Import your waitlist from another app

If you’re moving to STOQ from another back in stock app, you can bring your existing waitlist with you. You upload a CSV of who is waiting on which product, and STOQ recreates those requests so those customers still get notified when the product restocks. STOQ doesn’t connect to your old app directly, so you export the list yourself and upload it. You don’t need to reformat the file first: you match its columns to STOQ’s fields during the import.

Before you begin

Requirement	Detail
App installed	STOQ is installed on your Shopify store
Your old waitlist exported	A list of pending requests from your previous app, with at least each customer’s email and the product or variant they want
Admin access	Go to STOQ → Back in stock alerts in your Shopify admin

What customers will see

Importing doesn’t email anyone. Each imported row just joins the waitlist for its product or variant, exactly as if the customer had signed up on your store. Those customers get your normal restock alert later, when the product comes back in stock and meets your delivery settings.

Set it up

1. Open the Import data card

   1. In the STOQ admin, go to Back in stock alerts.
   2. Click the Settings tab.
   3. Open the Integrations sub-tab.
   4. Below the integrations section, find the Import data card and click it to expand the instructions.

   

2. Upload your CSV

   1. Export your pending requests from your old app as a CSV file. Keep the header row.
   2. Back in the Import data card, click Upload CSV.
   3. Choose your file.

   Your file can keep its own column names and order. It only needs a SKU or variant ID column and an email or phone column. See What goes in the CSV below for every column STOQ can read.

   

3. Map the columns and start the import

   STOQ shows a preview and lines up your columns against its fields. Check each one, fix any that didn’t match, and make sure SKU (or Variant ID) and an email or phone column are mapped. Then start the import.

What goes in the CSV

The file must be a CSV (.csv), not an Excel file, with a header row. Each row is one customer waiting on one variant. Column names don’t have to match STOQ’s: you map them in the import step.

If you’d rather start from a ready-made file, the Import data card links a STOQ Import Template (a Google Sheet with these columns and notes on each one). Make your own copy, fill it in, and export it to CSV. The template is optional.

Column	Required	What to put
SKU	Yes	The variant’s SKU, or its Shopify variant ID. STOQ uses this to match the request to the right product variant.
Email	One of email or phone	The customer’s email, so they can get email alerts.
Phone	One of email or phone	The customer’s phone in international format, like +14155551234, so they can get SMS alerts.
Name	No	Customer name, for your own reference.
Market	No	The market the request belongs to. Must match a market name or ID in your Shopify admin.
Quantity	No	How many units they want. Defaults to 1 if left blank.
GDPR confirmed	No	true or false, whether the customer gave consent. Defaults to false.
Accepts marketing	No	true or false, whether they opted into marketing. Defaults to false.
Language	No	The customer’s locale code, like en, fr, or de, so alerts send in their language.
Date	No	The original signup date, to keep customers in the right order. Use dd/mm/yyyy or mm/dd/yyyy.

Check your setup

The import runs in the background. STOQ emails a status update to your report email address when it finishes. You can also click View recent imports on the Import data card at any time to see recent imports and their status. Confirm the customers you added now appear on the waitlist for the right product or variant.

Troubleshooting

Your file won't upload

Make sure it’s saved as a CSV (.csv), not an Excel file.

Some rows don't import

Rows are skipped so they don’t block the rest. Check for:

1. A missing email or phone.
2. A SKU or variant ID that doesn’t match your catalog.
3. An unreadable date or phone number.
4. A blocked test or disposable email, like test@example.com or a mailinator.com inbox. The status report shows “Email address is blocked” for these rows. If the row also has a phone number, it imports as an SMS signup without the email.

Columns didn't map automatically

That’s expected when your header names differ from STOQ’s field names. Pick the right STOQ field for each column in the mapping step before you start the import.

You don't see the status email

Check the report email address in your STOQ settings, then resend it from View recent imports on the Import data card.

FAQ

Which apps can I import from?

Any app, as long as you can export your pending requests to a spreadsheet. STOQ doesn’t integrate with other back in stock apps to pull the data automatically, so you export your requests as a CSV, upload it, and match its columns to STOQ’s fields.

Do I have to use the STOQ Import Template?

No. The template is just a convenience. You can upload any CSV and map its columns to STOQ’s fields. Only a SKU (or variant ID) and an email or phone have to be present.

Do imported customers get an alert right away?

No. Importing only recreates the pending requests on the waitlist. Alerts go out later, when the product restocks and meets your delivery settings, the same as for someone who signed up directly on your store.

Will re-uploading the same file create duplicate signups?

No. A customer who is already on the waitlist for that same variant is skipped on a later import, so re-uploading a file, or importing overlapping lists, won’t create duplicates.

Where is the status email sent?

To the report email address configured in your STOQ settings. If it didn’t arrive, open View recent imports on the Import data card and resend the status report from there.

Can I run more than one import?

Yes. You can upload additional CSVs, for example to add customers you missed the first time. Each import is listed with its own status under View recent imports.

Why did some rows fail with a blocked email message?

Those rows use a test, placeholder or disposable email, such as test@example.com, an example.com address, or a yopmail.com or mailinator.com inbox. STOQ blocks these on every store because they aren’t real shoppers, and the list can’t be changed. The rest of your file still imports as normal.

Related guides

Set up alertsTurn on the Notify me widget and place your first test signup.

Delivery settingsControl when and how restock alerts are sent to your waitlist.

Channels and notificationsChoose how customers can sign up and how they're alerted.