Set up the Low Stock widget so customers see an "Only X left" counter on product pages when inventory drops below a threshold you set. Covers display logic, widget visibility, optional merchant-side low stock email reports, and verifying the widget on your storefront.
Before you start
You need:
The Notify Me! App Embed activated in your Shopify theme. The Low Stock counter won't appear on your storefront without it. See Activate the Notify Me! App Embed in your Shopify theme if you haven't done this yet.
At least one product with inventory tracking enabled so the counter has something to count.
How Low Stock works
Low Stock has two sides:
Customer-facing widget. A counter appears on product pages (e.g., "Only 3 left in stock") to create urgency on items about to sell out. You decide whether the counter shows on every in-stock product or only when stock drops below a threshold you set.
Merchant-facing report . Notify Me! can also email you when your own products drop below a stock level you set. Useful for catching restock needs before you sell out completely. Covered later in this article.
Activate Low Stock
In Notify Me!, navigate to Dashboard or Low stock.
Confirm the status badge reads Active. If it reads Inactive, click Activate.
Choose your display logic
This is the single most important decision for Low Stock. You can show the counter on every in-stock product, or only when inventory drops below a number you set.
In Notify Me!, navigate to Low stock → Settings.
Under Low Stock Logic, choose one option:
Show the widget for all in-stock products. The counter appears on every product with inventory above zero, regardless of how many units remain. Use this if you want steady urgency across your catalog.
Show the widget below a threshold. The counter appears only when inventory drops below a number you choose. Use this for an authentic "running out" signal.
If you picked the threshold option, enter your threshold (e.g., 5 units).
Click Save.
Most stores set the threshold at 3 to 5 units. Showing low stock on every product including healthy stock dilutes the urgency signal, but some categories (limited drops, vintage, one-offs) benefit from always-on urgency.
Decide which products show the counter
By default, the Low Stock widget shows on every product page. You can exclude specific products if you don't want the counter on certain items (e.g., always-restocked staples).
In Notify Me!, navigate to Low stock → Settings.
Under Applies to, choose either all in-stock products, or all in-stock products except a list you specify.
If excluding, add the products you want to skip.
Click Save.
For more detail on exclusion logic, see How to Apply Low Stock Alerts to Specific Products.
Get email alerts when your own stock runs low
The Low Stock Inventory Report is a separate feature that emails you (the merchant) when products in your store drop below a threshold. It helps you avoid stockouts and plan restocks before you sell out.
In Notify Me!, navigate to Low stock → Low-stock notifications.
Enable Low Stock Inventory Report.
Pick the notification type:
Immediate notifications. An email sends as soon as any product drops below your threshold.
Scheduled notifications. A summary email sends on a schedule you pick (daily, weekly, or monthly), at a delivery time and time zone you choose.
Set your inventory threshold. The minimum value is 1.
Click Save.
For full detail on report formats, scheduled summaries, and CSV exports, see Low Stock Inventory Report.
Customize the widget
The default styles work out of the box. To match your brand, you can change the widget's text, colors, fonts, and style.
Verify the widget on your storefront
Find a product whose inventory is below your threshold (if you set a threshold) or any in-stock product (if you set Low Stock to show on everything).
Open the product on your live storefront in an incognito tab.
Confirm the Low Stock counter appears with the message you customized (e.g., "Only 3 left in stock").
Tips and best practices
Pick a threshold based on your sales velocity.
A store that sells 5 units a day should set the threshold somewhere between 5 and 10. A store that sells 1 a week probably wants 2 or 3. Set the threshold too high and the urgency feels fake. Set it too low and customers see the widget only after the product's effectively gone.Exclude restocked staples.
If you have products that are always in stock, exclude them from Low Stock. The counter loses meaning when it appears on items customers know are never running out.Pair with Back in Stock.
Customers who see "Only 2 left" but pause too long should see a Notify me button the moment the product hits zero. Keep both modules active so urgency flows into recovery.Turn on the Inventory Report for yourself.
Many stores leave the merchant-facing Low Stock Inventory Report off because they don't know it exists. Even a weekly summary catches restock needs before products fully sell out.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't the Low Stock counter show on a product I expect it to?
Check three things in this order: the Low Stock module is set to Active, the Notify Me! App Embed is activated in your theme, and the product has inventory tracking enabled with a real quantity. If you've set a threshold, the product also needs to be at or below it.
Can I set different thresholds for different products?
The global threshold applies to every included product. To exclude specific items from the counter altogether, use the Applies to exclusion list. Per-product threshold customization is not currently supported.
Does the counter update in real time as inventory changes?
The counter refreshes when a customer loads or reloads the product page. It reads the current Shopify inventory value at page load.
What's the difference between the customer-facing counter and the Low Stock Inventory Report?
The counter is shown to your shoppers on product pages to create urgency. The Inventory Report is sent to you by email so you can plan restocks. They use the same threshold setting but serve different audiences.
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