---
title: Customize and Require Move Reasons
description: Customize the reasons your team picks when moving stock in Sortly. Show or hide reasons, add your own, set a default, and require a reason.
---
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# Customize and Require Move Reasons
Make sure every stock move has a reason that fits how your team works by adding your own, hiding the ones you do not use, and requiring one before a move can be completed. Below is where to find these settings and how each one works.
Advanced
Ultra
Premium
Enterprise
In this article
1. [How move reasons work](https://help.sortly.com/sb/move-reasons#how-move-reasons-work)
2. [Open Transaction Reasons](https://help.sortly.com/sb/move-reasons#open-transaction-reasons)
3. [Customize your move reasons](https://help.sortly.com/sb/move-reasons#customize-move-reasons)
4. [Require a move reason](https://help.sortly.com/sb/move-reasons#require-move-reason)
5. [See move reasons in your reports](https://help.sortly.com/sb/move-reasons#move-reasons-in-reports)
6. [Frequently asked questions](https://help.sortly.com/sb/move-reasons#faq)
### How move reasons work
A move reason tells your team why stock was moved from one location to another, such as Consumed, Damaged, or Donation. People choose a reason when they move stock, and you can filter by reason in your reports. Sortly provides a starting list, and choosing a reason is optional until you decide otherwise.
For example, say your team often moves stock from the warehouse to a service van. You can add a reason called Van restock, make it the default so it is already selected, and require a reason so every move is explained.
Only Owners and Admins can change move reasons. Everyone else on your team still chooses from the list when they move stock, but cannot change it. Customizing reasons is available on Advanced, Ultra, Premium, and Enterprise plans.
---
### Open Transaction Reasons
Move reasons and quantity update reasons are managed in the same place, each on its own tab.
1
Select Setup in the left menu, then select Transaction Reasons under Inventory Data.
2
Select the Move Reason tab. Reasons for quantity updates are on the Quantity Update Reason tab, and each tab is managed separately.
Each reason is one row. Select the circle under Default to pre-select it, and use the toggle under Visibility to show or hide it.
---
### Customize your move reasons
#### Add a custom reason
Prefer to use your own wording? Add a reason for each kind of move your team makes. You can add up to 15 custom move reasons.
1
On the Move Reason tab, select Add Reason at the top right, or Add Custom Reason at the bottom of the list.
2
In the Add Reason window, make sure Reason Type is set to Move Reason, then enter a name of up to 20 characters. To make it the default, select Set as Default.
3
Select Create to add the reason to your list.
#### Set a default reason
Want your team to spend less time choosing? Select the circle in the Default column for the reason they use most. It is already selected when someone moves stock, and they can still choose a different one. Only one reason can be the default at a time, so selecting a new one replaces the old one.
#### Show or hide a reason
Not every reason fits your business. Select a reason's toggle in the Visibility column to hide it from the options your team sees. Select the toggle again to bring it back.
A few reasons cannot be hidden. The default reason stays visible until you set a different one as the default, and reasons Sortly uses in other workflows, such as Added to Job, have a toggle you cannot change. At least one reason always has to stay visible.
---
### Require a move reason
Want every move to be explained? Require a reason, and nobody can complete a move without choosing one. Pairing this with a default keeps moves fast, because people only change the reason when the default does not fit.
1
On the Move Reason tab, select the Require move reason toggle. It turns green when it is enabled.
This applies to every move, including bulk moves and moves in the Sortly mobile app. It only affects moves. Quantity updates have their own setting, covered in [Customize and Require Quantity Update Reasons](https://help.sortly.com/sb/quantity-update-reasons?hsLang=en).
---
### See move reasons in your reports
Once your team is choosing reasons, you can filter by them to see why stock moved. The [Transactions Report](https://help.sortly.com/sb/transactions-report?hsLang=en) and the [Activity History Report](https://help.sortly.com/sb/activity-history-report?hsLang=en) both list the reason for each move, and past moves keep the reason they were recorded with.
---
### Frequently asked questions
How many custom move reasons can I add?
Up to 15. Quantity update reasons have their own limit of 15, and the reasons Sortly provides do not count toward either one.
Can I hide every move reason?
No. At least one reason has to stay visible, so your team always has something to choose.
Do these settings work in the Sortly mobile app?
Yes. The mobile app shows the reasons you leave visible, pre-selects your default, and requires a reason if you require one. You can only change the list on the web.
Can I customize move reasons on the Free plan?
No. Free accounts use the reasons Sortly provides. Customizing is available on Advanced, Ultra, Premium, and Enterprise plans.
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