Updated 2026-10-12 · By the Scan to Google Sheets team
1. Plan the sheets
Keep movements and totals apart. Create three worksheets:
- Stock In — one row for every receipt.
- Stock Out — one row for every pick, sale or issue.
- Summary — one row per product with the quantity on hand.
Give Stock In and Stock Out the same header row: Time, Barcode, Product, Quantity, Location, Note. You can start from the inventory tracker template.
2. Calculate quantity on hand
On the Summary sheet, list each barcode in column A. In column B, receipts minus issues:
=SUMIFS('Stock In'!D:D, 'Stock In'!B:B, A2) - SUMIFS('Stock Out'!D:D, 'Stock Out'!B:B, A2)Fill the formula down. As new rows arrive from the scanner, the totals update on their own.
3. Scan instead of typing
Connect the spreadsheet in Scan to Google Sheets, choose the Stock In or Stock Out worksheet and set Barcode as QR / Barcode, Time as Timestamp and Quantity as Number with a default of 1. After each scan the form asks only for what is missing.
4. Add a team
When several people count or receive stock, invite them and give each person access only to the tabs they need — for example the warehouse crew to Stock In and Returns. See team features.
Common pitfalls
- Inconsistent codes. Decide on one barcode per product and print missing ones with the barcode generator.
- Changing headers. The app maps columns by the names in row 1; after renaming one, tap Refresh columns.
- Counting without a timestamp. Keep the Time column so you can audit when each movement happened.