How to add “Notify Me” button to unpublished or draft Shopify themes
STOQ uses Shopify's app embed technology to display the "Notify Me" button on your store's product pages. When you first install STOQ, the app embed is automatically enabled on your published (live) theme. If you are working on an unpublished or draft theme and want the "Notify Me" button to appear there as well, you need to manually enable the STOQ app embed for that theme. This guide walks you through the process step by step.
Before You Begin
Make sure you meet the following requirements before enabling the app embed on an unpublished theme.
- Online Store 2.0 theme required — STOQ relies on app embed blocks, which are only available in Online Store 2.0 themes. If your unpublished theme is a legacy 1.0 theme, the app embed option will not appear.
- STOQ installed and active — You must have the STOQ app installed on your Shopify store.
- One theme at a time — STOQ only supports one active theme configuration at a time. If you have customized button colors, text, or form settings for your published theme, those same settings will apply to your unpublished theme. The button may look or behave differently if the unpublished theme has a different layout or structure.
How to Enable the App Embed on an Unpublished Theme
Follow these steps to add the "Notify Me" button to your unpublished or draft theme.
Step 1: Open the Shopify Theme Editor for Your Unpublished Theme
- Log in to your Shopify Admin dashboard.
- Go to Online Store > Themes.
- Find the unpublished or draft theme you want to work with in the theme list.
- Click the Edit Theme button next to that theme.
Step 2: Navigate to App Embeds
- In the Theme Editor, look at the top sidebar.
- Click the App embeds icon — it is typically the third icon in the left navigation bar (it looks like a small grid or puzzle piece).
Step 3: Enable the STOQ App Embed
- In the App embeds panel, find STOQ in the list of available app embeds.
- Toggle the switch to ON to enable the STOQ app embed for this theme.
- Click Save in the top-right corner of the Theme Editor.
Step 4: Preview the "Notify Me" Button
- While still in the Theme Editor, use the page selector at the top to navigate to any product page that has an out-of-stock variant.
- Confirm the "Notify Me" button appears in the correct position on the page.
- If the button does not appear, make sure the product you are viewing has at least one out-of-stock variant.
What Happens When You Publish the Theme
When you are ready to make your unpublished theme live, keep the following in mind.
- If you already enabled the STOQ app embed on the unpublished theme, the "Notify Me" button will continue to work after you publish it.
- If you switch from a theme that had the app embed enabled to a different theme without it, the button will stop appearing on your storefront. You will need to enable the app embed on the new theme as well.
- STOQ will show a warning banner inside the app if it detects that the app embed is disabled on your current live theme.
Troubleshooting
If you run into any issues enabling the app embed or seeing the "Notify Me" button on your unpublished theme, refer to the table below.
Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
"STOQ" does not appear in the App embeds list | Your theme is an Online Store 1.0 theme, which does not support app embeds | Switch to an Online Store 2.0 theme. STOQ does not support 1.0 themes. |
The toggle is ON but the button does not appear | You are viewing a product that is in stock or the page was not refreshed | Navigate to an out-of-stock product page and refresh the preview. |
The button looks different from your live theme | STOQ applies the same settings across themes, but layout differences can affect appearance | Adjust your button and form design from STOQ's Back in stock alerts page if needed. |
Changes are not saved after toggling | You closed the Theme Editor without saving | Re-open the Theme Editor, enable the toggle again, and click Save. |
The app embed is enabled but nothing shows on the preview storefront | The theme may be caching an older version of the page | Clear your browser cache or try viewing in an incognito/private window. |
FAQs
Q : Does STOQ automatically enable the app embed on all my themes?
A : No. STOQ only enables the app embed on your published (live) theme during initial setup. You must manually enable it on any unpublished or draft themes.
Q : Will my button customizations carry over to the unpublished theme?
A : Yes. STOQ uses the same settings across all themes. Your button colors, text, and form configuration will apply to the unpublished theme once the app embed is enabled. However, differences in theme layout may affect how the button is positioned.
Q : Can I use STOQ with an Online Store 1.0 theme?
A : No. STOQ requires app embed technology that is only available in Online Store 2.0 themes. If your theme is 1.0, you will need to upgrade to a 2.0-compatible theme to use STOQ.
Q : Do I need to re-enable the app embed after publishing the theme?
A : No. If you enabled the app embed on the unpublished theme before publishing it, the setting is saved to that theme and will remain active once it goes live.
Q : What if my "Notify Me" button is not positioned correctly on the unpublished theme?
A : Different themes have different page structures, so the button may appear in a different location. You can customize the button position from the STOQ app under Back in stock alerts. If you need further help, contact STOQ support.
Q : Can I enable the app embed on multiple unpublished themes at the same time?
A : Yes. You can enable the STOQ app embed on as many themes as you like. However, STOQ only actively supports one theme at a time, so the button configuration is shared across all of them.
Updated on: 12/04/2026
Thank you!