---
title: "Set preorder quantity limits"
description: "Cap how many units of a preorder variant can be sold. STOQ stops preorders automatically when the cap is reached."
url: https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/set-preorder-quantity-limits/
product: "Preorders"
section: "Build your offer / Inventory and limits"
last_updated: 2026-10-30
---

# Set preorder quantity limits

> Cap how many units of a preorder variant can be sold. STOQ stops preorders automatically when the cap is reached.

Use this guide to cap how many units of a preorder variant can be sold across all customers, for example when you have limited stock to allocate or want a fixed-size preorder run. You can set one limit that applies to every product in the offer at once, or a different cap per variant. By the end, the variant stops accepting preorders on its own once the cap is reached.

> **Warning**
>
> When a variant reaches its quantity limit, STOQ automatically turns off **Continue selling when out of stock** for that variant. That's how it stops further preorders, so no more sell once the cap is hit. STOQ does not turn Continue selling back on by itself when you later raise or clear the limit; you re-enable it yourself (see [When the limit is reached](#when-the-limit-is-reached)).

[Video: Set preorder quantity limits](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUm2ANjvKJI)

## Before you begin

| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Active preorder offer | You need at least one offer. See [Set up preorders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/set-up-preorders/). |
| Products added to the offer | Set one limit for the whole offer in **Limits & terms**, or a per-variant limit on the offer's **Products** section. See [Add products to an offer](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/add-products-to-an-offer/). |
| Inventory setting | Quantity limits only work when the offer's **Inventory** setting is **Show 'Preorder' when product is out of stock**. The per-variant **Limit** field on the Products section is disabled under **Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products**. See [Preorder inventory settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-inventory-settings/). |
| Paid plan (progress bar) | Showing the limit as a counter/progress bar needs a paid plan. Showing it as a disclaimer line works on all plans. |
| Not with batched delivery | Preorder limits and their display are turned off while the offer uses batched delivery. |

## How the limit works

- A limit is the total units that can be preordered for a variant across all customers, counted **per variant, per offer**.
- You set it in one of two ways: **one shared limit** applied to every product in the offer at once, or a **per-variant limit** on the Products section. Either way, each variant tracks and caps its own count.
- Counts don't add up across offers. If the same variant is on two offers, each has its own independent limit.
- Units from a cancelled order, or units you refund in Shopify before they ship, stop counting toward the limit.
- When the sold count reaches the limit, STOQ turns off **Continue selling when out of stock** for that variant, so the Preorder button stops accepting new orders. STOQ doesn't show a "sold out" message of its own; the product falls back to your theme's normal out-of-stock state.
- Whether customers see the limit is a **separate choice** from enforcing it, so you can cap preorders without showing anything on the storefront.

## What customers will see

You control this under **Customer display** in Limits & terms, separately from the cap itself. Choose **Don't show to customers** to enforce the limit silently.

| Element | When it appears | What the customer sees |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing | **Don't show to customers** is selected | No mention of the limit; the cap still applies in the background |
| Quantity remaining text | **Show preorder limit in disclaimer** is selected | A text line below the preorder button, for example "12 left for preorder", using your template |
| Progress/counter bar | **Show as counter/progress bar** is selected | A visual bar of sold vs. total. See [Preorder progress bar](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-progress-bar/) |
| Preorder button stops | The variant's limit is reached | The Preorder button no longer accepts orders, since Continue selling is turned off for that variant |

## 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).

1. **Open Limits & terms**

   1. In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, click **Preorders**, then the **Offers** tab.
   2. Click the offer to open its **Overview** tab, then click **Customize**.
   3. In the editor 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)

2. **Turn preorder limits on**

   Under **Preorder limits**, choose **Preorder limits apply**. The default is **No preorder limits**.

   > **Note**
   >
   > **No preorder limits** turns off the limit display for customers and hides the shared limit controls. It doesn't clear limits already set on the **Products** section. Any variant with a number in its **Limit** field is still capped. To remove a variant's cap, clear its **Limit** field on the **Products** section.

   [Image: The Preorder limits options with Preorder limits apply selected](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/c1.png)

3. **Choose how the limit is set**

   Then pick a scope:
   - **Same limit for every product**: enter the cap in **Limit per product** (in units). STOQ applies that one number to every product in the offer, so you don't have to edit them one at a time.
   - **Set a limit per product**: leave this selected to set each variant's cap yourself on the **Products** section, using the steps below.

