---
title: "Run a timed product drop"
description: "Open a product at a set time, and the tradeoff between gating the launch and a hard stock cap."
url: https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/run-a-timed-product-drop/
product: "Preorders"
section: "Build your offer / Inventory and limits"
last_updated: 2026-10-20
---

# Run a timed product drop

> Open a product at a set time, and the tradeoff between gating the launch and a hard stock cap.

Use this guide if you want a product to open for sale at an exact time, a drop. How you set it up depends on whether you need preorder mechanics, a firm cap you can't oversell, or the product held shut until the moment it launches.

The catch to know first: STOQ's **Scheduled** status hides the Preorder button, but it doesn't hide Shopify's **Add to cart**. So a product that already has stock stays buyable before the drop, whatever STOQ's schedule says.

## What STOQ can and can't gate

- STOQ schedules when the **Preorder button** appears and disappears. See [Schedule when an offer runs](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-offer-status-and-schedule/).
- STOQ doesn't touch Shopify's **Add to cart**. While an offer is still **Scheduled**, a variant that has stock can still be bought at its normal price.
- So gating a stocked product before a drop isn't something STOQ does on its own. The approaches below each make one tradeoff to get close.

## Choose your approach

| You want | Set it up | The tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| A preorder that opens right at the drop time | Set inventory to 0 with **Continue selling** off so the product shows sold out, then run an **out-of-stock** offer on a schedule. At the start time STOQ turns Continue selling on and the Preorder button appears. | Orders are preorders (they follow the offer's payment, fulfillment hold, and tags), not immediate sales. A STOQ quantity limit is a soft cap that can overshoot in a big synchronized burst. |
| A firm cap you can't oversell | Keep real inventory on the product and use the **in-stock** button option. Shopify enforces the count as a hard cap at checkout. | You can't gate it before the drop: with stock available, Add to cart is live early, and scheduling only hides the Preorder button. |
| Both a gated launch and a hard cap | Keep the product **unpublished** on your Online Store until the drop, then publish it with stock at launch. STOQ isn't involved. | It's a normal in-stock sale, so no preorder deposits, holds, or deferred fulfillment. For a gated hard-cap preorder, [contact STOQ support](https://help.stoqapp.com/general/get-help-from-stoq/). |

## Set it up

### A gated preorder drop

1. **Close the product before the drop**

   In Shopify, set the product's inventory to 0 and turn **Continue selling when out of stock** off, so it shows as sold out and can't be bought before the drop.

2. **Put it on an out-of-stock offer**

   In STOQ, create or open an **out-of-stock** offer that includes the product. See [Configure inventory settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-inventory-settings/).

3. **Schedule the start time**

   Give the offer a scheduled start. At that time STOQ enables Continue selling for the offer's variants and the Preorder button appears, so the drop opens on time. See [Schedule when an offer runs](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-offer-status-and-schedule/).

4. **Add headroom to your quantity limit**

   If you expect a large burst of orders, set your [quantity limit](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/set-preorder-quantity-limits/) a little below the true number you'll sell. The cap is counted after orders clear, so a surge can cross it. See [Preorder limits during high-volume launches](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-limits-high-volume-launches/).

### A hard-cap drop

1. **Keep real inventory on the product**

   Leave the product's Shopify stock in place and use the **in-stock** button option in [Configure inventory settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-inventory-settings/). The stock count is the cap, and Shopify blocks checkout once it's reached.

2. **Hold it off the storefront until launch**

   To keep it from being bought early, leave the product unpublished on your Online Store and publish it at the drop time (manually, or on a schedule if your plan supports scheduled publishing). An unpublished product isn't on your live storefront, so customers can't reach it before launch.

## Good to know

- The preorder approach gates the launch but its cap can overshoot under a synchronized surge. Positive stock gives a hard cap but STOQ can't gate it before launch. STOQ can't do both at once, which is the tradeoff this guide is about.
- Want to collect signups for a product before it launches rather than open a live drop? See [Collect waitlist signups before a launch](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/pre-launch-waitlist-signups/).

## Related guides

- [Schedule when an offer runs](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-offer-status-and-schedule/): Start and stop a preorder offer automatically at the times you choose.
- [Preorder limits during high-volume launches](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-limits-high-volume-launches/): Why an out-of-stock quantity limit can overshoot in a surge, and how to set headroom.
- [Configure inventory settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-inventory-settings/): Out-of-stock, in-stock, and Always options for when the Preorder button shows.
- [Collect waitlist signups before a launch](https://help.stoqapp.com/back-in-stock/pre-launch-waitlist-signups/): Gather Notify me signups for a coming-soon product instead of a live drop.