# Multi-store Location Connections

> Learn how to connect inventory locations between your stores so Synkro knows exactly where to route each inventory change.

Source: https://www.synkro-app.com/documentation/multi-store-location-connections
Last updated: 2026-07-14

## Overview

When you sync inventory between two or more stores, each store usually has its own set of inventory locations (warehouses, retail stores, pickup points, and so on). Before Synkro can mirror an inventory change from one store to another, it needs to know **which location in the receiving store** a change should land on.

The **Multi-store location connections** tool is where you define those relationships. You use it to say things like _"When inventory changes at the `St. Catharines` location in Store A, update the `St. Catharines` location in Store B."_

![The Multi-store location connections tool, showing the summary panel, filters, and the per-store editor](https://www.synkro-app.com/images/docs/multi-store-locations-overview.png)
_The Multi-store location connections screen: a summary of active connections at the top, filters in the middle, and the per-store editor below_

This page focuses on the connections screen itself. If you are setting up cross-store syncing for the first time, start with [Cross Store Inventory Syncing](https://www.synkro-app.com/documentation/sync-inventory-between-stores.md) — that guide walks you through installing Synkro and connecting your stores, then sends you here to connect their locations.

## How location connections work

Every connection is **directional**. It has two ends:

- A **source location** — the location where an inventory change happens.
- A **destination location** — the location in another store that Synkro updates to match.

Because connections are directional, you can set them up two ways:

- **One-way (`→`)** — changes flow in a single direction. For example, changes at Store A's warehouse update Store B, but changes in Store B are _not_ pushed back to Store A.
- **Two-way (`⇄`)** — changes flow in both directions. This is simply two one-way connections pointing at each other, so the two locations always stay in sync.

By default, every location pairing is set to **`Don't sync`**. Nothing is connected until you choose a destination.

## Step 1: Open the tool

You need at least **two connected stores** on your account before location connections are meaningful.

Click `Settings` in the top navigation of the Synkro app, then open **`Location connections` → `Multi store connections`** from the settings menu.

## Step 2: Review your active connections

The **Active location connection summary** at the top gives you a condensed, read-only view of everything that is currently connected — no scrolling through every store required.

![The active connections summary listing each connection as source store and location, a direction arrow, and destination store and location](https://www.synkro-app.com/images/docs/multi-store-locations-summary.png)
_Each row reads left to right: source store and location, the direction (`→` one-way or `⇄` two-way), then the destination store and location_

A few things to notice:

- The badge next to the heading (for example, `2 across 3 stores`) tells you how many connections exist and how many stores are involved. A two-way connection is counted once.
- The legend in the top-right explains the `→` (one-way) and `⇄` (two-way) icons.
- Each store appears as a colored **pill**. Hover over any pill to see the store's full `.myshopify.com` URL and its store name.

![Hovering a store pill reveals a popover with the store name and full myshopify.com URL](https://www.synkro-app.com/images/docs/multi-store-locations-store-popover.png)
_Hover a store pill to confirm exactly which store it refers to_

If the summary gets long, only the first few connections are shown with a **`… more connections, click to expand`** link. You can also click the summary heading at any time to collapse the panel entirely.

![The collapsed summary panel showing only the heading and connection count](https://www.synkro-app.com/images/docs/multi-store-locations-summary-collapsed.png)
_Click the heading to minimize the summary and keep your focus on the editor_

## Step 3: Filter to find what you need

When you have several stores and many locations, the filters help you narrow the view.

![The filter bar with Source store, Destination store, a Connected locations toggle, and a Clear button](https://www.synkro-app.com/images/docs/multi-store-locations-filters.png)
_Filter the editor by source store, destination store, or hide everything that isn't connected yet_

- **`Source store`** — show only the store whose changes you want to route _from_.
- **`Destination store`** — show only connections pointing _to_ a particular store. A store selected as the source can't also be selected as the destination, and vice versa.
- **`Connected locations`** — turn this on to hide every pairing that is still set to `Don't sync`, leaving only the connections you've actually configured.
- **`Clear`** — reset all filters.

![The tool filtered to a single source store with the Connected locations toggle on, showing only configured rows](https://www.synkro-app.com/images/docs/multi-store-locations-filtered.png)
_Filtering by source store with `Connected locations` enabled quickly isolates exactly what a store is syncing_

The filters affect both the summary and the editor, and they never change your saved configuration — they only change what's shown.

## Step 4: Connect your locations

The editor lists each of your stores as a card. The card header shows the store's pill, its name, and how many **outgoing** connections it currently has. Click a header to expand or collapse that store.

![A store card showing two source locations, each with a row per other store to choose a destination location](https://www.synkro-app.com/images/docs/multi-store-locations-editor-card.png)
_Inside a store card, each source location has a row for every other store where you choose the matching destination location_

Inside a card, each of the store's locations has a **`Sync changes here to:`** section. Every row represents one other store and reads as a sentence:

> `inventory-test-store-2` **at location** `St. Catharines`

To make a connection, pick the matching destination location from the dropdown. To leave a pairing unconnected, keep it on **`Don't sync`**.

For example, to keep the `St. Catharines` locations of two stores in sync from Store A's side, open Store A's card, find its `St. Catharines` location, and set the row for Store B to Store B's `St. Catharines` location.

## Step 5: Make a connection two-way (optional)

Setting a destination in one store's card only creates a connection in **that one direction**. To keep two locations fully in sync, add the reverse connection as well:

1. Configure the connection in the **source** store's card (Store A → Store B).
2. Open the **other** store's card (Store B), find the matching location, and point its row back at Store A.

Once both directions are set, the pair shows the `⇄` two-way icon in the summary.

## Step 6: Save your changes

When you're happy with your connections, click **`Save connections`** at the bottom of the editor. Synkro saves your entire configuration at once, and your connections take effect for inventory changes going forward.

## Setup complete!

That's it — Synkro now knows exactly where to route inventory changes between your stores' locations. 🎉

## Next steps

- [Cross Store Inventory Syncing](https://www.synkro-app.com/documentation/sync-inventory-between-stores.md) — the full walkthrough for connecting stores and enabling cross-store inventory sync.
- [Local Pickup Location Syncing](https://www.synkro-app.com/documentation/sync-inventory-between-locations-in-the-same-store.md) — connect locations _within_ a single store using the `Same store connections` screen.
- [Master Inventory System](https://www.synkro-app.com/documentation/master-inventory-system.md) — designate a source-of-truth store when you need one store to drive inventory for the rest.

Still have questions about your setup? Email us at [support@synkro-app.com](mailto:support@synkro-app.com) and we'll be happy to help.