Show 'Notify Me' button on Pre-order products

By default, STOQ displays the 'Notify me' button only on products that are completely out of stock. However, you can configure the button to also appear on pre-order products—items that have "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled in Shopify. This allows you to collect customer registrations for pre-order items and notify them when the products are back in stock with regular inventory.

Understanding Pre-Order Products and Inventory Policy

Before configuring the button visibility, it's important to understand how Shopify handles pre-order products and how STOQ detects them.

What is "Continue Selling When Out of Stock"?

In Shopify, each product variant has an inventory policy setting that controls what happens when inventory reaches zero. When you enable "Continue selling when out of stock," Shopify allows customers to purchase the item even when the inventory quantity is zero or negative. This is commonly used for pre-order scenarios where you want to accept orders before stock arrives.

How STOQ Detects Pre-Order Products

STOQ identifies a variant as a pre-order product when both of these conditions are met:

• The variant has "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled (inventory policy set to "continue")
• The current inventory quantity is zero or less

When these conditions are met and you enable the "Show 'Notify me' button on preorder products" setting, STOQ will display the button on these items so customers can register for restock notifications.

Configuring Pre-Order Products in Shopify

Before enabling the STOQ setting, you need to configure your products in Shopify to allow continued selling when out of stock. This tells Shopify (and STOQ) that these products should accept orders even at zero inventory.

Steps to Enable Continue Selling in Shopify

1. Log in to your Shopify admin panel
2. Navigate to Products from the left sidebar
3. Click on the product you want to configure for pre-orders
4. Scroll down to the Inventory section for the variant you want to enable
5. Check the box labeled SKU Continue selling when out of stock
6. Click Save at the top right to apply the changes

Bulk Enabling for Multiple Variants

If you have many variants to configure, you can use Shopify's bulk editor to enable "Continue selling when out of stock" for multiple items at once.

1. Go to Products in your Shopify admin
2. Click on a product with multiple variants
3. In the variants section, select the checkboxes next to the variants you want to update
4. Click Edit variants at the top of the variants list
5. In the bulk editor, find the Continue selling when out of stock column
6. Check the boxes for all variants you want to enable
7. Click Save to apply the changes

Enabling the Button in STOQ

Once your products are configured in Shopify with "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled, you can activate the STOQ setting to display the 'Notify me' button on these pre-order products.

Steps to Enable in STOQ App

1. Open the STOQ app from your Shopify admin
2. Click Back in stock alerts from the left navigation menu
3. Under the Signup Widget section, click Customize button
4. Select the Button tab at the top of the page
5. Click Products from the options menu
6. Scroll down to the Other settings section
7. Find the checkbox labeled Show 'Notify me' button on preorder products
8. Check the box to enable this feature
9. Click Save at the bottom of the page to apply your changes

The setting will take effect immediately on your storefront. Customers visiting pre-order products will now see the 'Notify me' button and can register for notifications.

How the Feature Works

Understanding the behavior of the 'Notify me' button on pre-order products helps you set appropriate expectations for your customers and manage your notification strategy effectively.

Button Visibility Logic

The 'Notify me' button will appear on a product variant when:

• The variant has "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled in Shopify
• The variant's inventory quantity is zero or less
• The "Show 'Notify me' button on preorder products" setting is enabled in STOQ
• No product tags are hiding the button (if you're using tag-based visibility controls)

Customer Experience

When customers visit a pre-order product with the button enabled, they will see the 'Notify me' button alongside (or instead of) the "Add to Cart" button, depending on your theme and STOQ configuration. Customers can click the button to register their email or phone number for notifications.

Notification Behavior

When you restock a pre-order product and the inventory quantity becomes positive, STOQ will automatically send notifications to all registered customers. The notification is triggered when:

• The inventory quantity changes from zero or negative to a positive number
• The variant's inventory policy remains set to "continue" or changes to "deny"
• Your STOQ notification settings allow sending (not paused, within plan limits, etc.)

Common Use Cases

The pre-order button feature is valuable in several business scenarios where you want to collect customer interest before products are fully stocked.

Pre-Launch Product Registrations

If you're launching a new product and want to gauge interest before it arrives, enable "Continue selling when out of stock" and the STOQ pre-order button. This allows you to collect registrations from interested customers and notify them when the product officially launches with inventory.

Seasonal Products with Pre-Orders

For seasonal items that you accept pre-orders on before the season begins, this feature lets customers register for notifications when the items transition from pre-order to in-stock status. This is particularly useful for fashion retailers with seasonal collections.

Made-to-Order Products

If you offer made-to-order or custom products that have extended lead times, you can use this feature to collect notifications from customers who want to be alerted when you have ready-to-ship inventory available.

Backorder Management

When products go out of stock but you're accepting backorders, enable this setting to let customers register for notifications. When the backorder shipment arrives and inventory is updated, all registered customers will be notified automatically.

Interaction with Other STOQ Settings

The pre-order button setting works alongside other STOQ visibility controls. Understanding how these settings interact helps you configure the button behavior that matches your business needs.

