Set up the PreOrder feature so customers can buy out-of-stock products before you restock them. Covers Notify Me! activation, Shopify-side product setup, Offer configuration, and verifying the Pre-Order button on your storefront.
Before you start
You need:
The Notify Me! App Embed activated in your Shopify theme. The Pre-Order button 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 you want to take preorders for.
How PreOrder works
PreOrder replaces the Sold Out state on out-of-stock products with a Pre-Order button so you can keep collecting orders and forecasting demand. When a customer places a preorder, the order flows into Shopify like any other order, marked with the fulfillment status you choose.
You control PreOrder behavior per Offer. An Offer is a set of rules (which products, which markets, payment terms, discount, fulfillment timing) that applies to one or more products. Most stores start with the default Offer and create additional Offers later for special cases.
Why use PreOrder
Continuous sales. Sell even when items are out of stock so you don't miss revenue.
Customer retention. Show customers the product is coming back soon and reduce lost sales to competitors.
Demand forecasting. Use preorder data to plan restocks more accurately.
Cash flow. Collect revenue upfront to support manufacturing or restock expenses.
Activate PreOrder
In Notify Me!, navigate to Dashboard or PreOrder.
Confirm the status badge reads Active. If it reads Inactive, click Activate.
Set up your products in Shopify
PreOrder needs a few Shopify-side settings to recognize a product as eligible. For each product you want to take preorders for:
In Shopify admin, open the product.
Turn on Track quantity.
Turn on Continue selling when out of stock (this may appear as "Allow out-of-stock purchases" on some Shopify versions).
Set inventory to 0 or less.
Click Save.
If your product has multiple variants, every variant you want available for preorder needs the same three settings. One misconfigured variant can hide the Pre-Order button.
Configure your Offer
The default Offer works for testing. When you're ready to control payment terms, discounts, fulfillment timing, or which markets see the offer, configure the Offer:
In Notify Me!, navigate to PreOrder → Offers.
Click the default Offer (or click Add offer to create a new one).
Configure the key settings:
Applies to: all eligible products, or a specific list.
Active dates: start date and an optional end date.
Billing policy: full payment or partial payment.
Discount policy: no discount, or apply a discount.
Delivery fulfillment trigger: when the order moves to Unfulfilled (immediately, manually, or at a specific date).
Inventory reserve: deduct inventory on sale, or on fulfillment.
Click Save.
Plan requirement: Partial payment, custom delivery fulfillment triggers, discounted preorders, and per-variant sales limits require the Standard plan or above.
For full detail on each Offer setting, see How to Configure Pre-order Offer Logics and How to Create and Configure an Offer.
Verify the Pre-Order button on your storefront
Open one of the products you set up on your live storefront in an incognito tab.
Confirm the Pre-Order button appears in place of Add to Cart.
Click Pre-Order and walk through to checkout. Don't complete the order unless you want a real preorder in your system.
For a full test walkthrough including completing the order, see How to Place a Test "Pre-Order" in Shopify.
Customize the button and notifications
The default styling works out of the box. To match your brand:
Behavior of the Pre-Order button
The Pre-Order button updates automatically based on Shopify product conditions:
If inventory rises above 0, the button reverts to Add to Cart.
If Track quantity is disabled, the button changes to Sold Out.
If both Track quantity and Continue selling out of stock are off, the button changes to Sold Out.
You don't need to toggle products manually between Pre-Order and Add to Cart. Shopify's inventory state drives the button.
Tips and best practices
Start with the default Offer for testing.
Once you understand the flow, create additional Offers for product-specific rules (deposits, discounts, fulfillment timing).Set delivery expectations upfront.
Customers placing a preorder want to know when they'll get the product. Use the availability message under the button to set the expectation clearly.Use partial payments for high-ticket items.
Asking a customer to commit to full payment on a preorder adds friction. Partial payment lowers the bar to commit and lets you collect the rest at fulfillment. Standard plan and above.Treat preorder data as forward demand.
The PreOrder Quick Reports show orders, revenue, and product-level demand. Use this data to inform restock quantities.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't the Pre-Order button showing on my sold-out product?
Check these in order: the PreOrder module is set to Active in Notify Me!, the App Embed is activated in your theme, the product has Track quantity on, Continue selling when out of stock on, and inventory at 0 or less. If the product has variants, every variant needs the same three Shopify settings. See Troubleshooting: Pre-Order Button Not Showing on Sold-Out Products.
Can I run preorders on products that are still in stock?
PreOrder activates only when inventory is at 0 or less. To accept preorders on otherwise in-stock products, set inventory to 0 manually.
Does PreOrder work with site-wide automatic discounts?
Pre-order products are not included in site-wide automatic discounts (for example, a Buy X Get Y discount). Apply preorder-specific discounts inside the Offer instead. See How to Apply Discounts to Pre-orders.
Does PreOrder work for B2B customers?
Yes. PreOrder supports B2B customers, and their company payment terms apply automatically. See How Does Pre-Ordering Work for B2B Customers?.
Can I limit how many preorders are accepted?
Yes, per variant. See How to Set Pre-Order Maximum Sales Limit.
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