Lots and expiration dates
Lot and expiration date tracking in the warehouse
Chainlink WMS records the lot and expiration date at receiving, including from GS1-128 labels, rejects lots without the minimum shelf life and allocates each outbound line to the lot that expires first (FEFO). The stock ledger records every movement.
- Available in
- All plans
- Control
- By lot, by serial number or neither
- Outbound
- FEFO, with an optional strict rule
Reviewed October 23, 2026 by the Business in a Wave team
Settings on each product
- Tracking by lot, by serial number or neither
- Expiration date per lot, which sets the FEFO order
- Minimum shelf life: the days a lot needs to be accepted
Capturing the lot at receiving
One GS1-128 scan provides the product, expiration date, lot and serial number. If an element is missing, the app requests it.
- A lot with less shelf life than the minimum stops the receipt
- An authorized user decides whether the lot is accepted
Shipping the earliest-expiring lot first
For each outbound line, Chainlink allocates the lot that expires first. Replenishment follows the same order.
- Strict FEFO (Professional and Enterprise): the app does not accept any other lot
- Essentials applies FEFO as a fixed setting
- Professional and Enterprise add rules such as no mixing of lots
Returns and lots on hold
Stock in quarantine is not allocated to any order until it is restocked.
- Returns are created from the original outbound document, with lots and serial numbers
- After inspection, each item is restocked, kept in quarantine, written off as shrinkage or returned to the supplier
The history of a lot
The stock ledger filtered by lot shows where the lot came from, where it was stored and which documents shipped it.
- Date, movement, quantity, origin, destination, user and document
- Stock by location, lot, serial number and pallet, with its status
Plan comparison
| Feature | Essentials | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot, expiration date and serial number, including from GS1-128 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum shelf life and FEFO picking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quarantine, returns and history by lot | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Configurable rules: strict FEFO, no mixing of lots | No | Yes | Yes |
How it is configured
Help center articles with the steps inside Chainlink.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
For any other question, contact sales.
Does Chainlink certify compliance with a health regulation? +
No. Chainlink records the lot, expiration date, location, user and time of each movement, which are the data an audit or a product recall requires. Compliance with a regulation depends on your company’s processes.
Can a product be tracked by serial number instead of lot? +
Yes. Each product is tracked by lot, by serial number or by neither. With serial numbers, the app requires the picked serial number to be registered in the location of the pick.
What happens to a lot that does not meet the minimum shelf life? +
Receiving stops with a message that states the remaining days and the product’s minimum. An authorized user decides whether the lot is accepted.
Subscribe to Chainlink online
Your instance is created when sign-up is complete, ready to set up your warehouse.
Essentials and Professional are purchased online by card: the first month and the implementation are charged at subscription. 30-day trial by invitation: request it from sales.