---
title: "Send a shipping update email"
description: "Notify customers about a preorder timing or status change, for one order or in bulk."
url: https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-shipping-update-email/
product: "Preorders"
section: "Notifications and integrations / Notifications"
last_updated: 2026-09-28
---

# Send a shipping update email

> Notify customers about a preorder timing or status change, for one order or in bulk.

Send a shipping update email to let customers know something's changed with the timing or status of their preorder, for example a delay. STOQ doesn't send this automatically, you choose when to send it and what it says, to a single order or to many customers at once.

## Before you begin

| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Paid STOQ plan | Bulk send from the orders list requires a paid plan. Sending from an individual order detail page has no plan restriction. |
| Active preorder order | The email is skipped automatically for cancelled or refunded orders. |
| Customer email on file | The email is sent to the customer's email address stored on the order. |

## Choose your setup

- **One customer**: send from an individual order detail page when a single order needs a direct, personal message.
- **Multiple customers in bulk**: send from the preorder orders list when many customers need the same update, for example when a product line is delayed across all open preorders. Requires a **paid plan**.

## What customers will see

Customers receive a single email with the **Subject**, **Header**, and **Description** you provide, or your saved defaults, sent to the email address on their order. It's purely informational: sending a shipping update never collects payment, changes the order status, or affects the fulfillment hold.

You can personalize any field with merge tags:

- `{{order.name}}`: the order number (e.g. #1234)
- `{{shop.name}}`: your store name

## Set it up

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).

### Send to one customer

1. **Open the order detail page**

   1. Go to **Reports → Preorders → Orders**.
   2. From the orders list, click the order you want to notify.

   [Image: STOQ Reports Preorders Orders view with markers: 1 Reports in the left menu, 2 the Preorders toggle, 3 the Orders tab, 4 an order row to open](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preorder-shipping-update-email-1.png)

2. **Open the Notify customer menu**

   1. On the order detail page, click the **Notify customer** dropdown in the page header.
   2. Select **Send shipping update**.

   [Image: The order detail page with marker 1 on the Notify customer dropdown open and marker 2 on Send shipping update](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preorder-shipping-update-email-2.png)

3. **Edit and send**

   A modal titled **Send shipping update** opens. Review or edit the three fields:

   | Field | Description |
   |---|---|
   | **Subject** | The email subject line (required) |
   | **Header** | The large heading inside the email body (required) |
   | **Description** | The body paragraph (required, multiline) |

   1. Click **See available variables** to view the merge tags.
   2. Click **Send email** to deliver it immediately.

   [Image: The Send shipping update modal with Subject, Header, and Description fields and marker 1 on the Send email button](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preorder-shipping-update-email-3.png)

### Send to multiple customers in bulk

1. **Go to the preorder orders list**

   Go to **Reports → Preorders → Orders**.

2. **Select orders**

   Check the checkbox next to each order you want to notify. To notify all orders matching your current filters instead:

   1. Select all on the page.
   2. Click the **Select all** link in the banner that appears.

   [Image: The preorder orders list with three orders selected, marker 1 on the header select-all checkbox and marker 2 on the Send shipping update bulk action](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preorder-shipping-update-email-4.png)

3. **Choose Send shipping update from bulk actions**

   With at least one order selected, click **Send shipping update** in the bulk actions toolbar.

4. **Review and send**

   A modal titled **Send shipping update** opens with the same **Subject**, **Header**, and **Description** fields as the single-order flow, pre-filled with your saved defaults.

   1. Review the content.
   2. Click **Send email** (the button has a short countdown before it becomes active, which prevents accidental sends to a large group).

   Click **Update defaults** inside the modal to jump to Settings and change the default text for future sends.

   [Image: The bulk Send shipping update modal noting it will be sent to 3 orders, with marker 1 on the Send email button](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preorder-shipping-update-email-5.png)

### Customize the default template

Before sending, you can update the default subject, header, and body text that pre-fills every time you open the send dialog. These defaults are stored per shop and can be changed at any time; changes don't affect emails already sent.

1. **Open the Notifications settings**

   1. In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, click **Preorders**.
   2. Click the **Settings** tab.
   3. Open the **Notifications** sub-tab.

   [Image: STOQ Preorders Settings Notifications sub-tab with markers: 1 Preorders in the left menu, 2 the Settings tab, 3 the Notifications sub-tab, 4 the Shipping update email card](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preorder-shipping-update-email-6.png)

2. **Find the Shipping update email section**

   Locate the **'Shipping update' email** card.

