---
title: "Add a preorder progress bar"
description: "Show how many units are claimed on your preorder product page to build urgency and social proof."
url: https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-progress-bar/
product: "Preorders"
section: "Build your offer / Look and storefront"
last_updated: 2026-10-14
---

# Add a preorder progress bar

> Show how many units are claimed on your preorder product page to build urgency and social proof.

Use this guide to replace the preorder limit disclaimer with a visual progress bar, like "12 of 50 claimed". It works well for hype drops and crowdfunding-style campaigns. By the end, customers will see a filling bar with a claimed versus total count on the product page.

## Before you begin

| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paid STOQ plan | The **Show as counter/progress bar** option is greyed out on the free plan. See [Plans and billing](https://help.stoqapp.com/account/preorder-plans-and-billing/). |
| A quantity limit on each variant | The bar counts toward the **Quantity limit** you set per variant in the offer's **Products** tab. See [Set order limits](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-order-limits/). |

## What customers will see

The bar sits directly above the preorder button, or just below the payment options when partial payments are on.

It shows the selected variant's numbers only. When a shopper switches variant, the bar redraws with that variant's count, so a product with three variants shows three separate totals rather than one shared one. A variant with no **Quantity limit** shows no bar at all, even when other variants on the same product do.

## Turn on the progress bar

On a phone, this menu is collapsed. In the **Shopify mobile app**, tap the **STOQ** logo at the top of the screen to open it, then choose the section named below. There is no hamburger icon. See [Finding the STOQ menu](https://help.stoqapp.com/general/getting-started-with-stoq/#finding-the-stoq-menu).

1. **Open the offer editor**

   1. In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, click **Preorders**.
   2. Click the **Offers** tab, then click the offer you want to edit.
   3. On the offer's **Overview** tab, click **Customize** to open the editor.
   4. In the editor's sidebar, click **Limits & terms**.

   [Image: Preorders Offers tab in the STOQ app](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/r1.png)

   [Image: The offer Overview tab with the Customize button](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/r2.png)

   [Image: The Limits & terms section in the offer editor](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/c1.png)

2. **Switch the display to the bar**

   Under **Total preorder limit**, select **Show as counter/progress bar**. The disclaimer text and the bar are alternatives, so choosing the bar turns the disclaimer line off.

   [Image: Selecting Show as counter/progress bar](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/z4.png)

3. **Set the bar text**

   Click **Customize**, then edit **Progress bar text**. The default is `{{ sold }} of {{ total }} claimed`. Use the variables below to write your own wording.

   [Image: The Progress bar text field](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/z5.png)

4. **(Optional) Add a percentage and set colors**

   Check **Show percentage next to progress bar** to show the percent figure beside the bar. Use the **Fill**, **Background**, and **Text color** pickers to style the bar itself, and **Box background** to color the rectangle behind it.

   [Image: The percentage toggle and colour pickers for the bar](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/z6.png)

   > **Note**
   >
   > Until you pick a **Box background**, the box uses the disclaimer's **Background color** (set under **Add disclaimer** in the **Widget** section), even while the disclaimer line is turned off. Click **Use disclaimer background** to go back to that default.

5. **Save, then set a limit on each variant**

   1. Click **Save changes** at the top right of the editor.
   2. Go to the offer's **Products** tab and click the edit icon next to a variant.
   3. Enter a number in **Quantity limit**, then save. Repeat for every variant that should show a bar.

   [Image: The Limit column for products in the offer's Products tab](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/z7.png)

## Variables you can use in the bar text

| Variable | What it inserts |
|---|---|
| `{{ sold }}` | Units already sold or preordered for the selected variant |
| `{{ total }}` | The variant's **Quantity limit** |
| `{{ quantity }}` | Units still available, the limit minus units sold |
| `{{ percent_sold }}` | Percent of units sold, including the percent sign, for example `55%` |

## Change where the bar appears

By default the bar appears above the preorder button. To place it somewhere else, expand **More settings** in the editor and click **Advanced**, enter a CSS selector for the theme element you want to attach it to in **Progress bar position**, then choose where to attach it in **Insertion type**. See [Advanced settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-advanced-settings/).

## Check your setup

Open a preorder product on your live storefront and confirm the bar shows the right count for the selected variant, then switch variants and confirm the numbers change. Place a test preorder and reload the page to confirm the count moves up.

## FAQ

### Does the bar show one total for the whole product?

No. The bar is per variant, so it shows the count for whichever variant the shopper has selected and redraws when they switch. There's no combined product-level total, so a campaign that needs one shared number has to run on a single-variant product.

### Why isn't the bar showing on my product page?

Check these in order:

1. The variant has a **Quantity limit** in the offer's **Products** tab. Without a limit there's no total to count toward, so nothing renders.
2. **Show as counter/progress bar** is selected under **Total preorder limit**, not the disclaimer option.
3. Your shop is on a paid plan. The option is greyed out on the free plan.

### Why does the bar show a total I never set?

The offer's **Inventory** setting is **Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products**. On those offers the **Quantity limit** field is disabled, and the bar counts toward the variant's current Shopify stock plus the units already preordered.

### Does the count update in real time?

The count is read when the product page loads, so a shopper who already has the page open won't see it move until they reload. New preorders are reflected on the next page load.

### Do different markets share one count?

No, when the offer is restricted to specific markets. Each market tracks its own sold count and limit, so the same variant can show different progress to shoppers in different markets. See [Restrict a preorder offer to specific markets](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-markets/).

### Can I translate the bar text?

Yes. Translate **Progress bar text** the same way you translate other offer text. See [Translate into other languages](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-multi-language/).

## Related guides

- [Set order limits](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-order-limits/): Cap units per variant, which feeds the bar's total.
- [Add products to an offer](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/add-products-to-an-offer/): Link variants to an offer and set their quantity limits.
- [Add a countdown timer for preorders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-countdown-timer/): Show a countdown to build urgency on the product page.
- [Design the preorder widget](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/design-preorder-widget/): Style the preorder button, badge, and messaging.