Last verified: 2026-02-18
Overview
This guide explains the terminology used in StockApp. Understanding these terms helps you navigate the platform and use documentation more effectively.
Who this is for: Anyone new to StockApp who wants to understand the terminology.
Products and Variants
Products
A product is the main item listing (e.g., "Athletic Shoe" or "Wireless Mouse"). Products can exist as a single item or have multiple variants.
Variants
Variants are specific configurations of a product (e.g., "Athletic Shoe - Size 10 - Blue" or "Wireless Mouse - Black").
What happens with variants:
Variants share a parent product but have distinct SKUs and can have different pricing
Each variant tracks its own inventory level
Updating the parent product name or description affects all variants
You can set different prices for each variant
What does NOT happen:
Deleting a variant does not delete the parent product or other variants
Changing one variant's price does not change other variants' prices
Variants cannot exist without a parent product
Pricelists
A pricelist is a curated collection of your products with specific pricing, visible only to buyers you assign it to.
What happens with pricelists:
Products in a pricelist are visible to buyers assigned to that pricelist
You can set different pricing per pricelist (e.g., wholesale vs retail pricing)
Updating a product updates it across all pricelists that contain it
You can create unlimited pricelists for different buyer segments
What does NOT happen:
Creating a pricelist does not automatically share it with anyone
Adding a product to a pricelist does not change the product's base price in your catalog
Buyers assigned to one pricelist cannot see other pricelists you've created
Removing a product from a pricelist does not delete the product from your catalog
Sharing and Resharing
Sharing
Sharing means making your products visible to buyers through pricelists. Buyers see the products you include and the prices you set.
Resharing
Resharing means taking products from a vendor you buy from and adding them to your own catalog to sell to your buyers.
What happens when resharing:
You select products from your vendor's catalog
You set your own pricing (markup percentage or fixed prices)
Products appear in your catalog as if they're your own
When the vendor updates product details, your catalog updates automatically
Your buyers only see YOU as the source - they never see your vendor
When you receive an order for a reshared product, you typically order it from your vendor to fulfill
What does NOT happen:
Resharing does not copy the product - it creates a live link to the vendor's product
Your buyers cannot see who your vendor is
Your vendor cannot see who your buyers are
Deleting a reshared product from your catalog does not affect your vendor's product
Orders vs. Offers
Orders
An order is a committed purchase request from a buyer to a vendor with specific line items, quantities, and pricing.
What happens with orders:
Both buyer and vendor can see order details and status
Status progresses through stages (Pending → Confirmed → Shipped → Delivered)
Order totals are calculated automatically based on quantities and pricing
Orders create a record for both parties
Offers
An offer is a proposal or quote that can be negotiated before becoming an order.
What happens with offers:
Either buyers or vendors can create offers
Offers can include custom pricing or discounts
Offers can have expiration dates
Offers can be accepted, rejected, or countered
Accepted offers can be converted to orders
What does NOT happen:
Creating an offer does not commit to a purchase
An expired offer does not automatically become an order
Offers do not reserve inventory until converted to orders
Vendor vs. Buyer Relationships
The same account can act as both vendor and buyer - these are roles, not account types:
Acting as Vendor: When you're selling products to others
You manage your catalog, set pricing, create pricelists
You receive orders from buyers
You fulfill orders and update order status
Acting as Buyer: When you're purchasing from suppliers
You browse vendor catalogs
You place orders with vendors
You track order status and delivery
Resellers (Both Vendor and Buyer)
Resellers operate as both vendor and buyer simultaneously:
Source products from upstream vendors (acting as buyer)
Reshare products to downstream buyers (acting as vendor)
Apply markup to vendor pricing
Maintain complete privacy of supply chain
Relationship Privacy
When you reshare vendor products to your buyers:
Your buyers only see YOU as the source
Your buyers cannot see who your vendors are
Your vendors cannot see who your buyers are
Each party in the chain only sees one level up and one level down
What does NOT happen:
Resharing does not expose your vendor relationships
Buyers cannot bypass you to contact your vendors through StockApp
Vendors cannot contact your buyers directly
StockApps (Companies)
A StockApp is a separate business workspace with its own products, contacts, and orders. In the platform, your StockApps appear as "Your companies."
What happens with multiple StockApps:
Each StockApp operates independently
Switching StockApps changes your entire working context
You can be invited to join other companies' StockApps as a teammate
What does NOT happen:
Data does not sync between StockApps
Orders in one StockApp do not appear in another
Contacts in one StockApp are not automatically in another
Products from one StockApp are not visible in another unless explicitly shared
Contacts vs. Companies
Contacts
Contacts are individual people you interact with. Each contact has:
Name and email
Association with a company (optional)
Personal notes
Companies
Companies are business entities - vendors you buy from or buyers you sell to. Each company has:
Business name and details
Multiple contacts associated with it
Relationship type (vendor, buyer, or both)
The Directory manages both contacts and companies, helping you organize your business network.
Permissions and Roles
StockApp uses a role-based permission system for team members. Each company workspace comes with built-in roles:
Super Admin: Full control over the workspace, including settings, users, billing, and all features
User Admin: Can manage users and permissions
Developer: Access to developer tools and API credentials
Default Vendor Manager: Can manage products, inventory, orders, and most vendor settings
Default Sales Rep: Access to sales-related features and order management
In addition to the built-in roles, admins can create custom roles with specific permission sets tailored to their team's needs.
Permissions are set per StockApp - you can have different roles in different company workspaces.
What does NOT happen:
Roles from one StockApp do not carry over to another
Custom roles created in one workspace are not available in other workspaces
Common Terms
Term | Meaning |
Catalog | Your collection of products |
Inventory | Stock levels for each product or variant |
SKU | Stock Keeping Unit - unique identifier for a product or variant |
UPC/GTIN | Universal Product Code - standardized barcode number |
Lead Time | How long it takes to fulfill an order after receiving it |
Markup | Percentage or amount added to vendor's cost when reselling |
Reshare | Adding a vendor's product to your own catalog with your pricing |
Storefront | The buyer-facing view of your products (what buyers see) |
Workspace | Your internal view of products (what you see as vendor) |
Impersonation | Viewing your catalog as a specific buyer would see it |