Preorder progress bar

STOQ's preorder progress bar displays a visual indicator showing how many units have been preordered out of the total available. This creates urgency by showing customers that others are buying and that quantities are limited. The progress bar is ideal for limited edition products, crowdfunding campaigns, and any preorder where you want to highlight scarcity and social proof.

Accessing Progress Bar Settings

The progress bar settings are located in the Limits section of the offer editor.

Navigating to the Settings

1. From your Shopify admin, open the STOQ app.
2. Click Preorders in the left navigation menu.
3. Click Offers to view your preorder offers.
4. Click on an offer to open the editor.
5. Click on the Limits section in the offer summary.

Enabling the Progress Bar

Follow these steps to add a progress bar to your preorder offer.

Step 1: Select Progress Bar Display

1. In the Limits panel, locate the Total preorder limit section.
2. Select Show as counter/progress bar.
3. A Customize link appears below the option.

Step 2: Customize the Progress Bar

1. Click Customize to expand the customization options.
2. Configure the text, colors, and display settings as described below.

Step 3: Set Product Limits

After configuring the progress bar display:

1. Click Save changes to save your settings.
2. Exit the offer editor.
3. Go to the Products tab for this offer.
4. Set the total preorder limit for each product.

Customizing Progress Bar Text

The text above or within the progress bar can be fully customized using variables.

Available Variables

Use these variables in your progress bar text:

Example Text Formats

Standard progress:

{{ sold }} of {{ total }} claimed

Displays: "45 of 100 claimed"

Remaining focus:

Only {{ quantity }} left!

Displays: "Only 55 left!"

Percentage focus:

{{ percent_sold }}% funded

Displays: "45% funded"

Crowdfunding style:

{{ sold }} backers - {{ percent_sold }}% of goal

Displays: "45 backers - 45% of goal"

Setting the Text

1. In the Progress bar text field, enter your custom message.
2. Click the variable buttons to copy them to your clipboard.
3. Paste variables into your text where needed.

Customizing Progress Bar Appearance

Make the progress bar match your brand with color options.

Color Options

Fill color:

• The color of the filled portion of the progress bar
• Represents units that have been preordered
• Default: #000000 (black)

Background color:

• The color of the unfilled portion of the progress bar
• Represents units still available
• Default: #e5e5e5 (light gray)

Text color:

• The color of the text displayed with the progress bar
• Should contrast with the background for readability
• Default: #FFFFFF (white)

Setting Colors

1. Click the color swatch next to each color option.
2. Use the color picker to select your desired color.
3. Or enter a hex code directly for precise color matching.

![Screenshot:

Show Percentage Option

Enable Show percentage next to progress bar to display the percentage alongside the visual bar. This adds an additional numeric indicator of progress.

How the Progress Bar Works

Understanding the progress bar behavior helps you configure it effectively.

Real-Time Updates

The progress bar updates automatically as customers place preorders:

1. Customer completes a preorder checkout
2. STOQ records the preorder
3. Progress bar reflects the new count
4. All visitors see the updated progress

Calculation

The progress bar fill percentage is calculated as:

Fill % = (Units Sold / Total Limit) × 100

For example, if 45 units are sold out of a 100-unit limit, the bar shows 45% filled.

When Limit is Reached

When all available units have been preordered:

• Progress bar shows 100% filled
• The preorder button may be disabled
• Customers see that the product is fully claimed
• No additional preorders can be placed for that product

Known Limitations

The progress bar feature has some constraints to be aware of.

• Progress bar requires a paid STOQ plan
• Total preorder limits must be set per product for the bar to display
• The progress bar position is determined by STOQ's widget placement
• Custom CSS may be needed for advanced positioning or sizing
• Progress bar may not appear on quick-view modals or collection pages
• Very high limits (thousands) may make early progress appear minimal
• The bar shows product-level progress, not variant-level

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with the progress bar, use this guide to identify and resolve common problems.

FAQs

Q: Can I show different progress bars for different products?

A: The progress bar style (colors, text) is configured per offer and applies to all products in that offer. However, each product has its own limit, so the actual progress displayed is product-specific. To have different styles, create separate offers.

Q: Does the progress bar work with variants?

A: The progress bar shows progress at the product level, not the variant level. If a product has multiple variants, the progress bar reflects the combined preorders across all variants against the product's total limit.

Q: Can I hide the progress bar temporarily?

A: Yes. In the Limits section, select "No preorder limits" or "Show preorder limit in disclaimer" instead of the progress bar option. Your product limits remain set, but the visual bar won't display.

Q: What happens if I increase the limit after preorders start?

A: If you increase the total limit, the progress bar percentage will decrease to reflect the new total. For example, if you had 50 of 100 sold (50%) and increase to 200, it becomes 50 of 200 (25%).

Q: Can customers see the exact numbers or just the bar?

A: Customers see whatever you configure in the progress bar text. If you include {{ sold }} and {{ total }} variables, they see exact numbers. If you only show the percentage or bar, they see relative progress.

Q: Does the progress bar affect page load speed?

A: The progress bar has minimal impact on page load speed. It's rendered as part of STOQ's widget and uses efficient client-side updates.

Updated on: 13/03/2026