Preorder button is disabled or won't add to cart
The Preorder button is on the product page, but it's greyed out and won't click, or it clicks and the product never lands in the cart, sometimes with a Shopify "Product is already sold out" message. Because the button is rendering, this is usually a setup or inventory-location issue rather than a display problem. Confirm the STOQ setup first, then check the Shopify shipping profile and locations.
If the button isn't showing at all, or still says Add to cart, use Fix Preorder button display problems instead.
Before you begin
Open the product page on your live storefront, ideally in an incognito window, and note exactly what happens:
- The Preorder button is greyed out or disabled and won't click.
- The button clicks but nothing is added to the cart.
- Shopify shows "Product is already sold out" after you click.
All three usually trace to one of two things: the STOQ preorder setup for the affected variant, or a mismatch between the product's inventory locations and its Shopify shipping profile. Work through them in that order.
1. Confirm the STOQ preorder setup
Rule these out first, on the affected variant. These are the same checks as the button display guide, applied to a button that shows but doesn't work.
- The variant is in the correct preorder offer, and the offer's status is Enabled. See Add products to an offer.
- The variant's inventory matches the offer's rule: for an out-of-stock preorder the inventory must be 0 or below, for an in-stock preorder it must be 1 or above. See Preorder inventory settings.
- Shopify's Continue selling when out of stock is on for the variant, so Shopify doesn't treat it as sold out. STOQ flags this in the Status column of the Products tab and can fix it for you.
- The STOQ app embed is on. The button and its add-to-cart behavior both run through the embed.
- The shopper's market is enabled for the offer. If the variant isn't covered by a preorder plan in the shopper's region, STOQ disables the button for them. See Sell preorders in multiple markets.
If every check passes and the button is still disabled or the product won't add, the cause is almost always on the Shopify side, in the product's shipping profile and locations.
2. Check the product's shipping profile
A product can only be bought if it's stocked at a location that its shipping profile ships from. When those don't line up, Shopify refuses the add to cart, often as a sold-out error, even though the Preorder button itself is set up correctly.
Open the shipping profile
- In your Shopify admin, click Settings.
- Click Shipping and delivery.
- Under Shipping, find the shipping profile that covers the affected product (the General shipping rates profile, or a custom one) and open it.
Confirm the product is in the profile
In the profile, check that the affected product is listed. A product that sits in a different profile, or isn't in the one you expect, can't be bought the way you intend.
Note the Ship from locations
In the same profile, look at the locations under Ship from. These are the locations Shopify fulfills this product from. Note them for the next step.
3. Match the product's locations to the profile
Check where the variant is stocked
- In your Shopify admin, click Products and open the affected product.
- In the Inventory section, check which locations the variant is stocked at.
Line the locations up
The variant has to be stocked at a location the shipping profile ships from. For example, if the profile ships from Custom Location but the variant is only stocked at Store, Shop, and App locations, they don't match and Shopify blocks the purchase.
Fix the mismatch
Either add the variant's stocked location to the profile's Ship from list, or stock the variant at a location the profile already ships from. Click Save, then retry the product page.
Verify it worked
Reopen the product page on your live storefront in an incognito window, click Preorder, and confirm the item is added to the cart and you can reach checkout without a sold-out error.
FAQ
Why does Shopify show "Product is already sold out" when I click Preorder?
Usually the variant's inventory location doesn't match the location used in its shipping profile, so Shopify won't let it be bought. Check the variant's assigned locations and make sure one of them is in the profile's Ship from list. Also confirm Continue selling when out of stock is on for the variant.
Why is the Preorder button greyed out or disabled?
The most common cause is the shopper's market: if the variant isn't covered by a preorder plan in their region, STOQ disables the button for them. Confirm the offer's Markets include that market. Also check the variant is actually in an Enabled offer, since a disabled or scheduled offer won't let it be ordered.
Where do I check the product's shipping profile?
In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery, then open the shipping profile assigned to the affected product.
Does fixing this change orders I've already received?
No. These settings only control whether new visitors can add the product on preorder. Changing them doesn't alter or reprocess orders that were already placed.
I lined up the locations and it still won't add
Reach support by clicking the purple chat icon at the bottom right of the STOQ app and choosing Talk to a human. Include your shop URL, the product URL, the affected variant, the offer name, and a screenshot or short video of what happens when you click Preorder.
