How to Set Up Bin Locations for Your Warehouse

Rudi van Buuren

Updated 16 May 2026

10 min read

Bin locations are the foundation of a properly-run warehouse. Without them, picking is a guessing game. With them, even a new staff member can find any product in under a minute. This guide explains how to plan your bin numbering, print labels, and get your stock into the right bins — even if you've never done it before.

Before you start

Fulnex account with WooCommerce already connected (see previous guide)
A walk-through of your warehouse space
A label printer OR adhesive label paper for A4 printing
Access to the free Fulnex Barcode Generator

1

Plan your bin numbering system

Before labelling a single shelf, decide on a numbering system. The most common is alphanumeric: a letter for the row, a number for the position (e.g. A-01, A-02, B-01).

Small warehouse (under 50 bins): Row-Position works fine (A-01)
Medium warehouse: add a shelf level (A-1-01 for row A, shelf 1, position 01)
Large warehouse: add a zone prefix (Z1-A-01 for Zone 1, row A, position 01)

Tip

Keep bin codes short — 5-8 characters total. Pickers see these on every screen, and shorter codes mean faster picking.

2

Walk your warehouse and sketch the layout

Take a piece of paper or a tablet and walk through your warehouse. Sketch the rows and shelves as you see them. Number them on paper before you label anything physical. This is the cheap way to catch numbering mistakes before you print labels.

Start at the entrance — that's usually Row A
Walk down the first aisle, number left-side positions first, then right
Move to the next aisle for Row B
Mark special bins separately: receiving (R-01), dispatch (D-01), returns (RT-01)

Tip

If you have 30 bins today, plan numbering for 60. It's much easier to skip numbers (A-01, A-03, A-05) than to renumber everything when you add new racks.

3

Print bin labels with barcodes

Use the free Fulnex Barcode Generator to print bin labels. Each label shows the bin code in text AND as a barcode. Pickers can read the text, but scanning is faster and prevents errors.

Open fulnex.cloud/free-barcode-generator
Paste your bin codes (one per line) into the input
Choose Code 128 format (best for barcode scanners and phone cameras)
Select a sheet layout that matches your printer
Print on adhesive label paper or A4 with double-sided tape
Cut and stick onto each physical bin location

Open the Barcode Generator

4

Add bins to Fulnex

Once your physical bins are labelled, register them in Fulnex so the system knows they exist and can route picks to them.

Log into Fulnex and navigate to Inventory or the Bins section
Click 'Add Bin' and enter the bin code (e.g. A-01)
Repeat for every physical bin in your warehouse
For bulk-add, use the CSV import feature if available on your plan

What you should see

After adding all bins, the Bins page in Fulnex shows the complete list. Each bin starts empty (zero stock) until you scan products into it.

5

Scan stock into bins

Now the big one — putting your existing stock into the right bins. This is a one-time effort that takes 2-4 hours for a small warehouse, a full day for a medium one. Open Fulnex on a cellphone (mobile interface) and start scanning.

Navigate to the Receiving or Bin Stock section in the mobile interface
Scan the bin label first (e.g. A-01)
Scan each product going into that bin
Enter the quantity, lot number (optional), and expiry date (optional for supplements/food)
Move to the next bin and repeat

Important

Don't try to make the layout perfect on day one. Just get stock into bins, even if some bins are sub-optimal. You can always reorganize later. The biggest mistake is paralysis — planning the 'perfect' layout for weeks instead of just starting.

6

Test a pick to verify everything works

Once stock is in bins, do a test pick end-to-end. This is your moment of truth. Either everything works smoothly, or you'll catch one last config issue.

Wait for a real order (or create a test order on WooCommerce)
In Fulnex, the pick list should appear automatically
Hand a phone to a picker — even someone untrained
Watch them go to the right bin, scan it, pick the product, scan, mark complete

What you should see

If the order is picked correctly and the stock count drops in Fulnex, your warehouse is operational. You're now running a real warehouse, not a chaotic stock room.

Troubleshooting

Scanning doesn't work on the cellphone

Make sure you've allowed camera access for fulnex.cloud in your phone's browser settings. Try using Chrome (Android) or Safari (iOS) — these have the best browser scanner support.

Bin codes show as not found

Double-check the bin code matches exactly between the label and the entry in Fulnex (including case and dashes). 'A-01' and 'A01' are different codes.

Stock count doesn't match physical count

Use the Stocktake feature to do a guided count. Fulnex will show what it thinks is in each bin — you scan and confirm the actual count, then commit adjustments.