Stocky Data Rescue: Export What Matters Without Sharing an API Key
· Updated
Stocky stops working for inventory management on August 31, 2026, and every Stocky API stops on the same date. Shopify now promises at least 90 days of read-only access after the shutdown, but it has not published a final end date. Treat that window as emergency recovery, not as your export plan. You can begin with the checklist below without sharing an API key with ShelfTally—or anyone else.
Last source check: July 14, 2026. Shopify can change shutdown guidance. Before relying on a deadline, check Shopify’s current Stocky migration page.
What the labels mean
- Verified — directly documented by Shopify or the official Stocky API documentation.
- Inferred — supported by more than one official document, but the exact export file still needs checking against a real store.
- Beta — implemented for testing, not yet validated across representative Stocky stores.
No label on this page means “complete migration.” The goal is to preserve the strongest source records available while Stocky still works.
The 30-minute no-key rescue checklist
Create a folder named stocky-rescue-YYYY-MM-DD before you start. Record your store name, the
export date, time, and time zone in a text file inside it. For every screen you export, note the
filters you used and the number of records Stocky displayed.
1. Save every purchase order you need
Verified: Open each important PO in Stocky → Purchases, choose Download, then save:
- the CSV, so line items can be inspected or transformed later;
- the PDF, so people can read the order even if a future CSV parser fails; and
- the PO number, status, supplier name, and export timestamp in your notes.
Include open, partially received, closed, archived, and custom-numbered POs. Shopify documents PDF, Plain Text, CSV, and CSV for Dymo downloads, but it does not publish a stable CSV header contract. Keeping both CSV and PDF is the safer archive.
Source: Shopify’s Stocky purchase-order instructions.
2. Save every Stocktake CSV you can still see
Verified: During a stocktake, click CSV. From a stock adjustment, choose Download → CSV. Save every still-visible file, including partial counts and counts you used for audit or reconciliation.
Shopify explicitly says Stocky does not save historical inventory data. A Stocktake CSV can contain product name, SKU, barcode, Shopify ID, retail and cost prices, expected stock, actual stock, and adjustment totals. If a historical count is no longer visible, neither this checklist nor the Stocky API can recreate the original count sheet.
Source: Shopify’s Stocktake CSV documentation.
3. Save current average costs by SKU and barcode
Inferred: In Reports → SKU/Variants, add at least these columns where available:
- SKU and barcode;
- product and variant title;
- Shopify or inventory item identifier;
- supplier or vendor context; and
- Average Cost.
Click Update, then download both CSV and PDF. Shopify documents that the SKU/Variant report can be downloaded in both formats and separately documents that Average Cost can be added as a column. A real-store sample is still needed to confirm the exact headers and locale format in your export.
Sources: Average unit cost and SKU/Variant report export.
4. Save useful reports as readable evidence
Verified for report availability; file coverage varies: Review Stocky’s Purchase Orders, Adjustments, Transfers, Profit, Stock on hand, Low Stock, and SKU/Variant reports. Save CSV where Stocky offers it and a PDF or print-to-PDF copy for anything you might need for accounting, reconciliation, or workflow reconstruction.
Shopify describes these report types, but does not promise that every report exposes the same download formats or fields. A PDF is reference evidence, not guaranteed import data.
Source: Shopify’s Stocky report types.
5. Make two local backup copies
Keep the original files unchanged. Make a second copy on a different device or encrypted backup destination. Do not rename individual files without recording the original name. Never paste a Stocky API key into a filename, note, AI chat, support ticket, analytics form, or archive.
Before you stop, open a sample CSV and PDF from each group. Confirm that the files are readable, the dates and filters are correct, and the expected row counts are present.
