Getting started with STOQ
STOQ does two jobs for your store: sell products before they're in stock with preorders, and win back lost sales with back in stock alerts. When you install STOQ and open it for the first time, a welcome screen helps you set your language and choose what to set up, then hands you an onboarding checklist to go live. This guide walks through both.
Finding the STOQ menu
STOQ's main sections, Reports, Preorders, Back in stock alerts, Plans, and Support, are part of Shopify's app navigation, so where they appear depends on your screen:
- On a computer, they show as a menu down the left side, inside the Shopify admin. Our guides call this the "left menu."
- On a phone, that menu is collapsed. You can open STOQ inside the Shopify mobile app or a mobile browser; either way, tap STOQ (the logo and app name at the top of the screen, next to the small arrow) to open the menu, then pick a section. There's no hamburger icon, and don't mistake it for Shopify's own menu at the bottom of the screen.
So wherever a guide says "in the left menu, click Preorders," it means this same menu, opened whichever way fits your screen.
Saving on a phone
When you edit an offer in the Shopify mobile app, there's no labelled Save changes bar like on desktop. Tap the + icon in the top-right of the editor's title bar, next to the ⋯ menu, to save. So wherever a guide says to click Save changes at the top of the editor and you don't see it on your phone, that + is your save button. Nothing you changed in the editor is saved until you tap it.
The welcome screen
The first screen reads "Increasing sales is easy with STOQ." Here you choose your language and which features to use.
Set your language
At the top of the welcome screen, click the language button (it shows English by default), then pick your language from the list. STOQ reloads in that language. This sets the language of your STOQ dashboard.
Select the features you want
Under "Select the features you're interested in to get started", check Preorders, Back in stock alerts, or both. You can change this later.
Click Get started
Click Get started to continue. STOQ then shows the onboarding checklist for the features you selected.
The onboarding checklist
After you click Get started, the STOQ home page shows an onboarding guide with a tab for each feature you chose:
- Preorders and Back in stock tabs, each with its own short checklist.
- A 4-step checklist per feature, with a "[x] of 4 steps complete" progress indicator.
- Each step has a button that takes you where you need to go, and steps mark themselves complete as you finish them.
- A Skip onboarding link if you'd rather set things up on your own. It asks you to confirm, and it can't be undone.
Both checklists start with the same first step, Enable app embed, because both features need it to appear on your storefront.
Complete the Back in stock checklist
Enable app embed
Click Open Theme Editor. In the theme editor that opens, turn on the STOQ / Restock Rocket app embed and click Save. This lets the "Notify me" button show on your storefront.
Customize 'Notify me' button
Click Customize to set your brand colors and the text on the "Notify me" button and signup popup. For the full options, see Design the Notify me button and Design the signup form.
Sign up for a back in stock alert
Register for an alert to see the flow yourself: enter your email in the step and click Submit, or sign up on an out-of-stock product on your store.
Send your first back in stock alert
Click Re-stock in admin to put the product back in stock, then Send alert to send the notification. This completes the checklist.
For the full walkthrough, see Set up back in stock alerts.
Complete the Preorders checklist
Enable app embed
Click Open Theme Editor, turn on the STOQ / Restock Rocket app embed, and click Save. This lets the Preorder button show on your storefront.
Create your first offer
Click Create offer and set up your first preorder offer, adding your brand colors, payment terms, and more. See Set up preorders.
Add a product to your offer
Click Add product, add a product to the offer, and enable the offer so customers can start preordering. See Add products to an offer.
Get your first preorder
Click Visit store to place a real preorder, or use the test links to check out with the offer applied and confirm it works. This completes the checklist.
For the full walkthrough, see Set up preorders.
If you skip onboarding
You can click Skip onboarding to dismiss the guide (STOQ asks you to confirm, and this can't be undone). You can still set everything up yourself using the setup guides linked above, whenever you're ready.
FAQ
Do I have to complete both checklists?
No. STOQ includes both preorders and back in stock alerts, but you only need to complete the checklist for the feature you want to use. Each is on its own tab.
Why isn't the Preorder button or 'Notify me' button showing on my store?
Almost always because the app embed is off. Complete the Enable app embed step, and always check on your live storefront rather than the theme editor preview.
What happens if I skip onboarding?
The guide is dismissed and can't be brought back, but nothing is set up or changed by skipping. You can still configure everything from the setup guides.
Is STOQ free to start?
Yes, you can start on the free plan. Some features require a paid plan. See Preorder plans and billing for how billing works.
Can I get help setting up?
Yes. Reach STOQ support from the chat in the app at any time.