3. **Open the template editor**

   Click **Customize** to open the embedded template editor, where you can edit the email's visual design and the default content fields: **Email subject**, **Email header**, and **Email message**.

   Changes you save here become the new defaults that pre-fill the **Subject**, **Header**, and **Description** fields whenever you open the send dialog.

   [Image: The expanded Shipping update email card with marker 1 on the Customize button](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preorder-shipping-update-email-7.png)

   [Image: The email template editor Shipping update panel with marker 1 on the Email subject, header, and message fields and marker 2 on Save changes](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/preorder-shipping-update-email-8.png)

> **Note**
>
> This email is translatable. With **Multi-language support** on, STOQ sends it in the customer's language automatically, using the per-language **Email subject**, **Email header**, and **Email message** you set in the template editor above. See [Translate into other languages](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-multi-language/).

## Check your setup

After sending, a toast confirms it: "Notifications sent" for a bulk send, or "Shipping email sent" for a single order.

To confirm delivery for a specific order, open the order detail page and check the order's activity log. An event is recorded for every successful send, showing the delivery email address; manually triggered sends are labelled "(sent manually)" in the timeline.

## Troubleshooting

### The Send shipping update option doesn't appear in Notify customer

The entire dropdown is hidden for cancelled or refunded orders. Confirm:

1. The order isn't cancelled or refunded.
2. It's a preorder order tracked by STOQ, not a standard Shopify order; the option only appears on the preorder order detail page within STOQ.

### Send shipping update in bulk actions prompts you to upgrade

Bulk sending requires a paid plan. Send from the individual order detail page instead, or upgrade your plan.

### You don't see confirmation that a bulk send finished

Bulk sends run in the background, so the app returns immediately. When the run finishes, STOQ emails your store's owner address a CSV report titled "Bulk Send Shipping Updates Results CSV" with a row for every order showing success or failure.

## FAQ

### Does sending a shipping update charge or change the customer's order in any way?

No. Sending a shipping update email only sends a notification. It doesn't collect payment, change the order status, update the fulfillment hold, or modify anything else in Shopify. It's purely informational.

### Can I send the shipping update email more than once to the same customer?

Yes. There's no limit on how many times you can send a shipping update to the same order from the individual order page. In a bulk send, each run is deduplicated so it won't send twice to the same order, but you can run separate bulk sends for the same set of orders at different times.

### Can I customize the email design beyond the subject, header, and description?

Yes. In the **Notifications** sub-tab (**Preorders** in the left menu → **Settings** tab → **Notifications**), click **Customize** on the 'Shipping update' email card. The embedded template editor lets you change branding, colors, layout, and other visual elements. The Subject, Header, and Description you set there become the pre-filled defaults in the send dialog; you can still override them each time you send.

### Can I trigger the shipping update email automatically through Shopify Flow?

Yes. STOQ exposes a **Send shipping update notification** action in Shopify Flow, which you can use to trigger the email from a workflow using an order ID. You can enter custom Subject, Header, and Description values in the action; if you leave them blank, Flow uses your saved defaults from Settings. See [Preorders with Shopify Flow](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorders-with-shopify-flow/) for the full list of available actions.

### What's the difference between the Shipping update email and the Preorder confirmation email?

The **Preorder confirmation** is sent automatically when a customer places a preorder, or you manually re-send it. The **Shipping update** is only sent manually, by you, and is intended for mid-preorder communication, such as a delay or timeline change. Both share the same template design, but their default Subject, Header, and Description are configured separately in Settings.

## Related guides

- [Preorder confirmation notification](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-confirmation-notification/): The automatically sent email customers receive when they place a preorder.
- [Preorder payment failed email](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-payment-failed-email/): Sent automatically when STOQ cannot collect a remaining payment balance.
- [Preorders with Shopify Flow](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorders-with-shopify-flow/): Automate preorder actions, including sending shipping updates, using Shopify Flow.
- [Find and read preorder orders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/find-and-read-preorder-orders/): Navigate and understand the preorder orders list and individual order detail pages.
- [Handle orders after receiving preorder inventory](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/handle-orders-after-receiving-preorder-inventory/): What to do when stock arrives: release holds, collect balances, and ship.