Reference
Pick list template: the exact columns that make picking fast
A copyable pick list structure — the six columns that matter, the two everyone adds by mistake, a filled example you can rebuild in Sheets, and when a template stops scaling.
By Bastien HugonFounder & Engineer8 min readPublished July 9, 2026
TL;DR
A working pick list needs exactly six columns: checkbox, bin location, SKU, product title + variant, total quantity, notes — sorted by bin, one line per distinct item with quantities summed across orders. Leave out prices and customer data (wrong document) and per-order columns (that is what packing slips are for). Copy the example below into Sheets, or let an app generate it from your real orders.
Templates fail in two directions: too thin (a bare product list that sends the picker hunting) or too fat (a spreadsheet with fourteen columns where the quantity hides). The six-column structure below is what stays after removing everything pickers do not read mid-walk — each column earns its place by answering a question that occurs *at the shelf*.
The six columns, and why each exists
| Column | Question it answers | Format notes |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ Checkbox | Where was I? | First column, big enough for a pen tick |
| Bin | Where do I walk? | Zero-padded codes — the sort key |
| SKU | Is this exactly the right item? | Monospaced; the disambiguator for look-alikes |
| Item — variant | What am I grabbing? | Title normal, variant bold (size/color mis-picks die here) |
| Qty | How many, total? | Summed across the batch — big type, right-aligned |
| Notes | Anything unusual? | Fragile, bundle component, oversize — usually empty |
A filled example (12 orders consolidated)
| ☐ | Bin | SKU | Item — variant | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | A-02 | TEE-BLK-M | Classic Tee — Black / M | 7 | |
| ☐ | A-02 | TEE-BLK-L | Classic Tee — Black / L | 4 | |
| ☐ | A-07 | TEE-WHT-S | Classic Tee — White / S | 2 | |
| ☐ | B-01 | MUG-11-WH | Diner Mug — 11oz / White | 9 | fragile |
| ☐ | B-04 | CAP-NVY | Dad Cap — Navy | 3 | |
| ☐ | C-03 | TOTE-NAT | Canvas Tote — Natural | 5 | 2× from Starter Kit bundle |
| ☐ | C-09 | STCK-PK3 | Sticker Pack — 3-pack | 6 | 3× from Starter Kit bundle |
Read the two bundle lines: the batch contained three 'Starter Kit' orders, and the kit's components appear as themselves, at summed quantities, with the note marking their origin — the only bundle handling that survives contact with a shelf. Header-wise, a date, batch name and order count ('Batch 2026-07-09 · 12 orders') is all the metadata a printed list needs.
What to leave off (on purpose)
- Customer names and addresses — picking touches no customer data; that lives on the packing slip, and keeping it off the list is also the privacy-clean default.
- Prices — nobody charges anyone at a shelf.
- Per-order breakdown columns — the moment quantities split by order, the list stops being consolidated and the walk doubles. Order assembly happens at the bench, against slips.
- Product photos — they bloat the print and answer a question ('what does it look like?') that SKU + shelf labels answer better.
Building it in Sheets vs generating it
- 01
Spreadsheet route (fine to ~10 orders/day)
Six headers as above; export the day's orders from Shopify (Orders → Export → current page, CSV), pivot line items by SKU summing quantities, VLOOKUP the bin from a locations tab, sort by bin, print. Twenty minutes of setup, ten minutes every morning thereafter.
- 02
Feel the ceiling
The manual pivot breaks exactly where it matters: order edits after export, bundles that need exploding, natural sort (A-10 lands before A-2 alphabetically), and the ten daily minutes nobody automates away.
- 03
Generate from live orders instead
A pick list app reads the orders you select and emits this same structure — totals, natural bin sort, bundles split — as a print-ready PDF in seconds, with no export step to go stale.
Doing this with Solvi Pick Lists
Solvi Pick Lists generates exactly this template from your real orders: checkbox column, natural-sorted bins, SKU, bold variants, summed quantities, bundle components with their origin noted — select the batch, download the PDF. The free plan's five lists a month replace five mornings of spreadsheet pivoting, which is usually all the convincing the spreadsheet needs.
Frequently asked questions
What columns should a pick list have?
Six: a checkbox, bin location, SKU, product title with the variant emphasized, total quantity, and a notes column. Sorted by bin location, one row per distinct item with quantities summed across all orders in the batch. Anything more is usually another document leaking in.
Should a pick list show order numbers?
Not per line — per-order data belongs to packing. A batch header ('12 orders, 2026-07-09') plus per-order packing slips at the bench is the clean split. The exception: single-order pick lists for very large orders, where the order number is the batch name.
How do I make a pick list in Excel or Google Sheets?
Export the day's orders from Shopify as CSV, pivot line items by SKU summing quantity, add bin locations via lookup from a locations sheet, sort by bin, and print with the six-column layout above. It works honestly at small volume; the daily export-pivot-sort loop is what apps automate.
Is there a standard pick list format?
No formal standard exists — warehouses converge on the same structure because the shelf asks the same questions everywhere: where, what exactly, how many. The six-column layout on this page is that convergence; adapt the notes column to your quirks and keep the rest boring.
Related guides
How-to
How to print one pick list for multiple Shopify orders
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Reference
How to reduce picking errors: 8 causes and their fixes
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Pick list vs packing slip: the difference, and when you need each
A pick list tells your team what to collect from the shelves; a packing slip tells your customer what is in the box. Definitions, a side-by-side table, and how the two documents work together in Shopify.
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Do this in minutes with Solvi Pick Lists
Turn selected orders into one consolidated pick list — sorted, bundle-aware, printed in order.