How to show the preorder button based on product inventory (in stock vs out of stock)

Each preorder offer in STOQ can be configured to show the "Preorder" button either when a product is out of stock or while it is still in stock. This inventory setting controls when customers see the preorder option on your product pages.

You can find this setting in Preorders > Offers > choose an offer > Customize > Inventory. Shortcuts to this setting are also available on the offer's main page and in the Products section.

Navigate to the Inventory Setting

There are three ways to access the inventory setting for a preorder offer.

From the Customize Panel

This is the primary way to access the full inventory settings page.

1. From your Shopify admin, open the STOQ app.
2. Click Preorders in the left sidebar.
3. Click Offers.
4. Click on the offer you want to configure.
5. Click the Customize button.
6. In the Customize drawer, click Inventory.

This opens the Inventory settings panel where you can choose when the preorder button appears and when inventory should be deducted.

From the Offer Main Page (Shortcut)

After clicking into an offer, you will see a summary section with quick-access cards. One of these cards shows the current inventory setting — either "Preorder when out of stock" or "Preorder for in-stock products."

1. Open an offer from Preorders > Offers.
2. On the offer's main page, find the inventory summary card (with the inventory icon).
3. Click on the card to go directly to the Inventory settings in the Customize panel.

From the Products Section (Shortcut)

The Products section within an offer also shows the current inventory setting with a Change button.

1. Open an offer from Preorders > Offers.
2. Click the Products tab.
3. Expand the product type settings section at the top.
4. Scroll down to the Inventory heading.
5. Click the Change button to open the Customize panel with Inventory settings.

Choose When the Preorder Button Appears

The Inventory settings panel has two options under the "Show 'Preorder' button" heading. Select the one that matches your business needs.

Option 1: Preorder When Out of Stock

Select "Show 'Preorder' when product is out of stock" if you want the preorder button to appear only after a product's inventory reaches 0 or less.

• The regular "Add to cart" button shows while the product has inventory in stock.
• Once inventory drops to 0 or below, the "Preorder" button replaces "Add to cart."
• "Continue selling when out of stock" must be enabled in Shopify for each product variant. STOQ can enable this automatically when you add products to the offer.

This is the default setting and is best for products that you want to sell as preorders only after your current stock runs out.

Option 2: Preorder for In-Stock Products

Select "Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products" if you want the preorder button to appear while the product still has inventory.

• The "Preorder" button shows while the product has inventory in stock.
• Once inventory reaches 0, the preorder button disappears and is replaced by the default Shopify behavior (typically "Sold out" or "Add to cart" depending on your settings).
• Shopify's existing inventory is used as the preorder stock.

This option is best for products that are not yet released or available, where you are using Shopify's inventory count to track the number of preorder units you want to sell.

Configure When to Deduct from Inventory

Below the preorder button setting, the Inventory panel also lets you choose when inventory is deducted. This applies regardless of which option you selected above.

At Checkout

Select "At checkout" if you want stock to be reduced as soon as a customer places an order. This is Shopify's default behavior.

At Fulfillment

Select "At fulfillment" if you want stock to be reduced only when you mark the order as fulfilled. This is useful if you want to hold inventory until you are ready to ship.

Troubleshooting

FAQs

Q: What is the difference between the two inventory options?

A: "Show 'Preorder' when product is out of stock" displays the preorder button only when inventory reaches 0 or less. "Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products" displays the preorder button while the product still has inventory, and it disappears when inventory reaches 0. Choose the option that matches when you want customers to see the preorder button.

Q: What does "Continue selling when out of stock" mean?

A: "Continue selling when out of stock" is a Shopify inventory setting that allows customers to purchase a product even when its inventory is 0. This must be enabled for the "out of stock" preorder option to work, because Shopify would otherwise show "Sold out" instead of allowing the preorder purchase. STOQ can automatically enable this when you add products to an offer.

Q: Can I use different inventory settings for different offers?

A: Yes. Each offer has its own inventory setting. You can create one offer that applies to out-of-stock products and another offer that applies to in-stock products. Just make sure different offers are assigned to different products to avoid conflicts.

Q: Does changing the inventory setting affect existing preorder orders?

A: No. Changing the inventory setting only affects when the preorder button appears on your storefront going forward. Existing preorder orders are not affected by this change.

Q: Which option should I choose for products that are not yet manufactured?

A: If you have not yet manufactured the product and want to accept preorders up to a certain quantity, use "Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products" and set the Shopify inventory to the number of preorders you want to accept. The preorder button will disappear once that inventory is sold through. Alternatively, use "Show 'Preorder' when product is out of stock" with a limit set on the offer to cap the number of preorders.

Updated on: 25/04/2026