Jump to

• What Are Units of Measure?
• Standard Units of Measure
• Custom Units of Measure
  • Create a Custom Unit
  • Delete a Custom Unit
• Assign a Unit of Measure
• Change the Unit of Measure
• Using Partial Quantities
  • Using Partial Quantities
  • Moving Partial Quantities
• FAQ

What Are Units of Measure?

Units of measure help you define how your inventory is tracked—by weight, volume, count, area, or length. For example: pounds, meters, boxes, or liters.

You can choose a unit of measure when creating or editing an item. The selected unit will appear across Sortly, including on item pages, reports, activity history, and the dashboard.

Standard Units of Measure

Sortly includes a built-in list of commonly used units, each defined by a name, abbreviation, and type. All standard units support up to four decimal places for precision.

Examples of standard units you can select:

• Count-based: Unit (unit), Each (ea), Box (box), Roll (rl), Pallet (plt), Pack (pk), Case (cs)
• Weight-based: Pound (lbs), Kilogram (kg), Gram (g), Ounce (oz)
• Length-based: Yard (yd), Foot (ft), Inch (in), Meter (m), Centimeter (cm)
• Volume-based: Gallon (gal), Liter (l), Milliliter (ml), Cubic Inch (cu in), Cubic Foot (cu ft)
• Area-based: Square Inch (sq in), Square Foot (sq ft)

The full list appears in-app when adding an item and selecting a unit of measure.

Custom Units of Measure

If Sortly’s standard units don’t meet your needs, you can create custom units that better reflect your workflows, such as “Tube,” “Panel,” or “Pouch.”

Note: Only Admins and Owners can create and manage custom units of measure

Create a Custom Unit

1. Go to Settings in the web app.
2. Select Units of Measure.
3. Click Add Custom Unit.
4. Enter the name, abbreviation, and select a type (e.g., Count, Volume, Weight).
5. Click Create.

The custom unit will now be available when creating or editing items.

Delete a Custom Unit

1. Go to Settings > Units of Measure.
2. Find the custom unit you want to delete.
3. Click the trash icon next to the unit.

Important:

• You can only delete a custom unit if it is not currently assigned to any items.
• Deleted units cannot be restored.
• Sortly-provided (default) units cannot be deleted.

Assign a Unit of Measure

1. In the web app, click Add Item
2. Fill out the item details.
3. Use the Unit of Measure dropdown to select a unit.
   • If the Unit of Measure is unavailable, you can click Manage Units from the dropdown and add it.
4. Click Add to add the item.

Change the Unit of Measure

You can update the unit of measure associated with any item—whether it’s a standard unit or a custom unit.

For example: You can change an item listed as “1 unit” to “1 pack” by editing the unit of measure.

To change the unit on a single item:

1. Open the item from the item list or folder view.
2. Click Edit.
3. In the Unit of Measure dropdown, select the new unit.
4. Click Save.

All items that share the same SID (Sortly Item ID) will also be updated with the new unit of measure.

To change the unit for multiple items (bulk edit):

1. In the item list view, hover over each item and check the box in the top-left corner.
2. Once items are selected, the Bulk Edit Bar will appear.
3. Click Edit to begin updating fields.
4. Select the new Unit of Measure.
5. Click Apply to save the change across all selected items.

You can bulk edit up to 100 items at a time. All items in the selection that share the same SID will also reflect the change.

Important:
You cannot edit the name, abbreviation, or type of a custom unit once it has been created. Editing the custom unit definition is not currently supported and is planned for a future release.

Partial Quantities

Partial quantities let you track items in decimals (up to four places). This is useful for raw materials, bulk 

Enter Partial Quantities

You can enter quantities using up to four decimal places (e.g., 2.3750) when creating or editing an item.

Steps:

1. Open the Add Item screen or an existing item.
2. In the Quantity field, enter a fractional value.
3. Select a unit of measure (e.g., lbs, liters).
4. Save the item.

Note: Partial quantities are supported for all units except the default unit labeled “unit.”

Moving Partial Quantities

You can move part of an item’s total quantity from one folder to another.

Steps:

1. Navigate to the item.
2. Click Move.
3. Enter the partial quantity to transfer (e.g., 1.25).
4. Choose the destination folder.
5. Confirm the move.

The source and destination item quantities will update accordingly.

FAQ

How many custom units can I create?
You can create up to 25 custom units per account.

Can I rename or edit a custom unit’s name or abbreviation?
No. Once created, the name, abbreviation, and type cannot be edited.

Can I bulk update units of measure for multiple items?
Yes. You can bulk update the unit of measure for up to 100 items at a time.
All items that share the same SID will also be updated.

Can I delete Sortly’s default units?
No. Only unused custom units can be deleted.

Can I set a default unit of measure for my account or items?
Not at this time. This is planned for a future update.

Can I hide, reorder, or filter units of measure?
No. All units appear in a fixed list and cannot be hidden or reordered.

What happens when I add a new custom unit?
It will appear at the bottom of your active list and be available immediately for use.

Can I manage custom units in the Sortly mobile app?
No. You can only manage custom units from the web app. Mobile users can select from existing units when creating or editing items.

Can Free plan users create custom units?
No. Only users on paid plans can create and manage custom units. Free users can only use the default Sortly-provided units.