Oct 30, 2026
Stock: what stock_updated tells you, and how not to oversell
A stock figure is a reading, not a reservation. The column that says when it was read is the one that keeps you out of trouble.
Two different questions
"How many are there?" is answered by the stock column. "When was that counted?" is answered by stock_updated — and without the second, the first cannot be judged.
That is exactly what the column is for: it tells 'out of stock' apart from 'my import has not run since Tuesday'. The stock API answers the same question with as_of, read from the same place, so the two can be compared.
How fresh the figure is
Stock is synchronised every hour. The figure in your feed is as fresh as your last import; the figure from the API is as fresh as the last synchronisation, and as_of says when that was.
Nothing is reserved by importing a feed or by reading the API. The figure describes a moment, and orders are checked against it when you place them.
Ask for the number when it matters
At checkout, or before confirming a large order, ask the stock endpoint directly: it answers with the stock figure per EAN, up to 500 EANs per call.
Products blocked in your own market are left out of the answer entirely — you cannot sell them, so their stock is no use to you.
What happens if you oversell anyway
The order is checked against stock when you place it. If the quantity is not there, the order is rejected with the number that was available — before anything is charged and before a parcel exists.
Product data, stock included, is provided as it stands. We do not guarantee it is complete or correct, and we correct mistakes when we find them. Reading stock_updated is how you see for yourself.