Handle orders after inventory arrives
Your restock has landed, now you need to get the waiting preorders shipped. This page walks the whole flow, from confirming stock to shipping, and points you to the exact action for your setup.
Before you begin
- What you do here depends on the fulfillment setup you chose for the offer: Unfulfilled, Scheduled, On hold, or Hold all fulfillments. If you haven't decided, see Choose a fulfillment setup.
- STOQ doesn't ship orders for you. It controls when an order becomes fulfillable; you still fulfill and ship in Shopify, which is when customers get their shipping notification.
Choose your setup
Your fulfillment setup determines what's needed when stock arrives:
| Your fulfillment setup | What's needed when stock arrives |
|---|---|
| Unfulfilled | Nothing extra, orders are already fulfillable. Just fulfill and ship. |
| Scheduled | Shopify opens fulfillments automatically on the scheduled date. To ship sooner, open scheduled fulfillments early. |
| On hold | Release the held fulfillments, then fulfill. Only the preorder items were held. |
| Hold all fulfillments | Release the held fulfillments (this releases in-stock items too), then fulfill. |
What customers will see
Once Shopify shows the product in stock, an out-of-stock preorder offer automatically switches the storefront button from Preorder back to Add to cart, so it stops taking new preorders without you changing anything. If you don't want preorders to run again the next time that product sells out, turn the offer off.
When you fulfill in Shopify, customers get Shopify's standard shipping notification. If a fulfillment date slips or moves, you can also send customers an order confirmation or shipping update in bulk from the orders list, keeping expectations clear while stock catches up.
Set it up
Confirm the stock is in Shopify
Receive the inventory so Shopify shows the products in stock.
Make the orders fulfillable
Depending on your setup, release or open the held fulfillments (see Choose your setup above). Unfulfilled orders are already fulfillable.
Collect any remaining balance
For deposit or pay-later orders, collect the outstanding amount: see Collect remaining preorder payments.
Fulfill and ship in Shopify
Fulfill the orders in Shopify. The customer receives their shipping notification at this point.
Use the Reports → Preorders → Orders list to find waiting orders (or, for a single offer, open it under Preorders → Offers and use its Orders tab). Filter or sort by status, then select orders and use the bulk actions to release, open, collect, or send updates.
Check your setup
After you release, open, or fulfill orders, go to Reports → Preorders → Orders and filter by status to confirm they moved out of On hold or Scheduled and now show as fulfilled. If you collected a balance, open the order to confirm it's marked paid.
Troubleshooting
The restock only partly covers demand
Fulfill the orders you can, many merchants ship oldest orders first, and leave the rest held or scheduled until the next batch arrives. Releasing or opening orders doesn't force them to ship, so you stay in control of which ones go out.
Some items in an order are in stock and some aren't
It depends on your fulfillment option.
- Split fulfillments ships the in-stock items now.
- Hold all fulfillments holds the entire order.
- Separate orders splits it into separate orders.
You need to ship before the scheduled date
Open the scheduled fulfillments early instead of waiting for Shopify to open them automatically.
You can't find the orders waiting on this restock
Go to Reports -> Preorders -> Orders and filter by fulfillment status to see the On hold, Scheduled, or Unfulfilled orders.
FAQ
Do preorders fulfill automatically when stock arrives?
No. STOQ never ships orders on your behalf.
- STOQ makes orders fulfillable when stock arrives.
- Scheduled orders open automatically on their scheduled date.
- You fulfill in Shopify when you're ready, which controls exactly when customers get their shipping notification and when stock is drawn down.
Do I have to release orders one by one?
No. Select multiple orders, or use Select all matching, and use the bulk Release / Open actions. They process in the background.
When should I collect the remaining balance?
Usually around the time you fulfill. You can collect balances in bulk from the orders list. See Collect remaining preorder payments.
The stock date moved, do I have to handle each order?
No. If the whole offer's date moved, reschedule fulfillments (and payments) in bulk, or change the offer's date and apply it to existing orders.
Will customers be told their order shipped?
Yes, Shopify sends its shipping notification when you fulfill. You can also send a shipping update to customers in bulk from the orders list.
