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Key highlights:
- Merchants can set backorder limits per product and location, and cap what shoppers can buy with Available to Sell (ATS). .
Merchants can set backorder limits per product and location, and cap what shoppers can buy with Available to Sell (ATS). .
- GA adds shopper-facing messaging: availability prompts, per-variant messages like “Ships in 2–3 weeks,” and shipping expectations at cart and checkout.
GA adds shopper-facing messaging: availability prompts, per-variant messages like “Ships in 2–3 weeks,” and shipping expectations at cart and checkout.
- Carts, checkout, and orders show what ships now and what ships later.
Carts, checkout, and orders show what ships now and what ships later.
- Backorder prompts are opt-in, messages are customizable, and developers get full API coverage.
Backorder prompts are opt-in, messages are customizable, and developers get full API coverage.
The wait is over: shoppers can now see exactly when a backordered item will ship. With Backorders now in GA, you’ll never lose a sale when on-hand inventory reaches zero. Set a backorder limit per product and location, track backordered units separately from on-hand inventory, and let Available to Sell (ATS) cap what shoppers can buy. That was the beta.
GA completes the experience with what shoppers see: clear messaging at every step, before they buy.
What's new at general availability
- Product pages: an availability prompt next to the stock level, plus per-variant messages like “Ships in 2–3 weeks.”Additionally, decide to show what quantities are ready to ship vs. quantities that will be on a backorder.
Product pages: an availability prompt next to the stock level, plus per-variant messages like “Ships in 2–3 weeks.”Additionally, decide to show what quantities are ready to ship vs. quantities that will be on a backorder.
- Cart and checkout: each line item shows units ready to ship vs. units on backorder, plus generates a shipping expectation message. Orders: the messages shown at purchase time stay on the order, so your team and your customer share the same record.
Cart and checkout: each line item shows units ready to ship vs. units on backorder, plus generates a shipping expectation message. Orders: the messages shown at purchase time stay on the order, so your team and your customer share the same record.
- Your call: every setting defaults to off, and prompts come with customizable text.
Your call: every setting defaults to off, and prompts come with customizable text.
Building custom? Backorder fields run through the Inventory, Orders, and Settings APIs, Storefront GraphQL and REST, Stencil, and Catalyst. Full specifications are in the Backorders developer guide.
How to get started
- Enable Backorders under Settings › Inventory in the Control Panel.
Enable Backorders under Settings › Inventory in the Control Panel.
- Confirm Track Inventory is on for the physical products you want to backorder.
Confirm Track Inventory is on for the physical products you want to backorder.
- Set backorder limits per product and location, or leave them unlimited.
Set backorder limits per product and location, or leave them unlimited.
- Turn on the shopper messaging you want and customize the text.
Turn on the shopper messaging you want and customize the text.
Digital products cannot be backordered. Full requirements are in the Backorders article in the Help Center.
The final word
Stockouts used to force a choice: stop selling, or oversell and scramble. Our Backorders functionality removes that tradeoff, delivering a confident selling experience for you and a confident buying experience for your customers.
Enable it today under Settings › Inventory, and see the Backorders article in the Help Center for setup guidance.
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