Running out of stock is a good problem to have—until interested customers leave your store because they have no way to know when the product will return.
A back-in-stock notification gives those shoppers a simple option: tell them when the product becomes available again.
For Shopify merchants, the basic idea is straightforward. A customer sees an unavailable product, submits their email through a Notify Me form, and receives a notification when the product is back in stock.
The real challenge is automating the process reliably without manually tracking customer requests and sending emails yourself.
In this guide, we’ll look at how back-in-stock notifications work, practical ways to add them to Shopify, and how to set up an automated workflow using SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock.
What Are Back-in-Stock Notifications?
A back-in-stock notification is a customer-facing alert that tells a shopper when a previously unavailable product becomes available again.
For example, a customer wants a pair of shoes, but their size is out of stock. Instead of leaving the store, they can click a Notify Me When Available option and provide their email address. When the relevant product or variant becomes available again, the customer receives a notification.
This is different from a low-stock alert. A low-stock alert is generally used to notify the merchant that inventory is running low. A back-in-stock notification is designed for the customer who already wanted to buy the product but couldn’t because it was unavailable.
Why Add Back-in-Stock Notifications to a Shopify Store?
An out-of-stock product doesn’t necessarily mean a lost customer. Sometimes the customer still wants the product; they simply don’t know when it will be available again.
- Remember the product
- Return to your store later
- Check whether it is available
- Repeat the process until they find it in stock
Most shoppers won’t consistently remember the product, return to your store later, and check whether it is available. A back-in-stock notification removes that friction. Instead of asking customers to remember to come back, you give them an easy way to stay informed automatically.
It can be especially useful for fashion and apparel stores, beauty and cosmetics brands, electronics stores, limited-edition products, high-demand products, seasonal products, products with multiple variants, and stores with frequent inventory changes.
The goal isn’t simply to send another email. It’s to reconnect with a customer who has already shown interest in a specific product.
How to Add Back-in-Stock Notifications to Shopify
Option 1: Manage Requests Manually
You could create a form that collects customer email addresses and then manually contact customers when inventory returns. This can work for a very small store with only a few requests.
It becomes difficult when dozens or hundreds of customers are waiting for different products. You would need to keep track of customer email addresses, requested products, product variants, inventory status, and which customers have already been notified.
Option 2: Build a Custom Solution
A developer can create a custom notification workflow using Shopify’s APIs, theme integration, email infrastructure, and inventory events. This provides flexibility, but it also means dealing with development, maintenance, testing, email delivery, and future Shopify changes.
For most merchants, building an entire notification system from scratch isn’t necessary.
Option 3: Use a Shopify Back-in-Stock App
A dedicated app can handle the workflow for you. This is generally the simplest approach when you want automated customer notifications without building and maintaining the system yourself.
How to Set Up Back-in-Stock Notifications with SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock
SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock is designed specifically for this workflow. The Shopify App Store listing describes automated restock email notifications, no-code operation, email delivery reporting, and support for products with and without variants.
Step 1: Install the App
Start by installing SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock from the Shopify App Store.
- Open the app listing.
- Click Install.
- Review the permissions requested by the app.
- Approve the installation.
Learn more about SG: Notify Me -Back-in-Stock on Semget
Step 2: Configure Your Notify Me Experience
Configure how customers will request a notification. Depending on your store’s design and requirements, the notification experience can include a Notify Me button, popup form, customer email collection, confirmation or thank-you message, different notification styles, button customization, and popup customization.
The objective is simple: Out of stock → Notify Me → Customer submits request.
Keep the form as straightforward as possible. If the customer only needs to provide an email address, don’t turn a simple notification request into a long registration process.
Step 3: Add the App to Your Shopify Theme
SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock is designed for no-code operation, and its App Store listing states that merchants don’t need to manually add code or widgets for the standard setup.
For stores that need to position the app through Shopify’s theme editor, Theme App Blocks provide another integration method. Shopify explains that compatible themes allow merchants to add app blocks through the theme editor and move or customize them without directly editing theme code.
Shopify documentation on adding app functionality to themes
Step 4: Make Sure Your Products and Variants Track Inventory
Back-in-stock notifications depend on accurate inventory information. Shopify tracks inventory at the product-variant level, and inventory can also be associated with different locations.
For example, consider a T-shirt with Small — 0 available, Medium — 8 available, and Large — 0 available. A customer looking for Small shouldn’t receive a notification simply because Medium is available.
This is one reason variant support matters for stores selling products with sizes, colors, storage capacities, or other options.
