Skuvera

Fix “Inventory policy is not included in the list” in a Shopify CSV import

The column that controls selling when out of stock contains a value Shopify doesn't accept. Change it to deny to stop selling at zero stock, or continue to keep selling, then import again.

Error message in Shopify

Inventory policy is not included in the list

What this error means

The column Continue selling when out of stock (Variant Inventory Policy in older files) accepts only two values: deny, the default, which stops sales when stock reaches zero, and continue, which lets customers keep buying and shows negative inventory. Any other value, such as yes, allow or true, causes this error.

Common causes

  • Values like yes, no, allow or true were used instead of Shopify's keywords.
  • The file came from another platform with its own backorder settings.
  • The cell was left blank or contains a typo.

How to fix it

  1. Find the row from the error message.
  2. In Continue selling when out of stock, enter deny or continue in lowercase.
  3. Apply the same fix to other variants that use the same unsupported value.
  4. Save the file as CSV UTF-8 and import it again.

Example

Before
URL handle,Title,Continue selling when out of stock,Price
wool-scarf,Wool scarf,allow,24.90
After
URL handle,Title,Continue selling when out of stock,Price
wool-scarf,Wool scarf,continue,24.90

allow isn't one of Shopify's values. continue keeps the variant on sale when it's out of stock.

How to prevent it

  • Use find and replace to convert other platforms' backorder values to deny or continue.
  • Use a validator that checks this column's values before importing.

Find this problem before you import

Skuvera checks your product CSV against all of Shopify’s rules in your browser and points to the exact row and column. Free, no sign-up.

Frequently asked questions

Which value should I choose?
Choose deny for most products so you don't sell items you don't have. Choose continue for made-to-order products or planned backorders.
Does capitalization matter?
Use lowercase deny or continue, exactly as in Shopify's template, to be safe.

Related checks in Skuvera

Read Shopify’s explanation

Other import errors

Updated October 30, 2026