Set up low-stock alerts

Low-stock alerts are the difference between reordering on time and discovering an empty shelf mid-job. Set a minimum on an item, and InventoryHero warns you the moment the quantity drops below it.

1. Set a minimum per item

1. Open the item and find the Minimum quantity field.
2. Enter the level at which you’d want to reorder — not zero. A good minimum covers what you’ll use during the time it takes a new order to arrive, plus a small buffer.
3. Save. The alert is now armed.

You don’t need a minimum on everything. Start with the items that would actually stop work if they ran out, and add more as you go. Items without a minimum simply never alert.

Tip: if you imported your catalog by CSV, you can include a minimum column and set them all in one pass instead of item by item.

2. Choose who gets notified

Alerts go to the team members you pick — usually whoever places orders.

1. Go to Settings and open Notifications.
2. Choose which users receive low-stock alerts.
3. Each person can confirm the email address alerts should go to.

Keep the list short. If five people get every alert, everyone assumes someone else is ordering.

3. How email alerts behave

• When an item’s quantity crosses below its minimum, InventoryHero sends an email alert naming the item, its current quantity, and its minimum.
• You get alerted when the item crosses the threshold — not on every scan while it stays low, so your inbox isn’t flooded by an item that sits at low stock for a week.
• Once the item is restocked above its minimum, the alert re-arms for next time.

4. Review the low-stock list

Email is the nudge; the list is the workflow. The Low stock view shows every item currently at or below its minimum, in one place.

1. Open Low stock from the main menu.
2. Scan the list before you place orders — it’s effectively your reorder sheet.
3. After restocking, update quantities and items drop off the list automatically.

Many teams check the low-stock list on a fixed day each week and place one combined order, rather than reacting to each email as it lands. Both work; pick the rhythm that fits how you buy. You can also export the list to CSV to hand to a supplier — see Export your inventory data.

Still stuck? Create a ticket and we’ll help you tune your alerts.