Learn how to enable or disable the "Continue selling when out of stock" setting in Shopify and STOQ for preorder products.

Overview

The "Continue selling when out of stock" setting in Shopify allows customers to purchase products even when inventory reaches zero. This setting is essential for preorders because it enables customers to buy products that aren't currently in stock. Without this setting enabled, out-of-stock products would show as unavailable, and customers couldn't place preorders. This guide explains what the setting does and how to enable or disable it in both Shopify admin and the STOQ app.

What is Continue Selling?

The "Continue selling when out of stock" setting is a Shopify inventory option that controls what happens when a product's inventory reaches zero.

When Disabled (Default)

• Products show as "Sold out" when inventory is zero.
• Customers cannot add the product to their cart.
• The "Add to Cart" button is replaced with a "Sold out" message.

When Enabled

• Products remain purchasable even when inventory is zero.
• Customers can add the product to their cart and complete checkout.
• This allows for preorders, backorders, or made-to-order products.

Important: For preorders to work in STOQ, products must have "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled. Without this setting, customers cannot purchase out-of-stock products, and the preorder button will not function correctly.

Enabling Continue Selling in Shopify Admin

You can enable the Continue Selling setting directly in your Shopify admin for individual products or variants.

For Products Without Variants

1. Log into your Shopify admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to Products in the left menu.
3. Click on the product you want to update.
4. Scroll down to the Inventory section.
5. Make sure Track quantity is enabled (this allows Shopify to track inventory levels).
6. Check the box for Continue selling when out of stock.
7. Click Save in the top right corner.

For Products With Variants

If your product has multiple variants (like different sizes or colors), you need to enable the setting for each variant:

1. Navigate to the product in your Shopify admin.
2. Scroll down to the Variants section.
3. Click on the specific variant you want to update.
4. In the variant details, scroll to the Inventory section.
5. Check the box for Continue selling when out of stock.
6. Click Save.
7. Repeat for each variant that should allow preorders.

Tip: To update multiple variants at once, use Shopify's bulk editor. Select multiple variants and edit the inventory settings in bulk.

Enabling Continue Selling in STOQ

STOQ provides convenient ways to manage the Continue Selling setting without leaving the app.

When Adding Products to an Offer

When you add products to a preorder offer, STOQ checks if they have Continue Selling enabled. If any products don't have the setting enabled:

1. STOQ displays a warning banner indicating which products need the setting enabled.
2. Click the option to Enable Continue Selling for these products.
3. STOQ will automatically update the setting in Shopify for you.

Automatic Enable Option

STOQ can automatically enable Continue Selling when you add products to an offer:

1. Open your preorder offer in the STOQ app.
2. Go to the Products tab.
3. Look for the Update 'Continue Selling' option.
4. When enabled, STOQ will automatically turn on Continue Selling for any products added to this offer.

Toggling for Individual Products

You can toggle the Continue Selling setting for individual products directly from the offer editor:

1. Open your preorder offer in STOQ.
2. Go to the Products tab.
3. Find the product you want to update.
4. Click the toggle or button to enable/disable Continue Selling for that product.

Bulk Enable/Disable When Managing Offers

When enabling or disabling preorder offers in bulk, STOQ gives you options for handling the Continue Selling setting:

1. Select multiple offers from the Preorders > Offers list.
2. Choose to enable or disable the selected offers.
3. A modal appears asking how you want to handle Continue Selling:

• Turn on Continue Selling: Enable the setting for all products in these offers
• Turn off Continue Selling: Disable the setting for all products in these offers
• Don't change: Leave the current settings unchanged

Disabling Continue Selling

You may want to disable Continue Selling when you no longer want to accept preorders for a product.

In Shopify Admin

1. Navigate to the product in your Shopify admin.
2. Scroll to the Inventory section.
3. Uncheck Continue selling when out of stock.
4. Click Save.

In STOQ When Deleting an Offer

When you delete a preorder offer, STOQ asks if you want to disable Continue Selling for the products:

1. Open the offer you want to delete.
2. Click More > Delete offer
3. In the confirmation dialog, choose whether to disable Continue Selling:

• Yes: STOQ will disable Continue Selling for all products in this offer
• No: Continue Selling remains enabled, and you'll manage it manually

Warning: If you leave Continue Selling enabled after deleting a preorder offer, customers will still be able to purchase out-of-stock products. They will see a regular "Add to Cart" button instead of "Preorder", which may cause confusion.

When to Use Continue Selling

Understanding when to enable or disable this setting helps you manage your store effectively.

Enable Continue Selling When

• You want to accept preorders for out-of-stock products.
• You sell made-to-order or custom products.
• You want to gauge demand before restocking.
• You're launching a new product and want to accept orders before it's available.

Disable Continue Selling When

• You don't want to sell products that aren't in stock.
• You've ended a preorder campaign and the product is still out of stock.
• You want to show products as "Sold out" to create urgency.
• You're discontinuing a product.

Best Practices

Follow these recommendations for managing the Continue Selling setting effectively.

Keep Track of Enabled Products

• Regularly review which products have Continue Selling enabled.
• Disable the setting for products you no longer want to preorder.
• Use STOQ's offer management to keep track of preorder products.

Communicate with Customers

• When Continue Selling is enabled, make sure customers know they're placing a preorder.
• Use STOQ's disclaimer text to explain preorder terms.
• Send confirmation emails that clearly state the product is a preorder.

Manage Inventory Expectations

• Set realistic fulfillment timelines for preorder products.
• Update customers if shipping dates change.
• Consider using preorder limits to avoid overselling.

Known Limitations

The Continue Selling setting has some constraints to be aware of.

• The setting must be enabled for each variant individually if a product has multiple variants.
• Changing the setting in Shopify admin doesn't automatically update STOQ's display. Refresh the page to see current status.
• When STOQ bulk-updates Continue Selling for many products, it may take a few minutes to process. A banner will indicate when processing is complete.
• The setting only affects inventory tracking. It doesn't automatically create a preorder experience - you still need a preorder offer in STOQ.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with the Continue Selling setting, use this guide to identify and resolve common problems.

FAQs

Here are answers to common questions about the Continue Selling setting.

Q : Do I need to enable Continue Selling for every preorder product?

A: Yes, for out-of-stock preorders, each product (or variant) must have Continue Selling enabled. STOQ can help you enable this automatically when adding products to an offer, or you can enable it manually in Shopify admin.

Q : What happens if I disable Continue Selling while there are pending preorders?

A : Existing preorders are not affected. Customers who already placed preorders will still have their orders in your system. However, new customers will not be able to purchase the product until it's back in stock or you re-enable Continue Selling.

Q : Can I enable Continue Selling for in-stock products?

A : Yes, you can enable Continue Selling for products that have inventory. This is useful if you want to accept orders beyond your current stock level. STOQ also supports preorders for in-stock products with specific settings.

Q : Does Continue Selling work with inventory tracking disabled?

A : If you disable inventory tracking entirely, the product will always be available for purchase regardless of the Continue Selling setting. Continue Selling only applies when "Track quantity" is enabled.

Q : Why does STOQ ask about Continue Selling when I delete an offer?

A : When you delete a preorder offer, the products may still have Continue Selling enabled. If left enabled, customers could still purchase out-of-stock products but would see a regular "Add to Cart" button instead of "Preorder". STOQ asks so you can decide whether to disable the setting to prevent this confusion.

Q : Can I bulk-enable Continue Selling for all products in my store?

A : STOQ allows bulk-enabling Continue Selling for products within preorder offers. For store-wide changes, you can use Shopify's bulk editor or a CSV import to update multiple products at once.

Updated on: 25/01/2026