in ShipWave reach your marketplaces.

Sync triggers

Inventory syncs are triggered by:
  • Marketplace order import: When an order is imported, cross-channel deduction runs immediately
  • Connected-store change: A Shopify inventory webhook, or a BigCommerce or WooCommerce stock sync
  • Scheduled reconciliation: Twice an hour, which also picks up quantities edited directly in ShipWave
  • Manual sync: Click Sync Now on the channel's inventory settings

Sync log

Every sync operation is logged:
  • Timestamp
  • Sync type (inventory_push)
  • Items processed
  • Success/failure count
  • Error details (if any)
  • Duration
View logs at Admin → Marketplace → [Channel] → Sync Logs.

Handling sync failures

If a sync fails:
  1. Error is logged with details
  2. Channel continues processing other items
  3. Next cron run will retry failed items
  4. Persistent failures show as channel errors
Common failure reasons: API rate limits, invalid credentials, marketplace outages.

FAQs

How quickly do marketplaces reflect inventory changes?
ShipWave pushes within seconds. Marketplace display varies—eBay updates almost instantly, Amazon can take up to 15 minutes to reflect changes in search results.
What if a store webhook is missed?
The twice-hourly reconciliation catches any missed update. You can also click Sync Now on the channel.
Does ShipWave poll my store for inventory?
ShipWave stores the current quantity itself. Shopify sends changes by webhook rather than being polled; BigCommerce and WooCommerce changes arrive through their store sync. Marketplaces are then reconciled against the stored quantity twice an hour.
Can I manage inventory in ShipWave without a connected store?
Yes. Create products under Admin → Products and set the quantity on hand for each variant. ShipWave is the inventory record for those products and updates your connected marketplaces from it.
Can I see what inventory was pushed to each channel?
Yes. The sync log shows exactly what was pushed, including the quantity after buffer/floor adjustments.

More in ShipWave Channels

Back to Help Center
Inventory Sync Explained | ShipWave Help Center