   [Image: The Same limit for every product and Set a limit per product options](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/c2.png)

4. **Confirm applying a shared limit**

   If the offer already has products, changing **Limit per product** opens **Overwrite preorder limits for this offer?**. Tick **I understand this overwrites custom limits already set on individual products**, then click **Apply to all products**. This sets that limit on every product in the offer and replaces any per-variant limits you'd set, and it can't be undone automatically.

   [Image: The Overwrite preorder limits confirmation dialog](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/c4.png)

5. **Choose what customers see**

   Under **Customer display**, choose whether and how the limit shows on the storefront. These options are only available while **Preorder limits apply** is on:
   - **Don't show to customers**: enforce the cap without mentioning it on the product page.
   - **Show preorder limit in disclaimer**: a text line below the button (all plans). Click **Customize** to edit the message, using `{{ quantity }}` (units remaining), `{{ sold }}`, and `{{ total }}`.
   - **Show as counter/progress bar**: a visual bar (paid plan). See [Preorder progress bar](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-progress-bar/).

   [Image: The Customer display options for the preorder limit](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/c3.png)

6. **Set or override limits on the Products section**

   For **Set a limit per product**, or to give one product a different cap from a shared limit, save your changes and open the offer's **Products** section. It lists every product and variant, with a **Units sold** column and a **Limit** column.

   The **Limit** column may be hidden by default depending on the offer's inventory setting; if you don't see it, show it from **Column visibility** in the search and filter button above the table.

   Each row's **Limit** field holds that variant's cap. Type the maximum number of units for each variant you want to cap:
   - **Single-variant product**: enter the number in the **Limit** field on the product's row.
   - **Multi-variant product**: click the product to expand its variants, then set a **Limit** on each one. There's no single limit for the whole product.
   - Leave a **Limit** blank for no cap on that variant. STOQ won't accept **0**, so use blank instead of zero.

   STOQ starts counting preordered units against each limit from now on. Applying a **Same limit for every product** value again later overwrites these per-variant limits, so set your overrides after any shared limit.

   [Image: The Limit column on the offer's Products section](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/c5.png)

> **Note**
>
> Don't see the **Limit** column? It's hidden when the offer's inventory setting is **Always show 'Preorder'**. To show it, click the search and filter button above the table, then **Column visibility**, then tick **Limit**. On a narrow screen, you may also need to scroll the table sideways.

> **Warning**
>
> The **Limit** field is greyed out while the offer's **Inventory** setting is **Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products**. Switch it to **Show 'Preorder' when product is out of stock** (**Customize** -> **Inventory** in the sidebar) to make it editable.

## When the limit is reached

Once a variant's sold count reaches its limit:

- STOQ automatically turns off **Continue selling when out of stock** for that variant, which stops the Preorder button from taking new orders.
- On the offer's **Products** section, that variant shows a package icon whose tooltip reads "Quantity limit reached ({count}/{limit} sold). 'Continue selling' was automatically disabled."
- No notification is sent to you or the customer.

To sell more of that variant after it hits the limit:

1. On the **Products** section, raise that variant's **Limit** to a higher number, or clear it for unlimited.
2. Re-enable **Continue selling when out of stock** for that variant, in Shopify or with the bulk toggle on STOQ's **Products** section. STOQ doesn't turn it back on automatically when you raise the limit.

## Reset the units-sold count

Each variant tracks how many units have been preordered toward its limit. To start that count over for a variant, go to the offer's **Products** section, find the variant's row, and in the **Actions** column click the **Reset** icon (a circular replay arrow). Its tooltip reads "Reset: This will restart the count of units sold towards the quantity limit." The icon only appears once a variant has preorders counted. If the variant had already hit its limit, resetting the count alone doesn't reopen it; re-enable **Continue selling when out of stock** for that variant afterward.

There is no bulk reset. The **Reset** icon works one variant at a time, and CSV import can't reset counts, it only adds or removes products from the offer. The only way to clear counts for many variants at once is to remove them from the offer and add them back, which also clears their limits and any per-variant settings, so treat it as a last resort.

