Adding a reagent takes three steps, because Labsistant is recording three different things at once. Understanding that split makes the form much easier to fill in.
The three things you are creating
| Step | What it describes | Example of what changes |
|---|---|---|
| Select Reagent | The substance itself, on your lab's master list. Its name, its default unit, its hazard level. | Stays the same every time you buy it. |
| Lot Information | The batch you received. Its lot number, supplier, dates, cost. | New every time a shipment arrives. |
| Inventory Item | The container on the shelf. Where it is, how much is in it, who owns it. | One per bottle or tube. |
So one reagent can have many lots, and one lot can have several containers.
Before you start
You need at least one storage location. If you have none, the third step shows "No Storage Locations" and a Go to Storage Locations button instead of the form. Create a location first. See Create a storage location.
Open the form
- Click Add Inventory in the top bar, or on the Inventory page.
- Choose Add Reagent. The dialog "Add Reagent to Inventory" opens.
Move between steps with Next and Back.
Step 1: Select Reagent
This step asks: which substance is this?
If the reagent is already on your master list, leave the "Add new reagent to master list?" toggle off and pick it from the Select Reagent dropdown. After selection, the preview shows its CAS number, default unit, and hazard level so you can check that you have the right one.
If it is new to your lab, turn the toggle on. A "New Reagent Details" section appears:
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reagent Name | Yes | |
| CAS Number | No | The substance's chemical registry identifier. See Lot numbers, CAS, hazard and expiry. |
| Default Supplier | No | Pre-fills the vendor in step 2 for this new reagent. |
| Category | No | |
| Default Unit | Yes | The unit this reagent is normally measured in. |
| Hazard Level | Yes | One of None, Low, Moderate, High, or Extreme. |
The reagent’s name, CAS number, category, unit, and hazard level are saved on the master list for future lots. The vendor choice pre-fills this lot only.
Step 2: Lot Information
This step asks: which batch is this?
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lot Number | Yes | Copy it from the container label or the certificate of analysis. Do not make one up. |
| Supplier | No | The supplier or distributor for this specific lot. |
| Received Date | No | |
| Expiry Date | Yes | If it is within 30 days, the form warns you that it expires soon. |
| Notes | No | Storage conditions, quality observations, anything worth remembering about this batch. |
| Cost | No | The purchase cost for this lot, in your lab's currency. Available on Team and Lab. |
The expiration date can be today or in the past, even before the received date. The form warns about expired or soon-to-expire stock instead of blocking the date.
If the lot number already exists for this reagent, the new container joins that lot and keeps its recorded expiration date. The form tells you when the date you picked differs from the existing lot.
Do not have the lot number yet? Do not invent one and do not use a filler value. See Lot numbers, CAS, hazard and expiry for how to record the item now and add the real lot number when it arrives.
Step 3: Inventory Item
This step asks: where is this container and who does it belong to?
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Location | Yes | Where the container physically lives. |
| Initial Quantity | Yes | How much is in this container right now. |
| Ownership | Yes | See below. |
| Sterile | No | Off by default. |
| RNase-Free | No | Off by default. |
| Alerts | No | Optional alerts that count stock or one container and specify who is told. |
Ownership
You are choosing who this container belongs to:
- My Personal Stock. Assigned to you. Other lab members can see it but it is yours.
- Team/Group. Shared with one specific group. Choosing this reveals a Select Team dropdown. If you have no groups yet, it says so.
- Shared Lab Stock. Available to everyone in the lab.
See Personal, group and lab: who sees what for how each option behaves.
Under Ownership, use Alerts to set stock warnings. Click Add alert, choose what Counts, enter a number greater than 0 in At or below, and choose Who is told. Read the sentence below the alert to check what it will do.
The alert amount uses the reagent’s unit. Ownership determines which stock can be counted and who can receive the alert. Leave Alerts empty to create no new alerts with this container.
Sterile and RNase-Free
Turn these on if this container is sterile or RNase-free. Both are off by default and both are recorded per container, not per reagent, since two bottles of the same lot can have different handling histories.
See Sterile and RNase-free flags before you rely on these.
Finish
The bottom of step 3 shows a Summary Preview: how much of what, going where, with the ownership and any flags. Check it, then click Add to Inventory.
You will get a confirmation that the reagent was added, and it appears on the Inventory page.
Adding more than one
This form adds one container. If you are unpacking a delivery, working from a spreadsheet, or recording a shelf you have never entered, use the bulk import instead: open Add Inventory in the top bar and choose Import inventory. It reads CSVs, supplier PDFs and photos, and you review everything before anything is created. See Import files: CSV, supplier PDFs and shelf photos. If the spreadsheet is still where your inventory actually lives, what changes when it stops being is worth reading first.