Learn how to set up preorders for in-stock products in STOQ, allowing you to sell existing inventory as preorders until stock runs out.

Overview

STOQ allows you to sell products as preorders even when they have inventory in stock. This is useful for scenarios like product launches, limited editions, or when you want to manage demand before shipping. By choosing the in-stock products setting in your preorder offer, the "Preorder" button will appear for products with available inventory and will automatically switch to "Add to Cart" once inventory reaches zero.

Understanding Inventory Settings for Preorders

When you create a preorder offer in STOQ, you can choose how the app determines when to show the "Preorder" button. This setting is found in the **Product type **section when managing products in your offer.

Two Inventory Options

STOQ provides two inventory options for preorder offers:

Show 'Preorder' when product is out of stock (Default)

This is the standard preorder behavior. The "Preorder" button appears only when a product's inventory reaches zero or below. This requires "Continue selling when out of stock" to be enabled in Shopify for the product.

Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products

This option uses your existing Shopify inventory for preorders. The "Preorder" button appears while the product has inventory available, and automatically switches to "Add to Cart" when inventory reaches zero.

Setting Up Preorders for In-Stock Products

To configure your preorder offer to work with in-stock products, follow these steps.

Accessing the Product Settings

1. From your Shopify admin, open the STOQ app.
2. Click Preorders in the left navigation menu.
3. Select an existing preorder offer or click Add new offer to create a new one.
4. In the offer editor, locate the Products section.

Choosing the Product Type

1. In the Products section, click Change to expand the product type settings.
2. Under Product type, select Specific products.

Note: The in-stock inventory option is only available when using "Specific products" as your product type. It is not available for "Collection" or "All products" tracking modes.

Enabling In-Stock Preorders

1. After selecting "Specific products", an **Inventory **section appears below.
2. Select Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products.
3. Click Save to apply your changes.

The help text explains: "Use existing inventory in Shopify as preorders. 'Preorder' will appear until inventory reaches 0."

Adding Products to Your Offer

After enabling the in-stock setting, add the products you want to sell as preorders:

1. Click Add products in the Manage Products section.
2. Use the Shopify product picker to select products.
3. Choose the specific products or variants you want to include.
4. Click Add to confirm your selection.

How In-Stock Preorders Work

Understanding the behavior of in-stock preorders helps you manage customer expectations and inventory effectively.

Customer Experience

When a customer visits a product page for an in-stock preorder product:

• They see the Preorder button instead of "Add to Cart".
• The preorder button text, payment widget, and any configured messaging appear as normal.
• When they complete the purchase, the order is placed as a preorder.
• Inventory is decremented in Shopify as orders are placed.

Automatic Switching

The preorder button automatically switches based on inventory levels:

- Inventory > 0: "Preorder" button appears

• Inventory = 0: Standard "Add to Cart" button appears (or "Sold out" if not restocking)

This switching happens in real-time as inventory changes, so customers always see the correct button state.

Inventory Management

With in-stock preorders:

• STOQ uses Shopify's inventory system to track available preorder quantities.
• You do not need to set separate preorder limits in STOQ; the Shopify inventory serves as the limit.
• The variant-level preorder limit field is disabled when using this setting.

Comparing Inventory Options

Understanding when to use each inventory option helps you choose the right setting for your business needs.

When to Use Out-of-Stock Preorders

Use the default "Show 'Preorder' when product is out of stock" setting when:

• You want to continue selling products after they sell out.
• You are waiting for new inventory to arrive.
• You want to gauge demand before ordering more stock.
• You need to set specific preorder quantity limits separate from inventory.

When to Use In-Stock Preorders

Use "Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products" when:

• You are launching a new product and want all initial sales to be preorders.
• You are selling limited edition items where all purchases should be preorders.
• You want to collect orders before a specific release or shipping date.
• You need to manage fulfillment timing for products you already have in stock.

Configuring Additional Preorder Settings

After enabling in-stock preorders, you can configure other aspects of your preorder offer to match your business needs.

Payment Options

Configure how customers pay for preorders:

1. In the offer editor, go to the Payment section.
2. Choose between full payment, partial payment (deposit), or offering both options.
3. Set the deposit amount if using partial payments.

Shipping and Fulfillment

Set customer expectations for delivery:

1. Go to the Shipping section in the offer editor.
2. Configure the expected fulfillment date or timeline.
3. Add any shipping-related messaging for customers.

Button and Display Settings

Customize how the preorder button appears:

1. Go to the Button section in the offer editor.
2. Customize the button text, colors, and styling.
3. Configure the payment widget display settings.

Known Limitations

The in-stock preorders feature has some constraints to be aware of.

• The in-stock inventory option is only available when using "Specific products" as your product type. It cannot be used with "Collection" or "All products" tracking modes.
• When using in-stock preorders, the variant-level preorder limit field is disabled since Shopify inventory serves as the limit.
• The inventory setting applies to all products in the offer. You cannot mix in-stock and out-of-stock preorder behavior within the same offer.
• If you need different inventory behaviors for different products, create separate preorder offers for each group.
• Real-time inventory syncing depends on Shopify's inventory update speed. There may be brief delays during high-traffic periods.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with in-stock preorders, use this guide to identify and resolve common problems.

FAQs

Here are answers to common questions about setting up preorders for in-stock products.

Q : Can I use in-stock preorders with collection tracking?

A : No, the in-stock inventory option is only available when using "Specific products" as your product type. Collection and All products tracking modes are designed for out-of-stock preorder scenarios where STOQ automatically detects when products go out of stock.

Q : What happens when inventory reaches zero?</summary>

A : When a product's inventory reaches zero, the "Preorder" button automatically switches to the standard "Add to Cart" button (or "Sold out" if the product is not set to continue selling). This happens in real-time as inventory changes.

Q : Can I set a preorder limit separate from inventory?

A : No, when using the in-stock preorders setting, Shopify's inventory serves as the preorder limit. The variant-level preorder limit field is disabled. If you need to limit preorders to a specific quantity, adjust your Shopify inventory accordingly.

Q : Do I need to enable "Continue selling when out of stock" for in-stock preorders?

A : No, "Continue selling when out of stock" is not required for in-stock preorders. This setting is only needed for the default out-of-stock preorder behavior. With in-stock preorders, STOQ uses your existing Shopify inventory.

Q : Can I have some products as in-stock preorders and others as out-of-stock preorders

A : Not within the same offer. The inventory setting applies to all products in an offer. If you need different inventory behaviors, create separate preorder offers for each group of products.

Q : Will customers know they are placing a preorder?

A : Yes, customers will see the "Preorder" button text (which you can customize), any payment widget messaging, and the preorder terms you configure. Make sure to set clear expectations about fulfillment timing in your offer settings.

Updated on: 28/01/2026