## Check your setup

- Visit a product page for the offer and confirm your limit display (disclaimer or progress bar) shows below the Preorder button.
- Add the limit quantity plus one to the cart and confirm the button stops accepting orders once the limit is reached.
- On the **Products** section, confirm variants at their limit show the package icon and the "Continue selling was automatically disabled" tooltip.

## Troubleshooting

### The Limit field is greyed out for a variant

The offer's **Inventory** setting is **Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products**. Quantity limits only work when the offer shows the Preorder button for out-of-stock products. Open **Customize** -> **Inventory** and switch to **Show 'Preorder' when product is out of stock**.

### I can't see the Limit column on the Products section

It's hidden when the offer's inventory setting is **Always show 'Preorder'**. To show it, click the search and filter button above the table, then **Column visibility**, then tick **Limit**. On a narrow screen, you may also need to scroll the table sideways.

### A variant stopped accepting preorders unexpectedly

It most likely reached its preorder limit, which automatically turns off **Continue selling when out of stock** for that variant. Check the **Products** section for the package icon tooltip, then raise or clear that variant's **Limit** and re-enable Continue selling to reopen it.

### I raised the limit but the variant still won't sell

Raising the limit doesn't turn **Continue selling when out of stock** back on by itself. Re-enable it for that variant in Shopify, or with the bulk toggle on STOQ's **Products** section.

### I chose No preorder limits but a variant still stopped at its limit

**No preorder limits** doesn't remove per-variant limits. Open the offer's **Products** section and clear that variant's **Limit** field. Then re-enable **Continue selling when out of stock** for it, since STOQ doesn't turn that back on by itself.

### The Preorder limits options are greyed out

The offer uses batched delivery, which turns off preorder limits and their display. Turn batched delivery off if you need a limit on this offer.

## FAQ

### Can I set one limit for all products at once?

Yes. In **Limits & terms**, choose **Preorder limits apply**, then **Same limit for every product**, and enter a **Limit per product**. STOQ applies that number to every product in the offer, so you don't have to edit them one by one on the **Products** section.

### One product needs a different cap from the shared limit

Set the shared limit first, then open the offer's **Products** section and change that variant's **Limit** field. Just note that applying a **Same limit for every product** value again later overwrites your per-variant changes, so make overrides last.

### Can I enforce a limit without showing it to customers?

Yes. Enforcing the cap and displaying it are separate choices. Turn on **Preorder limits apply**, and under **Customer display** choose **Don't show to customers**. The cap still stops preorders once it's reached.

### Can I reset the sold count for many variants at once?

No. Resetting the units-sold count is a per-variant action, done with the **Reset** icon on each row, and there's no bulk reset. CSV import doesn't reset counts either; it only adds or removes products from the offer. Removing variants and re-adding them does clear their counts, but it also clears their limits and other per-variant settings, so use that only as a last resort.

### Does the limit reset if I remove and re-add a variant?

Yes. Removing a variant from an offer clears its preorder count and limit; re-adding it starts counting from zero.

### If the same variant is on two offers, do the limits add up?

No. The limit is per offer. Each offer counts and caps that variant independently.

### Does changing the limit affect orders already placed?

No. It only controls what happens going forward. Orders already placed keep their quantities.

### Does STOQ notify me when a variant hits its limit?

No. There's no email or SMS. You can see which variants have reached their limit on the offer's **Products** section, marked with the package icon. To list only those variants, open the offer and, in its **Products** table, click the search and filter button, click **Selling limit**, and tick **Limit reached**.

### Do regular in-stock orders count toward the limit?

No. The limit counts only units bought through the preorder selling plan. When a variant has stock, Shopify sells it as a normal order with no preorder, and those sales don't reduce the limit. Your stock count and the preorder limit aren't a shared pool: a limit of 2 still allows 2 preorder purchases even if restocked units were sold as regular orders in between.

## Related guides

- [Set order limits](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-order-limits/): Per-order minimums and maximums, terms acceptance, and mixed-cart rules.
- [Preorder progress bar](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-progress-bar/): Show the quantity limit as a visual counter or progress bar.
- [Preorder inventory settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-inventory-settings/): The inventory setting the quantity limit depends on.
- [Add products to an offer](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/add-products-to-an-offer/): Attach variants and set their per-variant quantity limits.
- [Preorder limits during high-volume launches](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-limits-high-volume-launches/): Why a quantity limit can be crossed during a synchronized order surge, and how to avoid it.