Lot and Expiration Date Tracking

Last updated: October 16, 2026

If your products have expiration dates or lot numbers, Manifest can track them for you. Each unit we receive is recorded against its lot and expiration date, orders are picked so the oldest stock ships first, and expired stock is kept out of the quantities your store can sell. This guide covers how to turn it on, what we need from you on every inbound shipment, and how it works once it's live.

Who it's for

Lot and expiration tracking is a good fit if you sell:

  • Supplements, vitamins or wellness products

  • Food and beverage

  • Cosmetics, skincare or personal care

  • Anything you may need to recall by batch

  • Products for retail or wholesale partners who require lot traceability or a minimum remaining shelf life

How it works

  • First expired, first out. When an order is picked, we pull from the lot with the soonest expiration date, so older stock goes out before newer stock.

  • Expired stock isn't sold. Once a lot passes its expiration date, those units are left out of the inventory quantities we send to your sales channels, so customers can't order them.

  • Optional shelf life buffer. If you or your retail partners need a minimum remaining shelf life on what ships, we can stop picking a lot a set number of days before it expires.

  • Expiration alerts. We can send reports to an email address you choose when lots are getting close to their expiration date.

  • Traceability. Because every unit is received against a lot, we can tell you which orders a lot shipped on if you ever need to trace or recall it.

Turning it on

Let your account manager know you'd like lot and expiration tracking, ideally during onboarding and before your first inventory arrives. We'll ask you for:

  1. Your list of lot tracked SKUs. Tracking is turned on product by product, so tell us every SKU that needs it.

  2. Your shelf life buffer, if any. The number of days before expiration that a lot should stop shipping. If you don't need one, we'll ship right up to the expiration date.

  3. Who should get expiration alerts. The email address that should receive reports on lots approaching expiration.

We'll confirm with you once everything is set up. Tracking needs to be on for a SKU before any of its inventory is received.

Sending lot tracked inventory

Our inbound team records lot numbers and expiration dates as they receive your shipment, reading them straight from your cartons and products. So the details need to be on the physical inventory. These are also part of our Inbound Receiving Information, Policies, and Compliance requirements.

  1. Create your inbound PO as usual before the shipment arrives.

  2. Mark every carton. The lot number and expiration date must appear clearly on the outside of each carton, alongside the Manifest box label.

  3. Mark every unit. The lot number and expiration date should also be printed on each product's packaging, so they can be checked at receiving and stay with the product after it ships.

  4. Keep lots separate where you can. Packing one lot per carton makes receiving faster and more accurate.

Cartons that arrive without a visible lot number or expiration date may be delayed while we work it out with you, and may be subject to the non-compliance terms in the receiving policy.

Adding tracking to inventory we already hold

If you turn on lot tracking for SKUs that are already in our warehouse, those units won't have a lot or expiration date recorded yet. Your account manager will work with you to record them for the existing stock, which may mean a recount of those locations. Let us know right away if any of that stock is already expired or close to expiring.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see my lots and expiration dates?

Yes. Log in to ShipHero with your merchant login and use either of these.

  • Lots page. Go to Inventory > Lots. Each lot is listed with its SKU, lot name, expiration date, the date it was received, and whether it is active.

  • Item Locations report. Use the Columns menu in the top right to show Lot Name, Exp Date and Days to Expire, and the Lot Expiration filter to narrow it to lots that are already expired or expire within 7, 30, 60, 90 or 180 days. Click Export in the top right to download it as a CSV.

You will also get the expiration alert emails described above. If you cannot see the Lots page, ask your account manager to check your login has access.

What happens to expired inventory?

It stays in the warehouse but isn't offered for sale. Let your account manager know whether you'd like it disposed of, donated or returned to you.

Can a customer choose which lot they receive?

No. Orders are always picked from the lot that expires soonest, after any shelf life buffer you've set.

Can I change my shelf life buffer later?

Yes. Contact your account manager and we'll update it. The change applies to orders picked from then on.

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