Show Button If Any Variant Is Out of Stock

If you have "Show 'Notify me' button if any variant is out of stock" enabled, the button will appear on products where at least one variant is out of stock, regardless of whether other variants are available. When combined with the pre-order setting, the button will also show for variants with "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled.

Product Tag Visibility Controls

If you're using product tags to control button visibility (show/hide on specific products), those rules take precedence over the pre-order setting. A product tagged to hide the button will not display it, even if it's a pre-order product with the setting enabled.

Collection and Page Visibility Settings

The pre-order button setting applies to product pages by default. If you've enabled the button on collection pages, home pages, or search pages, the same pre-order logic will apply there as well—pre-order products will show the button if the setting is enabled.

Advanced Tips

Once you're comfortable with the basic pre-order button configuration, these advanced techniques can help you optimize the feature for your specific use case.

Combining Pre-Orders with STOQ's Pre-Order Feature

STOQ offers a dedicated pre-order feature (separate from back-in-stock alerts) that allows customers to purchase pre-order products with deposits or full payment. If you're using STOQ's pre-order feature, you may want to disable the 'Notify me' button on those products to avoid confusion. Use product tags to hide the button on items managed through the pre-order system.

Testing Pre-Order Button Visibility

After enabling the setting, test it by viewing a pre-order product on your storefront in an incognito browser window. Make sure the product has "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled and inventory at zero. The button should appear. If it doesn't, check your other STOQ settings and product tags.

Managing Customer Expectations

Consider customizing the button text or form description to clarify that customers are registering for notifications about when the product moves from pre-order to in-stock status. This helps set clear expectations about what the notification means.

Monitoring Pre-Order Registrations

Use STOQ's reports to track how many customers are registering for notifications on pre-order products. This data can help you forecast demand and plan inventory purchases accordingly. Navigate to Reports in STOQ to view registration data by product and variant.

Known Limitations

While the pre-order button feature is powerful, there are some constraints to be aware of when planning your implementation.

• The feature requires products to have "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled in Shopify—it won't work on regular out-of-stock products unless this setting is active
• Button visibility is determined at the variant level, so products with mixed variants (some pre-order, some regular) may show inconsistent button behavior as customers select different options
• If you change a product from pre-order to regular inventory without updating the quantity, the button behavior may not change until inventory is updated
• The setting applies globally to all pre-order products—you cannot enable it for some pre-order products and disable it for others without using product tags

Troubleshooting

If you're experiencing issues with the pre-order button not appearing or behaving unexpectedly, these common solutions can help resolve most problems.

FAQs

Q: What's the difference between pre-order products and out-of-stock products?

A: Pre-order products have "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled in Shopify, allowing customers to purchase them even at zero inventory. Out-of-stock products don't allow purchases when inventory reaches zero. STOQ can show the 'Notify me' button on both types, but the pre-order setting specifically controls visibility on products with the continue selling policy enabled.

Q: Will customers who register on pre-order products receive notifications?

A: Yes, customers who register on pre-order products will receive notifications when the inventory quantity changes from zero or negative to a positive number. This typically happens when you receive stock and update the inventory in Shopify.

Q: Can I show the button on some pre-order products but not others?

A: The "Show 'Notify me' button on preorder products" setting applies globally to all pre-order products. To selectively show or hide the button on specific products, use STOQ's product tag visibility controls in combination with this setting.

Q: Does this setting work with STOQ's dedicated pre-order feature?

A: Yes, but they serve different purposes. STOQ's pre-order feature allows customers to purchase pre-order products with deposits or full payment. The 'Notify me' button collects registrations for notifications. You may want to use product tags to hide the notify button on products managed through STOQ's pre-order system to avoid confusion.

Q: What happens if I disable "Continue selling when out of stock" after customers register?

A: If you disable "Continue selling when out of stock" on a product, it will behave like a regular out-of-stock product. The 'Notify me' button will still appear (since the product is out of stock), but it will no longer be controlled by the pre-order setting. Existing registrations remain active and customers will still receive notifications when you restock.

Q: How do I know which products have "Continue selling when out of stock" enabled?

A: In Shopify admin, go to Products and click on a product. Check the Inventory section for each variant to see if "Continue selling when out of stock" is checked. Unfortunately, Shopify doesn't provide a bulk report of this setting, so you'll need to check products individually or use a third-party app.

Q: Will the button appear on collection pages and search results?

A: f you've enabled the 'Notify me' button on collection pages, home pages, or search pages in STOQ, the pre-order button logic will apply there as well. Pre-order products will show the button in those locations if the setting is enabled.

Q: Can customers purchase pre-order products and also register for notifications?

A: Yes, customers can do both. They can purchase the pre-order product through Shopify's checkout (since "Continue selling when out of stock" is enabled) and separately register for a notification through STOQ's button. The notification will be sent when inventory becomes positive.

Updated on: 23/02/2026