---
title: "Serial Number"
space: "Books"
url: "https://docs.frappe.io/books/serial-number"
updated: "2026-01-30"
---

If an Item is serialized, a Serial Number record is maintained for each unit of quantity of that Item. This information helps to track the location of the Serial Number. The Serial Number status will tell you its current Inventory status.

Enable Serial Numbers
---------------------

The Serial Number feature needs to be enabled first by checking the Enable Serial Number option under [Inventory Settings](https://github.com/frappe/books_docs/blob/master/inventory/settings)

To navigate to the list of Serial Numbers, open [Quick Search](https://github.com/frappe/books_docs/blob/master/miscellaneous/search) and then type "serial number list" and select the first option.

Serialized Items
----------------

Once you've [enabled](https://github.com/frappe/books_docs/blob/master/inventory/serial-number#enable-serial-number) Serial Number, you can mark an item as a serialized item by first checking **Track Item** and then **Has Serial Number**

[![Enable Has Serial Number](https://github.com/frappe/books_docs/raw/master/docs/inventory/images/item-has-serial-number.png)](https://github.com/frappe/books_docs/blob/master/docs/inventory/images/item-has-serial-number.png)  


::: info Track Item **Has Serial Number** can be enabled only if **Track Item** is set. :::

Mentioning Item Serial Number
-----------------------------

Once a Serial Number has been enabled for an [Item](https://github.com/frappe/books_docs/blob/master/entries/items), transactions involving the Item that update Inventory (such as Stock Movements, Shipments, and Purchases) must include the Serial Number.

This can be done by clicking the edit button on the table row and entering the Serial Number one per quantity.

[![Mentioning Serial Numbers](https://github.com/frappe/books_docs/raw/master/docs/inventory/images/mentioning-serial-number.png)](https://github.com/frappe/books_docs/blob/master/docs/inventory/images/mentioning-serial-number.png)  


::: info Serial Number Entry For each unit of quantity of a serialized Item a single Serial Number should be provided on a separate line. :::

Serial Number Status
--------------------

The status of a Serial Number changes depending on whether the transaction is an inward transaction (eg Purchase Receipt), or an outward transaction (eg Shipment).

A Serial Number can have one of three Status:



| Status | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Active | Serial Number is in stock and can be used only for outward transactions. |
| Inactive | Serial Number is not in stock and can be used only for inward transactions. |
| Delivered | Serial Number has been used for an outward transaction and cannot be used. |

Here is a table that shows how the status of a Serial Number changes:



| Status Change | Transaction |
| --- | --- |
| Inactive → Active | Inward transactions: Material Receipt or Manufacture (created) Stock Movement, Purchase Receipt |
| Active → Delivered | Outward transactions: Material Issue or Manufacture (used up) Stock Movement, Shipment |

If a transaction is cancelled then the Serial Number status is reverted.