Ask Shopify Sidekick about your STOQ data
Sidekick is Shopify's AI assistant, built into Shopify admin. Use this guide if you want answers about STOQ without opening the app. By the end, you'll know what to ask Sidekick, how it answers from your live STOQ data, and how it can open a STOQ editor with a change filled in for you to save.
Before you begin
- There's nothing to install or connect. Once STOQ is installed, Sidekick can use your STOQ data, and the Sidekick card in AI connectors shows Connected.
- Sidekick is Shopify's own feature, so Shopify decides whether your store has it. On a phone or tablet, use it in the Shopify app, since Sidekick doesn't open in a mobile browser.
- Sidekick can't read STOQ data on Shopify partner or development stores. It works as normal on your live store.
What you can ask Sidekick
| Ask about… | For example |
|---|---|
| Preorder performance | "How are my preorders doing this month?" |
| Back in stock demand and results | "What are shoppers waiting for?" or "How much revenue did restock alerts bring in last month?" |
| Your preorder offers | "What deposit is my Summer Drop offer taking?" or "Is the blue jacket on preorder?" |
| Why a preorder button isn't showing | "Why can't anyone preorder the blue jacket?" |
| Alerts for one product | "How many people are waiting for the blue jacket, and did the alerts go out?" |
| One customer or order | "Has jane@example.com signed up for anything?" or "What happened with order #1001?" |
| STOQ settings and how STOQ works | "Which email provider am I using?" or "How do partial payments work?" |
| Nothing showing on your storefront | "Nothing from STOQ is showing on my store." Sidekick checks whether the STOQ app embed is turned on in your theme. |
Sidekick answers with counts, totals and summaries. It looks up one customer or order at a time from the email, phone number or order number you give it, rather than listing them all.
Ask Sidekick a question
Open Sidekick
In Shopify admin, click the Sidekick icon in the top bar. It's there on every admin page, including while STOQ is open.
Ask about STOQ
Type your question in plain language. Starting with "Ask STOQ" makes it clear you want your STOQ data, for example "Ask STOQ how many waitlist signups I got this month."
To try a ready-made question, copy one from STOQ:
- In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, click Back in stock alerts.
- Click the Settings tab.
- Open the Integrations sub-tab, then click See integrations.
- Scroll to the AI connectors section and click Set up on the Sidekick card.
- Click Copy a question. A Copied to clipboard message appears. Paste the question into Sidekick.
Change a setting with Sidekick
Sidekick never saves anything in STOQ by itself. When you ask for a change, it opens the right STOQ editor with the change filled in, and you decide whether to save it. It can do this for two editors:
| Ask Sidekick to change… | It opens |
|---|---|
| A preorder offer: payment and deposit, shipping and delivery dates, limits, markets, inventory rules, the countdown timer, checkout, the storefront preorder widget, or whether the offer is live | That offer's editor |
| The wording of a back in stock alert or a preorder confirmation: the email subject, heading, body, button text and footer, the SMS text, or the push title and body | That notification template's editor |
Ask for the change
Tell Sidekick what you want, for example "Change the deposit on my Summer Drop offer to 30%."
Review the editor Sidekick opens
Sidekick opens the offer or template in STOQ's editor with the new value filled in. Check that it's what you asked for.
Save the change
Click Save changes at the top right of the editor. To throw the change away instead, click Discard. Nothing changes in STOQ until you save.
Check your change
Open the offer or template in STOQ and confirm the new value is there. For changes customers can see, like button text or the deposit, open the product in an incognito window.
Troubleshooting
Sidekick answers without using my STOQ data
- Mention STOQ in your question, for example "Ask STOQ which products have the most people waiting."
- Check you're on your live store. Sidekick can't read STOQ data on partner or development stores.
Sidekick can't tell me whether a product can be preordered
Checking live stock takes longer than Sidekick allows, so it can skip that check. Ask again, or ask Quinn inside STOQ, which runs the same check without that time limit.
A change from Sidekick didn't stick
Sidekick fills the change in but doesn't save it. Open the offer or template again, make the change, then click Save changes at the top right of the editor.
Sidekick won't change a template in another language
Sidekick only changes the language the template editor is showing, so it doesn't overwrite one language with another. Open the template in the language you want to change, then ask Sidekick again.
FAQ
Will Sidekick change my STOQ settings without asking?
No. Sidekick only fills a change in on the editor it opens. Nothing is saved until you click Save changes.
Does a change from Sidekick affect existing orders or customers?
It works the same as making the change yourself in that editor, so it follows that setting's usual rules. If a setting only applies to new orders when you change it by hand, the same is true when Sidekick fills it in.
Can Sidekick send alerts, create offers, or act on an order?
No. It can't send notifications, create a new offer, or release, tag or charge an order. For actions on a single order, use Quinn inside STOQ or the order's page in STOQ.
What's the difference between Sidekick and Quinn?
Sidekick lives in Shopify admin, so you can ask about STOQ alongside your other Shopify questions. Quinn lives inside STOQ and can do more there: it can act on a single order, check your plan and usage, and look at your live storefront. See Ask Quinn, your AI assistant.
Do I need to set anything up in STOQ?
No. Sidekick works with your STOQ data as soon as STOQ is installed. The Sidekick card in AI connectors shows Connected, and there's nothing to turn on.
Related guides
Ask Quinn, your AI assistant
Ask questions and approve changes inside STOQ.
Connect AI assistants to STOQ
Connect Claude or ChatGPT, or see every assistant in one place.
Find anything with search
Jump to any setting, product, offer, or order in STOQ.
Get help from STOQ
Chat with the support team when you're stuck.
