How to send specific number of notifications manually

STOQ lets you manually send back-in-stock notifications to a specific number of customers rather than notifying everyone on the waitlist at once. When you click Send notifications from a product or variant's waitlist page, a popup appears with two options: send all notifications or send a specific set. Choosing the specific set option lets you enter an exact number, so only that many customers receive the alert. This feature works for both first-time sends from the Current waitlist tab and re-sends from the Notifications sent tab. You can also target a specific channel (email only or SMS only) using the dropdown next to the Send notifications button.

Why Send a Specific Number of Notifications

Controlling how many customers you notify gives you more flexibility when managing restocks.

• Match notifications to inventory. If you restocked 50 units, you can send exactly 50 notifications instead of alerting hundreds of customers who may not be able to purchase.
• Avoid overselling. Sending fewer notifications than your available stock helps prevent a rush of orders that exceeds your inventory, reducing the risk of cancelled orders and unhappy customers.
• Test before a full send. Send a small batch first to verify your email or SMS template looks correct before notifying your entire waitlist.
• Manage demand strategically. For high-demand products, you can stagger notifications over time to create a controlled buying experience and reduce server load on your store.
• Target specific channels. Use the channel dropdown to send only email or only SMS notifications, giving you control over which communication method reaches customers first.

How to Send a Specific Number of Notifications from the Current Waitlist

Follow these steps to send notifications to a specific number of customers who are waiting for a restock alert.

1. Open the STOQ app in your Shopify admin.
2. Go to Reports in the left menu.
3. In the Products in demand tab, find the product you want to notify customers for.
4. Click on the product name to open its waitlist page.
5. Make sure you are on the Current waitlist tab.
6. Click Send notifications at the top right of the waitlist.

• If the product is out of stock, a confirmation prompt asks if you are sure you want to notify customers. Click OK to proceed.

7. A popup appears with the title Send notifications for [Product Name] showing how many requests are available to notify.
8. Select Send a specific set of notifications.
9. Enter the number of notifications you want to send in the text field that appears.
10. Click Send.

STOQ processes the request and sends notifications to the specified number of customers from the waitlist. A toast message confirms that the request has been processed.

How to Send Notifications for a Specific Channel

You can choose to send only email or only SMS notifications instead of sending both.

1. Follow steps 1-5 from the section above to navigate to the product's Current waitlist tab.
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Send notifications button.
3. Select either Send email or Send SMS from the dropdown menu.
4. The same popup appears. Choose Send all or Send a specific set of notifications.
5. If sending a specific set, enter the number and click Send.

This sends notifications only through the selected channel. Customers who signed up via the other channel are not notified.

How to Resend Notifications from the Notifications Sent Tab

You can also resend notifications to customers who have already been notified, with the option to resend to a specific number.

1. Open the product's waitlist page from Reports > Products in demand.
2. Switch to the Notifications sent tab.
3. Click Re-send all to resend to everyone, or click the dropdown arrow next to it and select Re-send email or Re-send SMS.
4. A popup appears showing how many notifications are available to resend within the selected date range.
5. Select Send a specific set of notifications and enter the desired number.
6. Click Send.

This is useful for re-engaging customers who may not have acted on the first notification or for sending a follow-up through a different channel.

How to Send a Notification for a Single Customer

If you want to notify just one specific customer rather than a batch, you can do so directly from the waitlist table.

1. Navigate to the product's Current waitlist tab.
2. Find the customer in the table.
3. Click the Send button in that customer's row.
4. The notification is sent immediately to that individual customer.

Known Limitations

Keep these points in mind when sending specific numbers of notifications manually.

• Manual notifications are processed as a background job. For large numbers, there may be a brief delay before all notifications are delivered.
• The specific number you enter applies to the current waitlist view and date range filters. If you have date filters applied, only requests within that range are counted.
• You cannot undo a manual send once it has been processed. Double-check the number before clicking Send.
• If the product or variant has been deleted from Shopify, you cannot send notifications for it. STOQ displays a "Variant deleted" banner and disables the Send button.
• The Send notifications button is disabled when the waitlist has zero requests.
• Channel-specific sends (email only or SMS only) depend on your notification settings. If SMS is not configured, sending via SMS will not work.
• Re-sending notifications from the Notifications sent tab sends to customers who already received a notification. Use this carefully to avoid spamming customers.

Troubleshooting

FAQs

Q: What happens if I enter a number larger than the total waitlist?

A: STOQ sends notifications to all customers on the waitlist. The number you enter acts as a maximum limit, not a minimum. If the waitlist has 30 customers and you enter 100, all 30 receive notifications.

Q: Does sending a specific number follow first-come-first-served order?

A: Yes. STOQ processes the waitlist in chronological order based on when customers signed up. The first customers to register receive notifications first.

Q: Can I send notifications to a specific number and then send more later?

A: Yes. After the first batch is sent, those customers move to the Notifications sent tab. The remaining customers stay on the Current waitlist tab. You can return later and send another specific number or send all remaining notifications.

Q: Is there a difference between Send notifications and Re-send all?

A: Yes. Send notifications on the Current waitlist tab sends to customers who have not yet received a notification. Re-send all on the Notifications sent tab sends again to customers who have already been notified. Both support the specific number option.

Q: Can I send email to some customers and SMS to others at the same time?

A: Not in a single action. Use the channel dropdown to send email first, then repeat the process and select SMS. Each send action targets one channel at a time when using the channel dropdown. If you click the main Send notifications button without selecting a channel, STOQ sends via all configured channels.

Q: Do I need to disable automatic alerts to use manual sending?

A: No. You can use manual sending even when automatic alerts are enabled. However, if automatic alerts are active, customers may have already been notified when the product was restocked. Check the Notifications sent tab to see if alerts were already dispatched before sending manually.

Q: Will the notification count update immediately after I send?

A: The waitlist refreshes after the send request is processed. You may see a brief loading state while STOQ updates the counts. The total requests counter and the table both update to reflect the new state.

Q: Can I filter the waitlist before sending a specific number?

A: Yes. You can apply date range filters and market filters before sending. The specific number you enter applies to the filtered set of requests, not the entire waitlist.

Updated on: 13/04/2026