Coverage: what each path can and cannot preserve
| Data | Best source | Coverage and action |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase orders and line items | Per-PO CSV/PDF; Stocky API | Verified UI and API paths. Save both formats now. |
| Supplier profiles | Stocky API only | Verified UI gap. Use the local exporter before August 31. |
| Stocktake count sheets | Still-visible Stocktake CSV | Verified UI path. History can be incomplete. |
| Average unit cost | SKU/Variant report with Average Cost | Inferred combination. Retain a real CSV/PDF sample. |
| Stock adjustments and items | Stocky API; visible adjustment CSV | Verified adjustment history, not Stocktake count sheets. |
| Tax types | Stocky API | Verified API path. Preserve raw JSON. |
| Products, variants, locations, and current inventory | Shopify Admin | Verified Shopify-native data. Do not copy stale Stocky values. |
| Transfers moved to Shopify | Shopify Admin | Verified Shopify-native workflow and source of truth. |
| Forecasts, custom fields, users, and supplier-product mappings | Screenshots, PDFs, notes, and real-store samples | Beta recovery only. The API cannot reconstruct every setting. |
The official Stocky API exposes suppliers, purchase orders, stock adjustments, stock adjustment items, and tax types. It does not expose stocktakes, average cost, forecast settings, transfers, or every supplier-product configuration. That is why API access alone is not a complete backup.
Sources: Stocky API v2 index and Shopify’s migration considerations.
Choose the trust path that fits you
Path 1: Use this manual guide — no key
Best when you want the lowest-trust option. You operate Stocky yourself and keep every file on your own device. This path preserves the strongest UI exports but cannot bulk-export suppliers or guarantee full history.
Path 2: Run the local, open-source exporter — key stays on your device
Beta: The Stocky Rescue exporter runs on your computer and talks only to fixed Stocky API HTTPS endpoints. You enter the key locally; it must never appear in a URL, file, log, telemetry event, crash report, clipboard echo, or generated archive. The output is a portable ZIP with raw JSON, normalized CSV, checksums, a manifest, and an honest partial-failure report.
An API key is a Stocky-issued credential, not your Shopify password. Shopify’s prior migration instructions show Apps → Stocky → account icon → Preferences → API access → Current key. Treat that path as Inferred until you confirm it on your store because the screen can change. If you do not already have access to a key, stay with the manual path or let the Agent Skill guide you; do not send a password or key to support.
View source. Do not paste your Stocky key into AI chat when asking for setup help.
Path 3: Let your AI assistant guide you — still no shared key
Best when setup is the blocker. If you already use Claude or ChatGPT, install the free Stocky Rescue Agent Skill and let the assistant walk you through the whole rescue in plain language — choosing a path, running the exporter, and checking the result. It works in the ChatGPT desktop app (Codex is built in on every plan) and in Claude Code. The skill is built to refuse a Stocky key in chat: you type it only into the exporter’s hidden prompt on your own computer, and your files never leave your device.
Still stuck? Email support with your operating system and where you stopped—never include your API key.
The whole rescue toolkit in one place
Everything in the Stocky Rescue cluster links back to this guide as the canonical explanation. The other assets, and when to use each one:
- Rescue hub — the starting point that helps you choose between the manual checklist, the local exporter, and AI-guided help.
- Printable cheat sheets — the no-key checklist, coverage matrix, exporter safety card, archive verification card, and full action plan as downloadable cards you can keep next to the register or hand to a client.
- Exporter repository — the open-source local exporter. For production use, install the verified v0.2.0 release.
- Agent Skill — the same repository pinned at v0.2.0 is also the portable Skill for Claude Code and the ChatGPT desktop app.
- Post-shutdown forensic recovery — what to preserve and reconstruct if Stocky is already unavailable.
What this guide does not promise
- It does not claim a complete Stocky migration.
- ShelfTally imports the supplier list from a verified Stocky Rescue backup today, with a review step before anything is written. PO, adjustment, stocktake, and cost history imports are not shipped yet.
- ShelfTally does not yet claim weighted-average-cost support.
- The local exporter cannot recover Stocktake count sheets, Average Cost, or Stocky settings that the official API does not expose.
- A saved archive does not modify Shopify inventory. Every importer shows a review and obtains explicit approval before writing operational data.
Final verification before August 31
- Every important PO has CSV and PDF copies.
- Every still-visible stocktake has a CSV copy.
- The SKU/Variant report includes Average Cost and was saved as CSV and PDF.
- Useful report PDFs are present.
- Export timestamps, filters, and displayed record counts are recorded.
- A sample of each file opens successfully.
- Two backup copies exist in different locations.
- No Stocky API key appears anywhere in the rescue folder.
If you still have Stocky installed, do not wait for the read-only period. Export now, verify now, and keep the originals unchanged.