---
title: Products, stock and low-stock alerts
slug: managing-products-and-stock
category: Services & Products
url: https://alaga.io/help/article/managing-products-and-stock
audiences: business_owner, manager, staff
updated: 2026-08-30
source: Alaga Help Center
---

# Products, stock and low-stock alerts
Sidebar: **Products**. The page shows four figures at the top — total products, active products, low stock items and retail value — then a searchable table. Search matches name, SKU, barcode, category and brand.

## Adding a product

Press **Add Product**:

- **Brand**, **Product Name** (required), **Description**
- **SKU** and **Barcode or UPC** — the barcode is what a scanner looks up
- **Category** — pick one, or create one on the spot with the plus button
- **Selling Price** (required) and **Cost**, which drives profit reporting
- **Quantity in Stock** (required)
- **Low Stock Alert** — you are warned at or below this number. Setting it to **0 turns alerts off** for that product
- **Active** — inactive products disappear from checkout but keep their history

In edit mode you can also attach **vendors** to a product, which links it to your supplier records under Vendors.

## Barcode scanning

Both the Products page and the Checkout page listen for a keyboard-wedge barcode scanner. A "Scanner Ready" badge shows it is armed. On Checkout, a scan adds one of that product to the cart. On the Products page, a scan opens the product for editing, or filters the list if you cannot manage products.

Scanning is deliberately disabled while a payment dialog is open, so a stray scan can never change the amount being charged.

## How stock moves

- Down when a product is sold at Checkout.
- Back up automatically when a payment is **fully** refunded. Partial refunds do not restock, because there is no way to know which items came back — adjust those by hand.
- Directly, when you edit the Quantity in Stock field.

There is no separate goods-receiving screen. When a delivery arrives, edit the product and set the new count. Alaga only writes back the stock field if you actually changed it, so a sale that lands while you have the form open is not overwritten.

## Where low stock shows up

Three places, all read-only — Alaga does not email you about stock:

- The **Low Stock Items** figure on the Products page
- Red stock counts on product rows and on Checkout tiles
- The **Low Stock Alert** report in the report library, under Products

## Deleting

A product that has been sold cannot be deleted — deactivate it instead. That keeps past sales reportable.