---
title: "Customize the back in stock email notification"
description: "Design the back in stock email customers receive: its subject, content, colors, and branding, using the Customize email button."
url: https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-email-alert/
product: "Back in Stock"
section: "Alerts / Email and SMS"
last_updated: 2026-10-13
---

# Customize the back in stock email notification

> Design the back in stock email customers receive: its subject, content, colors, and branding, using the Customize email button.

Use this guide to design the back in stock email customers receive: its subject, heading, description, button, footer, colors, and branding. You do this from the **Customize email** button on the Notifications sub-tab. By the end, customers who signed up for the "Notify me" waitlist will get an email in your own style as soon as the product restocks.

> **Note**
>
> This article covers the **standard** email template's content and styling. For the signup button and popup form customers use to join the waitlist, see [Design the Notify Me Button](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/design-notify-me-button/) and [Design the Signup Form](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/design-signup-form/).

## Before you begin

| You'll need | Why |
|---|---|
| Nothing, to design it | You can open **Customize email** and edit the email even with the Email alerts channel switched off |
| The Email alerts channel on, to actually send | For the email to reach customers, the email channel has to be enabled. See [Turn on email and SMS channels](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-channels/). Designing the email and enabling the channel are separate steps |
| A paid plan | Required for a custom sending address, custom HTML templates, and removing the STOQ watermark |

## What customers will see

- Each notification in your sequence (the immediate restock alert, plus any reminder notifications you've configured) has its own independent email content and styling, so editing one does not affect the others.
- The email is translated automatically if you have multi-language support enabled and the customer's locale differs from your store's default; product titles are translated too when available.
- The subject, heading, description, footer, and any custom HTML template support Liquid variables like product title, SKU, price, checkout link, and customer name, so the email is personalized per recipient. See [Variables you can use](#variables-you-can-use).

> **Note**
>
> The live preview and test emails show a **sample** product (a placeholder, by default a shirt) unless you click **Preview with my product**. This is not what customers receive: real alerts always render with the actual restocked product and variant.

## Set it up

On a phone, this menu is collapsed. In the **Shopify mobile app**, tap the **STOQ** logo at the top of the screen to open it, then choose the section named below. There is no hamburger icon. See [Finding the STOQ menu](https://help.stoqapp.com/general/getting-started-with-stoq/#finding-the-stoq-menu).

1. **Open Back in stock alerts**

   In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, click **Back in stock alerts**.

2. **Open the Notifications sub-tab**

   1. Click the **Settings** tab.
   2. Open the **Notifications** sub-tab.

   [Image: The Notifications sub-tab under Back in stock alerts Settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/notifs.png)

3. **Choose which notification to design**

   In the notification sequence at the top (**When you restock** and any reminder like **Wait 1 day**), select the one whose email you want to design. Each has its own email.

4. **Click Customize email**

   Scroll to the **Email & SMS templates** section and click **Customize email** at the bottom of it. This opens the email editor on the **Email template** tab.

   [Image: The back in stock email editor with the Content section in the sidebar](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/custemail.png)

5. **Open the section you want to edit**

   The editor has a live preview on the right and a list of sections on the left. Click the section that holds what you want to change, then edit its fields. Your changes appear in the preview instantly. Click **Save** to publish them.

   | Section | What you edit there |
   |---|---|
   | **Content** | The logo, subject, pre-header, heading, description, action button, footer, unsubscribe text, and the "Powered by STOQ" watermark. This is where most edits happen |
   | **Colors & styles** | Text, section, and background colors, corner radius, fonts and font sizes, and custom CSS |
   | **Address** | The "from" name and address customers see |
   | **Send emails through** | Whether STOQ sends the email or a connected platform like Klaviyo does |
   | **Social links** | Social media profile links shown as icons in the footer |
   | **Integrations** | Judge.me product reviews in the email, if you use Judge.me |

   [Image: The email editor with its section list and live preview](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/sec.png)

> **Note**
>
> Each notification you selected in the sequence (the restock alert and each reminder) has its own template. Editing one doesn't change the others.

## What you can edit

### Content

This is the main section. It holds:

- **Logo**: upload a logo image. The logo can't be resized here; to change its size, add a rule to the **Custom CSS** field targeting `td.logo-container .logo`. See [Custom CSS selectors](#custom-css-selectors).
- **Subject**: the email subject line customers see in their inbox.
- **Pre-header**: the short preview text shown next to the subject in most inboxes. If left blank, it falls back to the heading text.
- **Heading**: the large text at the top of the email body.
- **Description**: supporting text under the heading.
- **Button**: the call-to-action. Set the **Button text** (for example "Buy now"), where **Take customer to** links (**Checkout** or the **Product page**), and its corner radius, text color, and background color.
- **Footer** and **Unsubscribe text**: the closing text and the unsubscribe link label at the bottom.
- **Show 'Powered by STOQ' watermark**: a checkbox to show or hide STOQ branding. Hiding it requires a **paid plan**.
- **Use HTML template**: switch from the standard fields above to your own HTML (paid plan). See [Use a custom HTML email template](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-custom-html-email/).

