> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aimventory.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Inventory Counts
> Count the stock physically on your shelves and compare it to what AIM expects, so your on-hand numbers stay accurate.
Count the stock physically on your shelves and compare it to what AIM expects, so your on-hand numbers stay accurate.
**Where to find it:** [Open Inventory Counts in AIM](https://aimventory.com/inventory/counts) — you will be asked to sign in first.
## What you can do here
* Run a cycle count to spot-check a handful of products or one category
* Run a full count (location scan) to audit everything in a location
* Scan or hand-pick the items, then enter what you actually have
* Apply the count so any differences correct your on-hand numbers
## Buttons, fields, and controls
| Control | Where | What it does | When to use it |
| --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Create Cycle Count | Page actions and adjustment report | Creates a count that only affects selected or included items. | Use it for spot checks, movement-based recounts, or small groups where uncounted items should not be zeroed. |
| Create Empty Count | Page actions | Starts a blank count that you fill by scanning or manually adding items. | Use it when you want the count contents to come from physical scanning rather than a preselected item list. |
| Generate Report | From Adjustments workflow | Builds a list of items that moved since a selected date. | Use it when recent receiving, sales, or adjustments should drive what you recount. |
| Count Name | Count setup | Names the count so it is easy to identify later. | Use a name that includes location, reason, or date, such as "Back room cycle count - Friday". |
| Location | Count setup and filters | Sets the physical location being counted. | Choose carefully; counts update inventory for that location. |
| Count Type | Count setup | Chooses cycle count versus full count behavior. | Choose cycle count for selected items; choose full count only when you can scan the whole location. |
| Select Items to Count | Count setup | Lets you pick the exact products or variants included in a cycle count. | Use it when you already know which items need verification. |
| Search Items | Item selection | Finds products or variants to add to the count. | Use it when building a targeted cycle count. |
| Suggested Items | Item selection | Shows AIM-suggested items for the count. | Use it to speed up count setup from recent movement or filters. |
| Count by Sublocation | Count setup | Groups or guides counting by shelf/bin/sublocation. | Use it when inventory is organized by precise storage locations. |
| Sublocation Scope | Count setup | Controls which sublocations are included in the count. | Use it to avoid accidentally counting or zeroing the wrong shelf group. |
| From Adjustments | Count creation options | Starts the workflow that builds a count from recent inventory movement. | Use it after busy receiving, sales, transfers, or adjustments. |
| Adjustments Since Date | From Adjustments workflow | Sets how far back AIM should look for movement. | Pick the start of the period you want to verify. |
| Include Purchase Order Receiving Events | From Adjustments workflow | Includes recently received PO items in the suggested recount set. | Use it after a receiving-heavy period. |
| Include Unmatched Sales | From Adjustments workflow | Includes sales that may not be matched to inventory yet. | Use it when sales activity may explain count differences. |
| More actions | Count row | Opens count-specific actions such as opening, deleting, or managing a count. | Use it for one existing count rather than creating a new one. |
| Export Sessions | Page actions | Downloads count-session data for review. | Use it for audit trails, offline review, or operations reporting. |
## How to: Spot-check a few products (cycle count)
1. Click "New Count".
2. Give it a name, pick the location, and choose "Cycle Count".
3. Optionally click "Select Items" to hand-pick the exact products, or "Create Empty Count" and add items by scanning during the count.
4. On the count screen, scan or search each item and type the quantity you physically have.
5. Click "Complete Count" to finish, then apply it so only the items you counted get corrected.
You think you have 4 Dunk Low Panda size 10s but only see 3 on the shelf. Run a cycle count for just that shoe, enter 3, and apply it — your on-hand drops from 4 to 3.
## How to: Audit a whole location (full count)
1. Click "New Count", pick the location, and choose "Full Count".
2. Click "Start Count" and scan everything physically present at that location.
3. When done, click "Complete Count" and apply it.
4. Anything you did NOT scan is set to 0 — so only run a full count when you can scan the entire location.
End-of-quarter audit of your back room: start a full count, scan all 280 pairs on the racks, complete it. A pair logged in AIM but missing from the room gets set to 0.
## How to: Recount only what changed recently (from adjustments)
1. Click "From Adjustments".
2. Pick a "since" date and the location, then optionally include receiving, wholesale orders, or unmatched sales.
3. Click "Generate Report" to see which items moved.
4. Click "Create Cycle Count" to build a count containing just those items, then scan and apply.
Stock has been busy this week. Generate a report since Monday — AIM lists the 22 sizes that had movement, so you only recount those instead of the whole store.
## Good to know
* A count goes through stages: Draft (still setting up) → In Progress (counting) → Completed → Applied (your numbers updated).
* A cycle count only touches items you actually counted. A full count zeroes out anything you did not scan in that location — choose carefully.
* You can delete a count while it is still a Draft if you started it by mistake.
* Counts are per location. If you store stock in two places, run a separate count for each.
## Where to go next
* [Purchase Orders (stock coming in)](/buying/purchase-orders)