As of 13 August 2026, AI can create a stocktake sheet.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.

2. Do it yourself

   Second choice

   A chat interface, no skill needed, and roughly 30 minutes until you can act on the result.

   How to actually do it

   1. Open the current stock list, product catalogue or inventory export and copy the product names, SKUs, categories, locations and units of measure into a plain text document.
   2. Add the stocktake date, the people who will count, each stock location and any expected quantities from your current stock system.
   3. Paste that information into the prompt under the matching headings, then ask the chatbot to create the stocktake sheet.
   4. Copy the returned tab-separated table into Excel or Google Sheets and format the headings, blank quantity cells and variance column.
   5. Compare every product row, SKU, location and unit against the current stock list before printing or sharing the sheet.
   6. Run a small test by entering known expected and counted quantities, then check that the variance formula gives the correct difference and stays blank when a quantity is missing.
   7. Print or share the checked sheet with the counters, complete the physical count, and reconcile unusual variances against the stock system and the relevant location.

   Prompt

   Create a stocktake sheet for [business or department] that I can paste into Excel or Google Sheets.
   
   Use only the information I provide below. Do not invent products, SKUs, locations, quantities, prices or units. Create a clear table with these columns in this order: SKU, product name, category, stock location, unit of measure, expected quantity, counted quantity, variance, counter, count date, condition, and notes.
   
   Leave expected quantity and counted quantity blank where I have not supplied them. Include a variance formula that calculates counted quantity minus expected quantity, but do not calculate a variance when either quantity is blank. Add a short instruction above the table explaining how to record damaged, missing and unopened stock. Keep the layout suitable for printing and for use on a phone. After the table, list any missing information or assumptions that I need to resolve before using it. Return the result as a tab-separated table followed by the instructions and checks, not as prose alone.
   
   Information supplied:
   Business or department: [insert]
   Stocktake date: [insert]
   Stock locations: [insert]
   Product list, SKU list or current stock export: [paste here]
   Expected quantities, if available: [paste here]
   Units of measure: [insert or paste here]
   Any counting rules, categories or staff instructions: [paste here]

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.

3. Use a tool built for this

   The distant third