How to test STOQ setup and functionality step by step

Testing your STOQ setup ensures your customers will receive back-in-stock alerts as expected. This guide walks you through the complete test flow — from completing onboarding to signing up for an alert, restocking a product, receiving a notification, sending a test email, and reviewing the results in reports.


Note: Before testing, make sure you have completed the onboarding steps that appear when you first install the app. This includes enabling the app embed and setting up the "Notify me" button.




Stoq-setup-overview


Before You Begin


Make sure the following are in place before you start testing.


  • The STOQ app is installed on your Shopify store.
  • The app embed is enabled in your theme (see Step 1 below if not done yet).
  • You have at least one product in your store that you can temporarily set to out of stock.
  • You have access to an email address (or phone number, if testing SMS) to receive notifications.
  • Review your notification settings in Back in stock alerts > Settings to confirm whether notifications are set to send automatically or manually.


Step 1 — Enable the App Embed


The STOQ app embed must be enabled on your Shopify theme for the "Notify me" button to appear on your storefront.


  1. Open the STOQ app from your Shopify admin.
  2. On the STOQ homepage, find the onboarding checklist.
  3. Click Open Theme Editor on the "Enable app embed" step.
  4. In the Theme Editor, make sure the STOQ app embed is toggled on.
  5. Click Save in the Theme Editor.
  6. Return to the STOQ app. The step will update to show a green checkmark once the embed is detected.


Tip: If the embed status does not update automatically, refresh the STOQ app page. STOQ polls for the embed status every few seconds after you open the Theme Editor.



Setting up the app-embed


Step 2 — Customize the "Notify Me" Button


Before testing, customize the button and signup form so they match your brand.


  1. In the STOQ app, go to Back in stock alerts in the left menu.
  2. Click Customize on the onboarding checklist, or navigate to the Customize button & form section.
  3. Adjust the button text, colors, and popup form fields to your liking.
  4. Click Save changes.


This step is optional for testing purposes, but it helps you see the full customer experience.


Customization of the Notify me button


Step 3 — Make a Product Out of Stock


You need an out-of-stock product to trigger the "Notify me" button on your storefront.


  1. Go to Products in your Shopify admin.
  2. Select a product you want to use for testing.
  3. Set the inventory quantity to 0 for all variants (or for the variant you want to test).
  4. Click Save.


Tip: If all your products are in stock, temporarily set one product's inventory to 0 for testing. You can restore it after the test.


Step 4 — Sign Up for a Back-in-Stock Alert


Now visit your store as a customer and register for an alert.


Option A — Sign Up from Your Storefront


  1. Open your store's website in a new browser tab.
  2. Navigate to the out-of-stock product page.
  3. Click the Notify me when available button.
  4. In the signup popup, enter your email address (or phone number if SMS is enabled).
  5. Click Submit (or the button text you configured).
  6. You should see a confirmation message.


Option B — Sign Up from the Onboarding Checklist


STOQ's onboarding checklist includes a built-in shortcut to register for an alert without visiting your storefront.


  1. In the STOQ app, find the onboarding checklist on the homepage.
  2. On the "Sign up for back in stock alert" step, enter your email address.
  3. Click Submit.
  4. STOQ automatically registers you for an alert on an out-of-stock product in your store.


Note: If no out-of-stock products are found, STOQ will display a message asking you to set a product to out of stock first.


Step 5 — Restock the Product


Increase the product's inventory so STOQ can detect the restock and send a notification.


  1. Go back to Products in your Shopify admin.
  2. Select the product you set to out of stock in Step 3.
  3. Increase the inventory quantity above 0 (e.g., set it to 10 or more).
  4. Click Save.


STOQ monitors your inventory via Shopify webhooks. When the product goes from out of stock to in stock, STOQ queues the notification.


Step 6 — Receive the Alert


After restocking, the notification is sent based on your notification settings.


If Automatic Notifications Are Enabled


  • STOQ sends the back-in-stock email (and SMS, if enabled) automatically within a few minutes of restocking.
  • Check your email inbox (or phone) for the notification.


If Automatic Notifications Are Disabled


  • You need to trigger the notification manually from the STOQ app.
  • Go to Reports > Back in stock > Current waitlist.
  • Find the product, click into it, and click Send to send the notification manually.
  • Alternatively, the onboarding checklist has a Send notification button on the final step that sends the alert directly.


Tip: Notifications typically arrive within one to two minutes after the inventory is updated (for automatic) or after clicking Send (for manual).


Manually sending Back in stock alerts


Step 7 — Send a Test Email


You can send a test email from the template editor to preview the notification without going through the full signup and restock flow.