### Colors & styles

- **Text**, **section**, and **background** colors, and the overall **corner radius**.
- **Email font**, and separate font sizes for the **heading** and **description**.
- **Custom CSS**: add your own CSS rules; use the **Selectors** link to see which class names are available to target.

### Custom CSS selectors

The email is a table-based HTML template, so you target its elements with the selectors below. You often need `!important` to override STOQ's own inline styles. This is the same list the editor's **Selectors** link shows.

| Selector | What it targets |
|---|---|
| `body .email-container` | The div containing all email elements |
| `td.logo-container` | The cell holding the store logo |
| `td.logo-container .logo` | The logo image |
| `td .header` | The header text |
| `td .description p` | The description paragraphs |
| `td.product-container .product-image` | The product image |
| `td.button-container` | The cell holding the button |
| `td.button-container .buy-button` | The main call-to-action button |
| `td .footer a` | The footer text links |
| `td .unsubscribe a` | The unsubscribe link |

### Address

Set the **From name** customers see, and choose whether to send from STOQ's default address or your own custom domain address (a paid feature that needs DKIM setup). See [Change your sender address](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-sender-address/).

### Send emails through

Choose the platform that sends this email: STOQ's built-in sender, or a connected provider like Klaviyo or Postscript. If you pick a third-party platform, the **Content**, **Colors & styles**, and **Address** fields are managed in that platform instead and are disabled here. See [Back in Stock Email Delivery Channels](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-channels/).

### Social links

Add profile URLs for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, X (Twitter), YouTube, and WhatsApp to show clickable social icons in the email, and choose the icon color (white or black).

[Image: The Social links section with profile URL fields](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/socialinks.png)

### Integrations

If you use Judge.me, turn on **Judge.me product reviews** to include review content in the email.

## Variables you can use

These are the variables the **Variables** button next to each field offers. Click **Variables**, then **Add to field** next to the one you want, or type it yourself. Each is replaced with the customer's real data when the email sends.

Variable names are lowercase and must match exactly: `{{product.sku}}` works, `{{product.SKU}}` does not.

### Store and customer

| Variable | What it shows |
|---|---|
| `{{shop.domain}}` | Your store's domain |
| `{{shop.name}}` | Your store name, as set in the sender's **From name** |
| `{{shop.logo_url}}` | The link to the logo you uploaded under **Content** |
| `{{customer.name}}` | The customer's full name |
| `{{customer.first_name}}` | The customer's first name |
| `{{customer.last_name}}` | The customer's last name |
| `{{customer.email}}` | The customer's email address |

### Product

| Variable | What it shows |
|---|---|
| `{{request.quantity}}` | The quantity the customer asked to be notified about |
| `{{product.title}}` | The product name, like "Floral Shirt" |
| `{{product.variant_title}}` | The variant name, like "Medium" |
| `{{product.sku}}` | The variant's SKU. Blank if the variant has no SKU |
| `{{product.title_incl_variant}}` | Product and variant name together, like "Floral Shirt - Medium" |
| `{{product.vendor}}` | The product's vendor |
| `{{product.price}}` | The variant's price |
| `{{product.compare_at_price}}` | The variant's compare-at price, exactly as set in Shopify. Blank if the variant has none |
| `{{product.currency}}` | Your store's currency code, like USD |
| `{{product.product_handle}}` | The product's URL handle |
| `{{product.image_url}}` | The link to the product image |
| `{{product.checkout_url}}` | A link that adds the variant to the cart and opens checkout |
| `{{product.product_page_url}}` | A link to the product page |
| `{{product.unsubscribe_url}}` | The customer's unsubscribe link |

### Judge.me reviews

These appear in the list only once Judge.me is connected. They show blank when the product has no published reviews.

| Variable | What it shows |
|---|---|
| `{{reviews.average_rating}}` | The product's average star rating |
| `{{reviews.count}}` | The product's number of reviews |

A [custom HTML template](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-custom-html-email/) also offers a loop over the top reviews, which adds each review's rating, reviewer name, and text.

## Check your setup

1. **(Optional) Preview with a real product**

   Below the live preview, click **Preview with my product** and pick one of your products, so the preview and test email use real product details instead of placeholders. The preview then reads **Previewing [product]**, with **Change** and **Reset** links to swap or clear it.

   [Image: The Preview with my product option below the live preview](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preview.png)

2. **Send a test email to yourself**

   1. Click **Send test email** below the preview.
   2. In the **Send test email** dialog, enter the **Email address** to send to.
   3. Click **Send**. A copy of the email arrives with your current settings applied.

   [Image: The Send test email link below the email preview](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/test.png)

3. **Check formatting on a real device**

   Open the test email on both desktop and mobile to confirm your custom colors, fonts, and any custom CSS render as expected.

