Send back in stock alerts in batches with Delivery Policy

By default, STOQ sends back-in-stock alerts to all customers on the waitlist as soon as a product is restocked. This gives you the highest chance of converting signups into sales. However, if your product is in high demand or you have limited stock, you may want to notify customers in smaller groups rather than all at once. STOQ's batched delivery feature lets you send alerts in waves, giving the first group of customers a chance to purchase before the next group is notified. This is configured through the Batched delivery settings under Delivery settings on the Back in stock alerts page. You control the batch size using a Notification multiplier and the timing between waves using the Interval between batches setting. This feature requires a paid STOQ plan (Lite, Pro, or Unlimited).

Why Send Alerts in Batches

There are several reasons to use batched delivery for back-in-stock alerts.

• Manage limited stock fairly. When you restock a small quantity, notifying all waitlisted customers at once can lead to a rush where most customers miss out. Batching ensures the first group of signups gets a fair chance to buy before others are notified.
• Reduce overselling risk. By notifying customers in waves, you allow time for purchases to be completed and inventory to update before the next batch goes out. This reduces the risk of selling more units than you have in stock.
• Priorities early signups. Customers are notified in the order they signed up. Batching rewards early interest by giving the first signups priority access to restocked products.
• Control notification volume. For stores with large waitlists, sending all alerts at once can create a surge in traffic and orders. Batching spreads the load over a period of time.
• Avoid unnecessary notifications. If stock sells out after the first batch, remaining customers are not notified. This prevents alerting customers about a product that is already sold out again.

How to Enable Batched Delivery

Follow these steps to configure STOQ to send alerts in batches.

1. Open the STOQ app in your Shopify admin.
2. Go to Back in stock alerts from the left menu.
3. Select the Settings tab.
4. Scroll to the Delivery Settings card click it to expand the settings.
5. Select Notify customers in batches when a product is restocked.
6. Configure the two batch settings that appear:

• Notification multiplier — controls how many customers are notified per unit of restocked inventory (see the detailed explanation below).
• Interval between batches — controls the waiting time between each wave of alerts (see the detailed explanation below).

7. Click Save in the top save bar to apply the changes.

What Is the Notification Multiplier

The Notification multiplier determines how many customers STOQ notifies in each batch. It works by multiplying the value you set by the number of units you restock. The formula is:

Batch size = Notification multiplier x Units restocked

For example, if you set the notification multiplier to 10 and you restock 5 units of a product, STOQ will notify 50 customers (10 x 5) in the first batch.

The idea behind using a multiplier rather than a fixed number is that it scales automatically with your restock quantity. A larger restock means more customers can be notified in each batch, while a smaller restock means fewer customers are notified — keeping the ratio of notifications to available inventory consistent.

How to choose the right multiplier

• Low multiplier (e.g. 2–5): Use this when your products have very limited stock and high demand. A multiplier of 2 with a restock of 10 units means only 20 customers are notified per batch, giving each customer a better chance of purchasing before the next wave.
• Medium multiplier (e.g. 10–20): A good general-purpose setting. A multiplier of 10 with a restock of 10 units notifies 100 customers per batch — enough to drive sales without overwhelming your stock.
• High multiplier (e.g. 50–100): Use this when you have plenty of stock relative to your waitlist, but still want some level of batching to spread out orders. A multiplier of 100 with a restock of 10 units notifies 1,000 customers per batch.

The default notification multiplier in STOQ is 100.

What Is the Interval Between Batches

The Interval between batches setting controls how long STOQ waits after sending one batch before checking inventory and sending the next. The available options are:

• 1 hour — STOQ sends the next batch 1 hour after the previous one. Best for fast-moving products where you want to clear the waitlist quickly.
• 2 hours — A balanced option that gives customers time to purchase while still notifying the waitlist within a reasonable timeframe.
• 3 hours — The longest gap between batches. Best for products where you want to give each group of customers maximum time to buy before notifying the next group.

Before sending each subsequent batch, STOQ checks whether the product is still in stock. If the product has sold out since the last batch, remaining customers are not notified. They stay on the waitlist and will be notified the next time the product is restocked.

The default interval in STOQ is 1 hour.

How Batched Delivery Works

Once batched delivery is enabled, STOQ follows this process every time a product is restocked:

1. STOQ detects that inventory is available for a product with waitlisted customers.
2. The first batch of customers is notified immediately. The batch size equals the notification multiplier multiplied by the number of units restocked.
3. STOQ waits for the interval you selected (1, 2, or 3 hours).
4. After the interval, STOQ checks if the product is still in stock.
5. If stock is still available, the next batch of customers is notified (same batch size).
6. This process repeats until either all waitlisted customers are notified or the product goes out of stock again.

Customers are always notified in the order they signed up. The first signups are included in the first batch, the next signups in the second batch, and so on.

Setup Examples

Example 1: Small restock with high demand

Scenario: You sell a limited-edition sneaker. You restock 10 units and have 500 customers on the waitlist.