Shopify inventory documentation
Step 5: Configure Your Notification Settings
Configure the notification behavior according to your store’s requirements. SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock supports inventory threshold settings and customer-facing customization options including notification forms, button appearance, popup appearance, confirmation messages, notification styles, and email templates.
The amount of customization available depends on your selected plan.
Step 6: Test the Complete Workflow
Before sending real notifications to customers, test the complete journey.
- Product is unavailable
- Notify Me option appears
- Submit a test email
- Confirm the request is recorded
- Make the product available again
- Confirm the notification is triggered
- Check the email
- Review the delivery report
Testing the entire workflow is more useful than simply checking whether the button appears on the product page. You want to know that the customer request, inventory condition, notification trigger, and email delivery work together.
SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock provides email delivery reports showing successful and failed email deliveries.
What If Your Shopify Store Has Product Variants?
Product variants deserve special attention. Imagine you sell a sneaker in Black / Size 8, Black / Size 9, Black / Size 10, White / Size 8, White / Size 9, and White / Size 10. Only Black / Size 9 is currently unavailable.
A good back-in-stock workflow should understand the difference between the product and its individual variants.
SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock supports products with and without variants, making it suitable for stores where customers need to wait for a specific product option.
How Back-in-Stock Notifications Can Help Recover Lost Sales
A shopper who signs up for a restock notification has already demonstrated purchase intent. They have identified a product they want and are willing to provide their email address to hear when it’s available.
For customers, they don’t have to repeatedly check your store. For merchants, you have a direct opportunity to bring an interested shopper back when inventory becomes available.
The notification also creates a useful signal about product demand. If many customers are waiting for a product, that information can help your team understand which products are generating strong interest.
Back-in-Stock Notifications vs. Low-Stock Alerts
These two terms are sometimes confused. They’re related to inventory, but they’re designed for different audiences.
| Alert type | Audience | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Low-stock alert | Merchant/team | Warns that inventory is running low |
| Back-in-stock notification | Customer | Tells a shopper that an unavailable product is available again |
| Inventory report | Merchant/team | Helps monitor stock levels and changes |
Shopify inventory documentation
Best Practices for Shopify Back-in-Stock Notifications
Keep the Notify Me Message Clear
Instead of vague wording such as “Submit your request,” use wording that explains the benefit, such as “Notify Me When Available.”
Keep the Form Short
If the purpose is simply to notify the customer, don’t ask for unnecessary information.
Make the Button Visible
Don’t hide the notification option below unrelated product information. If the product is unavailable, the notification option should be easy to find.
Make the Email Useful
- What product is available?
- Why am I receiving this email?
- Where can I purchase it?
Include a clear CTA that takes the customer back to the relevant product.
Don’t Overpromise Availability
Your notification should accurately reflect the inventory state. This is particularly important for products with variants and stores managing inventory across multiple locations.
Test Before Relying on Automation
Automation removes repetitive work, but automated workflows still need testing. A quick end-to-end test can catch problems before real customers encounter them.
Why Use a Shopify App Instead of Building It Yourself?
A custom solution can make sense when you have highly specific requirements and a development team available to maintain it.
For many Shopify merchants, however, the objective is much simpler: “I want customers to be notified when my out-of-stock products are available again.”
A dedicated app removes much of the development and maintenance work involved in building that workflow yourself.
With SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock, the functionality is packaged around the back-in-stock use case, including automated email notifications, customer request management, customization, reporting, and additional features depending on the plan.
Start Recovering Demand From Out-of-Stock Products
An out-of-stock product doesn’t have to mean the end of the customer’s journey.
Give interested shoppers an easy way to request a notification, automate the restock email, and bring them back when the product becomes available.
SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock is built to make that process simple for Shopify merchants without requiring a custom notification system.
Install SG: Notify Me -Back-in-Stock Free Shopify App Store
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shopify have back-in-stock notifications?
Shopify provides inventory management functionality, while customer-facing back-in-stock notification workflows can be added through apps. Shopify documentation explains that apps can extend store functionality through theme app blocks and other integrations.
Do I need coding to add back-in-stock notifications?
Not necessarily. SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock is designed for no-code operation and its current App Store listing states that merchants don’t need to manually add code or widgets for the standard setup.
Can I notify customers about specific product variants?
Yes. SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock supports products with and without variants.
Can I customize the Notify Me button?
Yes. Button customization is one of the app’s available features.
Can I track whether notification emails were delivered?
Yes. SG: Notify Me – Back-in-Stock provides successful and failed email delivery reports.