Pre-Shipment Inspection Checklist
51 checks in the order you actually walk the factory: preparation, production, cartons, appearance, function, labels and sampling. Tick them on your phone or print the page — nothing is gated, nothing is emailed to you to unlock.
Nothing ticked yet.
1. Before you travel
0/6Most failed inspections are decided before anyone reaches the factory: wrong PO revision, unapproved sample, no agreed defect definitions.
2. Factory and production verification
0/7Before you inspect the product, confirm you are standing in the right factory and looking at your order — not a sample line or another customer's stock.
3. Quantity, cartons and packing
0/8Damage and short-shipment claims are won or lost on carton evidence. This is the section buyers skip and regret.
4. Product appearance and workmanship
0/8Appearance defects are the ones your customer sees first, and the ones that are hardest to argue about after the container has sailed.
5. Dimensions, function and safety
0/8This is where a shipment stops being "looks fine" and starts being measurable. Measure, test, and record the numbers.
6. Labels, manuals and compliance
0/7A perfect product with a wrong label is a rejected shipment at the border, and a customer complaint in the marketplace.
7. Sampling, testing and the result
0/7Sampling turns 51 tick-boxes into a defensible accept or reject decision — and a written action the factory cannot dispute later.
Your ticks are saved in this browser only.
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Your numbers
Want the editable Excel version?
The checklist above is free and complete. The Excel version is for teams and inspectors: fillable rows, a defect log, a photo index and a signed result block. Enter your details and it downloads automatically.
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Send the product, order quantity and factory address. Our QC team in Guangzhou attends the inspection, works this checklist, applies AQL sampling and sends you the report with photos before the goods are loaded.
Three steps on the factory floor
Open it before you travel
Read the preparation section the day before and settle the AQL level, sample size and defect definitions with the factory in writing.
Tick as you work
Work section by section on your phone. Ticks are saved in the browser, so you can close the page and come back.
Turn ticks into evidence
Where an item fails, photograph it and record the unit number — then write it into the inspection report with the AQL result.
Questions buyers ask before their first inspection
Is this checklist free, and do I have to give my email?
The checklist on this page is free and complete, with no signup and no email gate — use it online, print it or save it as a PDF. The only thing behind a form is the editable Excel version, which is useful for teams running several inspections.
What is the difference between this checklist and an inspection report?
The checklist is what you are going to check, in the order you check it — preparation, on-site verification and sampling. The inspection report is the record of what you found: defects, photos, measurements and the final PASS/FAIL against AQL. Use them together: the checklist drives the visit, the report is what you send your customer or supplier.
Which AQL level should I use?
For most consumer goods, AQL 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor defects is the common starting point; higher-value or safety-related products are often inspected at 1.5 and 2.5. Critical defects are normally zero tolerance. Sample sizes for your lot quantity come from the AQL table (ISO 2859-1).
Do I have to check every carton?
No. You count all the cartons and inspect a sample of units per the AQL sample size. Carton quality is also inspected on a sample — marks, gross weight, board grade, drop test — unless the risk in your product is packaging-driven, in which case inspect more cartons, not fewer.
Can I use this if I cannot be in China?
Yes — this is the exact sequence our own QC team works through on site, including the evidence photos and the AQL result. Send us the product and order quantity and we run it for you, with a written report and photos before the container is loaded.
The four tools that cover an inspection
This checklist is what you check. The AQL table tells you how many units to sample. The report template is where you record the result. The RFQ template is what prevents the defect in the first place.
AQL Sampling Table
How many units to inspect for your lot size, at AQL 1.5 / 2.5 / 4.0 — with the accept and reject numbers.
Inspection Report Template
The fill-in report: checkpoints, defect log, photo index and a signed PASS/FAIL result.
RFQ Template
Prevent the defect before production: one inquiry file every supplier answers the same way.
QC Inspection Service
Cannot be at the factory? Our team works this checklist on site and sends the report with photos.
China–Europe Shipping Calculator
What the freight will cost door-to-door: DDP/DAP rates by postcode zone, weight band and surcharges, from a rate card dated 9 September 2026.
Why is this checklist free?
Because our inspectors use it on every pre-shipment inspection. You get all 51 checks in the order they are actually worked through, plus a progress bar, a print view and the same file our own team starts from. No signup, no email wall, no watermark.
Source and date: published by the QC team at Sourcing Agent China, Guangzhou; last updated September 2026. Built from real pre-shipment inspections across electronics, furniture, hardware and building products.
Want someone on the ground to run it?
Send the product, order quantity and factory address. Our QC team in Guangzhou attends the inspection, works this checklist, applies AQL sampling and sends you the report with photos before the goods are loaded.