This onboarding checklist takes you from your first login to shipping orders with stock sync turned on. Follow the steps in order. Each step links to a detailed article if you need more help.
Need help at any step? Chat with us in the app, email support@skulabs.com, or call (800) 243-2986.
Step 1: Log in and complete the Getting Started wizard
Log in to your SKULabs account. On your first sign-in, the Getting Started wizard walks you through:
Shipping address: your company name and ship-from address. It is used for manual orders and as a fallback on shipments and packing slips.
Sales channels: click each store or marketplace you sell on and follow the in-app instructions. Orders and listings import automatically once connected.
Shipping carriers: click each carrier account you ship with so you can compare rates as you ship.
Users: enter a name, email address and role for each team member and click Send Invite.
Safe to connect: SKULabs does not push stock to your stores until you turn on stock sync (Step 5). Start with the store that has the most complete product data (SKUs, barcodes, stock levels).
For a screen-by-screen walkthrough, see Getting started with SKULabs. To add a carrier later, see How do I add a carrier account to SKULabs?
Step 2: Set up your catalog and inventory
Your catalog is the list of physical items you stock. SKULabs imports listings from your connected stores, and you link each listing to an inventory item so stock is tracked correctly.
Run the catalog setup wizard
Go to Inventory and click the Wizard tab. For each listing, choose one option:
Create new item: create a single inventory item from this listing.
Create new kit: for bundles, multi-packs or lot sizes made of other items.
Link to existing item: the item already exists in SKULabs.
Link to existing kit: the kit already exists in SKULabs.
Click Save & Continue to move to the next listing, or Skip to come back to it later.
Important: click Commit Saved Changes when you are done. Your work is not saved until you commit it.
Learn more in Catalog Setup.
Verify your inventory counts
Go to Inventory and open the Items tab to review your stock:
On Hand: total physical stock in your warehouses.
Reserved: stock committed to open, unshipped orders.
Free: On Hand minus Reserved. This is what the default stock rule pushes to your stores.
Adjust stock on any item if a count looks wrong, or import and update stock in bulk using CSV.
Review your inventory settings
Go to Settings and click Change inventory settings. Review these fields:
Default Location: the location used for new stock.
Deduction Method: when stock is deducted for orders (Per scan, Per shipment or Never). Do not change this after going live without contacting support.
Order reservation method: Account-wide shares reserves across all warehouses; Warehouse-linked distributes reserves to the warehouses linked to each store.
Step 3: Set up your printers
Go to Settings and click Change my preferred printers. In Printer settings, choose your:
Shipping label printer
Packing slip printer
Barcode printer, for item and bin labels
Turn on Skip printer prompt to send print jobs straight to your default printer without a confirmation.
Step 4: Process your first orders
The Orders page
Click Orders. The Processing tab lists open orders waiting to be fulfilled. Useful columns and tools:
Ship by date: sort by it to work the most urgent orders first.
Actions: print pick lists and packing slips, combine orders and more.
Filters: build views by store, status, shipping method, date and more.
Channel Status: the fulfillment status reported by your sales channel.
Notified: whether tracking has been sent to the sales channel.
Pick and ship
Single order: open an order and click Start picking! to scan each item's barcode, then click Ship to compare rates, buy a label and send tracking to your channel.
Pick lists: select orders on the Processing tab, click Actions, then Print pick list for teams that pick from paper.
Batch picking: pick many orders at once. Batches are not on every plan; contact sales to learn more.
To merge orders from the same customer into one shipment, see How to combine orders to save shipping costs.
Step 5: Enable stock sync
Stock sync lets SKULabs push your stock quantities to your sales channels, overwriting the quantities on those channels.
Do not enable stock sync until your catalog is set up and your counts are verified. Turning it on too early can cause overselling or underselling.
Before you enable it, confirm that:
All sales channels are connected.
Every listing is linked to the correct item or kit.
Duplicate SKUs are merged or resolved.
SKULabs counts match your physical stock.
You have exported a backup of inventory from each sales channel.
Any other inventory tool that pushes stock to your stores is turned off.
To enable stock sync for a store:
Go to Settings, click the Inventory tab at the top, then click Stock Sync.
Click the pencil icon on the store's row to open Stock Sync Settings.
Check the Linked Warehouses that supply this store and set the Stock rule (the default, free, is On Hand minus Reserved).
Check Stock sync enabled, click Save, and follow the in-app activation steps.
Repeat for each store.
Read Preparing for Stock Sync: A Technical Guide and What is stock sync? before you turn it on.
Step 6: Run your first cycle count
Cycle counts let you check physical stock without stopping operations. Run your first one shortly after going live.
Go to Inventory, open the Items tab and check the items you want to count. Filter to count in manageable groups.
Click Actions, then Create cycle counts. Confirm the items and warehouses and save.
Open the Counts tab, open the new count and click Start scanning.
Scan each unit. Compare the On Hand and Scanned columns; any difference shows in Divergence.
Click Submit Cycle Count to save the new quantities.
Tip: count during low-activity periods, not while the same items are being picked or shipped.
What's next?
The Purchase Orders Page: create purchase orders and receive stock.
Advanced stock rule configuration: customize the stock pushed to each store.
Once setup is complete, reach out in chat, at support@skulabs.com or at (800) 243-2986 to schedule an account review.