4. **Confirm live sends after a real restock**

   After restocking a product with pending signups, check the **Back in stock alerts** activity to confirm the alert was sent to real customers with your new content. For a controlled runthrough before going live, see [Test Back in Stock Alerts](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/test-back-in-stock-alerts/).

The live preview and **Send test email** button are available with STOQ's built-in email sender. Custom HTML templates show "No preview available" in the editor, and if you send through Klaviyo or Postscript you preview and test inside that platform instead.

## Troubleshooting

### You can't find where to edit the email

On the **Notifications** sub-tab, scroll to the **Email & SMS templates** section and click **Customize email** at the bottom of it. Inside the editor, the fields are grouped into sections in the left list: **Content** holds the subject, heading, description, and button; **Colors & styles** holds colors and fonts.

### Most content fields are greyed out

You're sending this alert through a third-party platform, such as Klaviyo or Shopify Flow, instead of the built-in STOQ sender. Edit the content in that platform instead; see [Back in Stock Email Delivery Channels](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-channels/).

### Your custom sending address isn't being used yet

It needs DKIM authentication. Download the DNS records from the editor and add them at your domain host. Until they're verified, emails keep sending from the default STOQ address.

### "Powered by STOQ" checkbox is locked

Hiding the watermark requires a paid plan.

### Custom CSS isn't applying to the elements you expect

Use the **Selectors** link in the editor to check which class names are available to target.

### Use HTML template isn't available

This feature requires a paid plan.

## FAQ

### When exactly does the back-in-stock email send?

It sends automatically as soon as the product's available inventory rises to or above your **Minimum restock quantity** (by default, any stock above zero counts), for every customer with a pending signup for that product or variant. If you've set up reminder notifications, those send a set number of days later to customers who still haven't purchased while the item remains in stock. See [Set a Minimum Restock Quantity](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-minimum-quantity/) to adjust the threshold.

### Does changing the email content affect emails already sent?

No. A content or style change only applies to emails sent after you save; any alert already delivered to a customer keeps the content it was sent with.

### Can I have different email content for the first alert versus a reminder?

Yes. Each notification in your sequence (the initial alert and any reminders) has its own separate email template, so you can write different subject lines and content for each.

### Can I save a second, alternative email template to switch between?

Not as a spare "slot" you swap in and out. STOQ keeps one email template per notification in the sequence: one for the restock alert, and a separate one for each reminder you add. You can't save multiple interchangeable versions of the same alert email. If you're looking to give certain products a different look, note that the per-product templates on the **Products** tab only change the storefront **Notify me button and signup form**, not the email. See [Customize the Notify me widget for specific products](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/per-product-back-in-stock-templates/).

### Can I send a different email for different products?

No. The back in stock email is one template for your whole store (plus a separate one for each reminder stage), automatically filled with each product's title, image, price, and link through Liquid variables. It's the same email design for every product. The per-product templates on the **Products** tab change the storefront **Notify me button and signup form**, not the email. See [Customize the Notify me widget for specific products](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/per-product-back-in-stock-templates/).

### Can I show the product's SKU in the email?

Yes. Add `{{product.sku}}` to the subject, heading, description, or a custom HTML template. It shows the SKU of the variant the customer signed up for, or nothing if that variant has no SKU. See [Variables you can use](#variables-you-can-use).

### Can I show the sale price next to the original price?

Yes. Add this where you want the price, for example in the description or a custom HTML template:

```liquid
{% if product.compare_at_price %}<s>{{product.compare_at_price}} {{product.currency}}</s> {% endif %}{{product.price}} {{product.currency}}
```

When the variant has a compare-at price, customers see it struck through, then the price, like ~~99.00 EUR~~ 79.00 EUR. When it has none, only the price shows. STOQ passes the compare-at price through exactly as you set it in Shopify and doesn't check that it's higher than the price, so clear it in Shopify when a sale ends. STOQ reads both prices from Shopify when the email sends, so the email matches your storefront at that moment.

### Can I remove the 'Powered by STOQ' text from the email?

Yes, on a paid plan. There's a checkbox in the content editor to hide the watermark; on the free plan this option is locked.

### Can I fully redesign the email layout, not just colors and text?

Yes, with a custom HTML template (paid-plan feature). You write your own HTML and insert STOQ's Liquid variables for product/customer data, replacing the standard template entirely.

### Does editing the email template affect the signup button or popup form on my storefront?

No. The email template only affects the notification email. The button and popup form customers see on your store are configured separately, see [Design the Notify Me Button](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/design-notify-me-button/) and [Design the Signup Form](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/design-signup-form/).

## Related guides

- [Set Up Back in Stock Alerts](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/set-up-back-in-stock-alerts/): Get the full alerts flow running end to end.
- [Test Back in Stock Alerts](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/test-back-in-stock-alerts/): Send yourself a real restock alert before going live.
- [Back in Stock SMS Alerts](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-sms-alerts/): Customize the SMS version of the restock notification.
- [Back in Stock Email Delivery Channels](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/back-in-stock-channels/): Choose between the built-in sender and third-party providers.