How to Send Test Email Alerts from STOQ

STOQ lets you send a test email to any address so you can preview exactly what your customers will receive when a product is back in stock. The test email uses a sample product from STOQ's demo store and applies all your current template settings -- subject line, header, description, button, images, footer, and branding. This lets you review the full email experience in a real inbox without triggering an alert to actual customers.

The Send test email button is located below the email preview in the template editor. STOQ automatically saves your current template changes before sending the test.

Why Send a Test Email

Sending a test email before going live helps you catch issues and confirm your template looks right.

Catch formatting issues. Spot broken layouts, missing images, or clipped text before customers see them.
Verify brand consistency. Confirm colors, fonts, logo size, and button styles match your store's brand.
Check email client rendering. Open the test in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, or mobile to see how each client renders it.
Review copy and links. Proofread the subject, header, description, and footer text in context.
Validate sender details. Confirm the "From" name and address appear as expected.
Test across devices. View the email on desktop and mobile to ensure the responsive layout works correctly.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure the following are in place.

Your email provider is set to STOQ (the built-in email provider). Test emails are not available when using Klaviyo or Shopify Flow as the email provider.
You are editing the standard template (not a custom HTML template). The Send test email button does not appear when the custom HTML template is enabled.
The test email feature is available for back-in-stock alert templates (primary notification and reminder notifications).

Note: Test emails are currently available for back-in-stock alert templates only. Preorder email templates show an in-app preview but do not have the Send test email button.

How to Send a Test Email Alert

Follow these steps to send a test email.

Open the STOQ app from your Shopify admin.
Click Back in stock alerts in the left menu.
Click the Settings tab.
Click the notification you want to test (e.g., Back In Stock - Notification or a reminder notification).
Click Customize email. This opens the template editor in full-screen mode.
Switch to the Email template tab at the top if the SMS tab is selected.
Below the email preview on the right side, click Send test email.
In the modal that appears, enter the email address you want to send the test to. The field defaults to your Reply-to address.
Click Send.

STOQ saves your current template changes automatically before sending the test email. A toast notification confirms "Sent to {email}" once the email is dispatched.

Tip: Open the test email on both desktop and mobile to check responsive rendering. Try multiple email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail) for the most thorough review.

What the Test Email Contains

The test email uses a sample product from STOQ's demo store (a "Floral Shirt" image). It applies all your current template settings:

From name and address -- Your configured sender details.
Subject line -- Your customized subject with Liquid variables rendered as sample values.
Header and description -- Your customized text.
Button -- Your configured button text, colors, and border radius.
Product image -- A sample product image (not from your store).
Footer -- Your customized footer text including unsubscribe link.
Social links -- Any social media icons you have configured.
Branding -- "Powered by STOQ" watermark if enabled.

Note: The test email uses a sample product, not a product from your store. To see an email with your own product, create a signup from Reports > Add Requests and then send the alert manually.

How to Test a Reminder Notification

If you have reminder notifications enabled, you can send a test email for each one separately.

In the Settings tab, click the reminder notification (e.g., Back In Stock - Reminder Notification 1).
Click Customize email.
Follow the same steps above to send a test email.

Each notification template is independent. Changes to the primary notification do not affect reminders, and vice versa.

Rate Limiting

STOQ limits test emails to one every 2 minutes per store. If you try to send another test email before the cooldown period ends, you will see an error: "Test email already sent". Wait 2 minutes and try again.

When the Test Email Button Is Not Available

The Send test email button does not appear in these situations.

Situation	Reason
Email provider is set to Klaviyo	Emails are sent through Klaviyo. Preview and test in Klaviyo instead.
Email provider is set to Shopify Flow	Emails are sent through your connected platform. Set up the template there.
Custom HTML template is enabled	No in-app preview is available for custom HTML. Send a manual alert to test.
Viewing a preorder email template	Preorder templates show an in-app preview but the send test button is not shown.

Known Limitations

Keep these points in mind when sending test emails.

Test emails use a sample product from STOQ's demo store, not your own products.
Only one email address can be entered per test. Comma-separated or semicolon-separated addresses are not allowed.
Test emails are rate-limited to one every 2 minutes per store.
The test email feature is only available when using STOQ as the email provider with the standard (non-custom-HTML) template.
Test emails are not available for preorder email templates.
Liquid variables in the test email render with sample data (e.g., "Floral Shirt" for product name, "John" for customer name).

Troubleshooting

If the test email feature is not working as expected, use this table to find a fix.

Problem	Solution
Send test email button is missing	Confirm your email provider is set to STOQ and the custom HTML template is not enabled. The button only appears for back-in-stock standard templates.
"Test email already sent" error	Wait 2 minutes before sending another test email. STOQ rate-limits to one test per 2 minutes.
"Only one email address is allowed" error	Enter a single email address. Remove any commas or semicolons.
Test email not received	Check your spam or junk folder. Verify the email address is correct. If using a custom sender domain, ensure DKIM records are verified.
Test email looks different from the preview	Email clients (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) may render HTML differently. The in-app preview is an approximation. Always test in the target email client.
Test email shows sample product, not my product	This is expected behavior. To test with your own product, create a signup from Reports > Add Requests and send the alert manually.

FAQs

Common questions about sending test email alerts from STOQ.

Q:- Can I send a test email to multiple addresses at once?

A:- No. STOQ allows only one email address per test. Send separate test emails to each address you want to review.

Q:-Does the test email count toward my plan's email limits?

A:- Test emails are sent using STOQ's email infrastructure but are rate-limited to one per 2 minutes. They do not count toward your back-in-stock notification limits.

Q:- Can I test preorder email templates?

A:- Preorder email templates include an in-app preview where you can select a specific offer to preview, but the Send test email button is not available for preorder templates. Use the in-app preview to review preorder email content.

Q:- Can I test custom HTML email templates?

A:- The Send test email button is not available when the custom HTML template is enabled because there is no in-app preview for custom HTML. To test a custom HTML template, create a signup from Reports > Add Requests and send the alert manually.

Q:- Why does the test email show a "Floral Shirt" instead of my product?

A:- Test emails use a sample product from STOQ's demo store. This lets you review the template design without requiring an actual signup. To see your own product in an email, create a signup and send a manual alert.

Q:- Does sending a test email save my template changes?

A:- Yes. STOQ automatically saves your current template changes before sending the test email. Any unsaved edits are applied before the email is dispatched.

Q:- Can I send a test email for a reminder notification?

A:- Yes. Navigate to the reminder notification template (e.g., Back In Stock - Reminder Notification 1), click Customize email, and use the Send test email button below the preview. Each template is tested independently.

Q:- What email address is pre-filled in the test email modal?

A:- The modal pre-fills with your Reply-to email address from the email template settings. You can change it to any valid email address before sending.

Updated on: 13/04/2026

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