Notify merchants when waitlist hits threshold

Notifying merchants when a waitlist hits a threshold in STOQ helps you identify high-demand products that need restocking. When enough customers sign up for back-in-stock alerts on a specific product variant, STOQ sends you an email so you know it is time to reorder. This feature is called "Alert me when waitlists get large" and is found in your Reports settings.

Instead of checking your dashboard manually, you receive a "High Demand Alert" email the moment a product's waitlist reaches the number you set. The email includes the product name, the number of signups, and a direct link to view the product in STOQ.

Before You Begin

Make sure the following requirements are met before setting up waitlist threshold notifications.

• STOQ is installed on your Shopify store with the app embed enabled.
• A report email address is configured. Threshold notifications are sent to the email address set in Reports → Settings → Email address to receive reports. If this field is empty, no notification emails will be sent.
• At least one product is out of stock and collecting back-in-stock signups through STOQ.

How It Works

Here is how STOQ determines when to send you a waitlist threshold notification.

1. A customer signs up for a back-in-stock alert on an out-of-stock product variant.
2. STOQ checks the total number of pending signups (customers waiting) for that specific variant.
3. When the signup count reaches the exact threshold number you set, STOQ sends you an email.
4. The email is sent once per variant when the threshold is reached. You will not receive repeated emails for the same variant unless the count resets (e.g., alerts are sent and new signups accumulate again).

How to Enable Waitlist Threshold Notifications

Follow these steps to turn on (or verify) waitlist threshold notifications.

Step 1 -- Open Report Settings

1. In your Shopify admin, open the STOQ app.
2. Click Reports in the left navigation menu.
3. Click the More button (top right corner of the Reports page).
4. Select Settings from the dropdown.

Step 2 -- Configure the Report Email Address

1. In the Reports section at the top, find the Email address to receive reports field.
2. Enter the email address where you want to receive threshold notifications.
3. This is the same email used for weekly reports, monthly reports, and other STOQ notifications.

Step 3 -- Enable the Threshold Alert

1. Scroll down to the Back in stock section.
2. Under Waitlist notifications, find the checkbox labeled Alert me when waitlists get large.
3. Check the box to enable it. The help text reads: "Get notified via email when a product's waitlist reaches your threshold, to identify high-demand items to restock."

Step 4 -- Set the Waitlist Threshold

1. Once the checkbox is enabled, a Waitlist threshold field appears below it.
2. Enter the number of customer signups that should trigger the notification. The default is 10.
3. The help text reads: "Number of customers needed before you get notified."
4. Click Save.

Example: If you set the threshold to 25, STOQ sends you an email when the 25th customer signs up for a back-in-stock alert on any product variant.

What the Notification Email Looks Like

When a product variant's waitlist reaches your threshold, you receive an email with the following details.

How to Change the Threshold

If you want to adjust when you receive notifications:

1. Go to Reports → More (top right) → Settings.
2. Scroll to the Back in stock section.
3. Update the number in the Waitlist threshold field.
4. Click Save.

The new threshold applies to all future signups. Products that already passed the previous threshold will not trigger a new notification unless signups reset and accumulate again.

How to Disable Waitlist Threshold Notifications

If you no longer want to receive these emails:

1. Go to Reports → More (top right) → Settings.
2. Scroll to the Back in stock section.
3. Uncheck the Alert me when waitlists get large checkbox.
4. Click Save.

You can re-enable the notification at any time by checking the box again.

Related Feature: Alert Me for Every Signup

STOQ also offers a separate option to receive an email every time a customer signs up for a back-in-stock alert. This is a different setting from the threshold notification.

The "Alert me for every signup" option is found in the same Waitlist notifications section and lets you specify a separate email address for individual signup alerts.

Known Limitations

• One notification per threshold crossing. STOQ sends the email when the signup count equals the threshold. If customers sign up in bulk and the count jumps past the threshold, you still receive only one notification.
• Per-variant, not per-product. The threshold applies to each product variant individually. If a product has multiple variants, each variant's waitlist is tracked separately.
• Same email for all reports. Threshold notifications are sent to the same email address used for weekly/monthly reports. You cannot send threshold alerts to a different email.
• No custom threshold per product. The threshold is a global setting that applies to all products. You cannot set different thresholds for different products.
• Threshold notifications are suppressed during CSV imports to avoid flooding your inbox when importing signups in bulk.
• Email is not sent if the report email address is empty. Make sure the Email address to receive reports field is filled in.

Troubleshooting

FAQs

Q: Is this feature enabled by default?

A: Yes. The Alert me when waitlists get large setting is enabled by default with a threshold of 10 signups. If you have not changed your settings, you are already receiving these notifications.

Q: Does the threshold apply per product or per variant?

A: Per variant. Each product variant has its own waitlist, and the threshold is checked against the number of pending signups for that specific variant. A product with 5 variants could trigger up to 5 separate threshold notifications.

Q: Can I set different thresholds for different products?

A: No. The waitlist threshold is a global setting that applies to all products and variants in your store. You cannot customize it per product.

Q: Will I get another notification if more customers sign up after the threshold is reached?

A: No. The notification is sent once when the signup count equals the threshold. You will not receive additional emails as more customers sign up for the same variant, unless the waitlist resets (e.g., after alerts are sent and new signups accumulate to the threshold again).

Q: What is the difference between this and the "Alert me for every signup" setting?

A: Alert me when waitlists get large sends one email when a variant's waitlist reaches a specific number (e.g., 10, 25, 50). Alert me for every signup sends a separate email for every individual customer that signs up. The per-signup option requires a paid plan and allows a custom email address.

Q: Where do I find the email that was sent?

A: Check the inbox of the email address configured in Reports → Settings → Email address to receive reports. The subject line follows the format: "STOQ | {count}+ customers in waitlist for {Product Name}". Check your spam or promotions folder if you do not see it.

Q: Does this feature require a paid plan?

A: No. The Alert me when waitlists get large feature is available on all plans, including the free plan. The separate Alert me for every signup feature does require a paid plan.

Q: Can I receive threshold notifications via SMS or Slack instead of email?

A: No. Threshold notifications are currently sent via email only, to the address configured in your Report Settings.

Updated on: 16/04/2026