Setup:

• Notification multiplier: 5
• Interval between batches: 3 hours

How notifications go out:

After batch 2, all 10 units sell out. STOQ checks stock before batch 4 and finds the product is out of stock. The remaining 350 customers are not notified and stay on the waitlist for the next restock.

Why this setup works: A low multiplier (5) and long interval (3 hours) ensure only a small group of customers is notified each time. Each group has 3 hours to purchase before the next wave, which reduces the chance of customers arriving at a sold-out product page.

Example 2: Medium restock with moderate demand

Scenario: You sell a popular skincare product. You restock 50 units and have 1,000 customers on the waitlist.

Setup:

• Notification multiplier: 10
• Interval between batches: 2 hours

How notifications go out:

All 1,000 customers are notified across 2 batches over 2 hours. The first 500 customers (earliest signups) get a 2-hour head start to purchase before the remaining 500 are notified.

Why this setup works: A moderate multiplier (10) creates large enough batches to move through the waitlist quickly, while still giving the first group priority.

Example 3: Large restock with a big waitlist

Scenario: You sell a popular t-shirt. You restock 200 units and have 5,000 customers on the waitlist.

Setup:

• Notification multiplier: 10
• Interval between batches: 1 hour

How notifications go out:

All 5,000 customers are notified within 2 hours across 3 batches. The final batch contains only the remaining 1,000 customers since there are not enough to fill a full batch.

Why this setup works: With plenty of stock (200 units), a multiplier of 10 creates large batches. A 1-hour interval keeps the notification cycle moving quickly so all customers are informed within a few hours.

How to Disable Batched Delivery

To return to the default behavior of notifying all customers at once:

1. Open the STOQ app in your Shopify admin.
2. Go to Back in stock alerts > Settings.
3. Scroll to the Batched delivery card and expand it.
4. Select Notify all customers in waitlist when a product is restocked.
5. Click Save.

All waitlisted customers will now be notified as soon as a product is restocked.

Known Limitations

Keep these points in mind when using batched delivery.

• Batched delivery requires a paid STOQ plan (Lite, Pro, or Unlimited). On the free plan, the option is visible but cannot be selected.
• Batch settings apply globally to all products. You cannot configure different batch sizes or intervals for individual products.
• The notification multiplier must be a whole number. It is multiplied by the exact number of units restocked.
• Interval options are limited to 1, 2, or 3 hours. Custom intervals are not available.
• If a product goes out of stock between batches, remaining customers are not notified until the product is restocked again.
• Customers cannot choose or influence their position in the batch queue. The order is always based on signup time.
• Each customer receives only one alert per restock event. If they do not purchase, they must sign up again for future notifications.
• Both email and SMS alerts are included in the same batch. There is no way to batch email and SMS separately.

Troubleshooting

FAQs

Q: How are customers prioritized in each batch?

A: Customers are notified in the order they signed up for back-in-stock alerts. Those who signed up first are included in the earliest batches. This ensures fairness and rewards early interest.

Q: What happens if my stock runs out before all batches are sent?

A: STOQ checks inventory before sending each batch. If the product is out of stock, remaining batches are paused. Customers who have not been notified stay on the waitlist and will be included in the next restock cycle. See Example 4 in the Setup Examples section for a detailed walkthrough.

Q: Can I customize the batch size?

A: Yes. Adjust the Notification multiplier to control how many customers are notified per batch. The batch size equals the multiplier times the number of units restocked. For example, a multiplier of 20 with 5 units restocked means 100 customers per batch. See the "What Is the Notification Multiplier" section for guidance on choosing the right value.

Q: Can I exclude certain products from batched delivery?

A: No. Batched delivery settings apply globally to all products when enabled. There is no option to configure batching on a per-product basis at this time.

Q: Will customers be notified again if they do not purchase after the alert?

A: No. Each customer receives one alert per restock event. If they do not purchase, they need to sign up again to be notified for the next restock. You can also enable reminder notifications separately to follow up with customers who have not yet purchased.

Q: What if I want to notify all customers immediately without batching?

A: Select Notify all customers in waitlist when a product is restocked in the Batched delivery settings and click Save. This is the default behavior and is recommended if you have sufficient stock.

Q: Can I change batch settings while batches are in progress?

A: Yes. You can update the notification multiplier or interval at any time. Changes take effect for subsequent batches, not the batch currently in progress.

Q: Does batched delivery work with SMS alerts?

A: Yes. Batched delivery applies to all notification channels. Both email and SMS alerts are sent in the same batch according to the same multiplier and interval settings.

Q: Does this feature require a paid plan?

A: Yes. Batched delivery is available on paid STOQ plans (Lite, Pro, and Unlimited). On the free plan, the option is visible but cannot be enabled.

Q: What should I do if a batch notification fails to send?

A: If you notice issues with batched delivery, contact STOQ support via the chat icon in the app. The support team can investigate and resolve delivery issues.

Updated on: 03/03/2026