  1. In the STOQ app, go to Back in stock alerts > Settings > Notifications.
  2. Click the notification you want to test (e.g., Back In Stock - Notification).
  3. Click Customize email to open the email template editor.
  4. In the email preview panel on the right, click Send test email.
  5. Enter your email address and click Send.
  6. Check your inbox for the test email.


The test email uses sample product data so you can verify the layout, branding, and content of your email template.


Note: The "Send test email" button is available only for back-in-stock notifications, not for preorder confirmation emails.



Sending test-email

Step 8 — Review the Reports


After receiving the notification, verify it was logged correctly in STOQ's reports.


  1. In the STOQ app, click Reports in the left menu.
  2. Click the Back in stock tab.
  3. Click the Notifications sent tab.
  4. You should see the notification you received listed with the product name, email address, and timestamp.


This confirms the full flow is working — from signup to notification to report logging.


Notifications sent section

Known Limitations


Keep these points in mind when testing STOQ.


  • Carrier verification required for SMS. If using the STOQ provider for SMS, your store must pass carrier verification before SMS messages can be delivered. This process may take time.
  • Automatic notifications depend on webhooks. If Shopify webhooks are delayed, the notification may take longer than expected. Notifications typically arrive within one to two minutes.
  • Test emails use sample data. The "Send test email" feature uses a sample product name and image, not a real product from your store.
  • GDPR double opt-in adds a step. If you have GDPR double opt-in enabled, the customer must confirm their email before STOQ registers the signup. Check your inbox for the confirmation email and click the link before restocking.
  • Inventory threshold matters. STOQ only sends notifications when the inventory goes above the configured threshold. The default threshold is 0 (any restock triggers a notification), but if you have changed it, make sure you restock above that threshold.
  • Password-protected stores may block signup. If your store is password-protected, the "Notify me" button may not appear or may not function as expected for visitors.


Troubleshooting


If something is not working during your test, use this table to find a fix.


Problem

Solution

"Notify me" button does not appear on the product page

Make sure the STOQ app embed is enabled in your Theme Editor. Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize > App embeds and toggle STOQ on.

"Notify me" button appears but nothing happens when clicked

Check that the product variant is truly out of stock (inventory = 0). The button only appears for out-of-stock variants.

Signed up but no alert received after restocking

Check if automatic notifications are enabled in Back in stock alerts > Settings. If disabled, send the notification manually from Reports.

Test email not received

Check your spam or junk folder. Also verify the "From" email address in Back in stock alerts > Settings > Notifications > Customize email.

Alert arrived but took longer than expected

Shopify webhook delivery can sometimes be delayed. Wait up to five minutes. If still not received, check Reports to see if the notification was queued.

Signup not appearing in Reports

Make sure you completed the signup correctly (email was submitted and you saw a confirmation). If using GDPR double opt-in, confirm your email first.

SMS alert not received

Verify that SMS is enabled and your provider is set up correctly. If using the STOQ provider, check that carrier verification is complete.

Onboarding checklist step does not update

Refresh the STOQ app page. Some steps update via polling and may take a few seconds.


FAQs


Q : Do I need to test with a real customer?

A : No. You can test using your own email address or phone number. Sign up for an alert on an out-of-stock product, restock it, and verify you receive the notification. You can also use the onboarding checklist in the STOQ app to register for an alert directly.


Q : Can I send a test email without restocking a product?

A : Yes. Open the email template editor in Back in stock alerts > Settings > Notifications > Customize email, then click Send test email in the preview panel. This sends a sample notification to the email address you enter.


Q : How do I test SMS notifications?

A : Enable SMS alerts in Back in stock alerts > Settings > Notifications > Customize SMS. Sign up for an alert using your phone number on an out-of-stock product page, then restock the product. If using the STOQ provider, make sure carrier verification is complete before testing.


Q : What if I have GDPR double opt-in enabled?

A : When you sign up for an alert, you will receive a confirmation email first. Click the confirmation link in that email to verify your registration. Only after confirming will STOQ register your signup and send the back-in-stock notification when the product is restocked.


Q : Can I test preorder notifications?

A : Yes. The preorder onboarding checklist includes steps to create an offer, add a product, and place a test order. Follow the onboarding steps in the STOQ app under the Preorders tab on the homepage.


Q : How do I know if automatic notifications are enabled?

A : Go to Back in stock alerts > Settings. Check the notification settings to see if automatic sending is turned on. If automatic notifications are off, you will need to send notifications manually from the Reports section.


Q : Will test signups affect my reports or analytics?

A : Yes. Test signups and notifications appear in your reports just like real customer activity. You can delete test signups from the Reports section by selecting the customer and clicking Delete if you want to clean up after testing.


Q : How do I restore my product inventory after testing?

A : Go to Products in your Shopify admin, select the product you used for testing, and set the inventory back to the correct quantity. The "Notify me" button will no longer appear once the product is back in stock.


Updated on: 22/04/2026

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