--- title: "How to take preorders on Shopify" description: "Shopify has no preorder button of its own. Install EZ Preorder & Back In Stock, enable its app embed, add products and pick a rule to take preorders." url: https://docs.ezpreorder.com/guides/how-to-take-preorders-on-shopify plan: Free last_verified: 2026-11-11 --- # How to take preorders on Shopify To take preorders on Shopify, install a preorder app such as EZ Preorder & Back In Stock, turn on its app embed in your theme, add the products you want to sell as preorders, and choose when each one should show a preorder button. Shopify itself has no preorder button: its **Continue selling when out of stock** setting lets checkout accept orders with no stock, but shoppers still see "Add to cart" and nothing marks the order as a preorder. EZ Preorder adds the preorder button, labels and tags the order, and can take deposits, all on its free plan except deposits. **Available on:** All plans, including Free. Deposits, scheduling and collection page buttons need a paid plan. **Where to find it:** [EZ Preorder & Back In Stock on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/ez-preorder). ## What Shopify does and does not do for preorders Shopify's own settings cover part of a preorder: - **Continue selling when out of stock** lets checkout accept an order for a variant whose inventory is 0 or less. - **Purchase options** let apps offer deposit-style payment terms at checkout. Shopify does not change the button text, tell the shopper the item is a preorder, mark the order, limit how many preorders you take, or switch preorders off when stock returns. A preorder app does those parts. In EZ Preorder & Back In Stock, the app also sets **Continue selling when out of stock** for you based on the rule you choose. ## How to take preorders on Shopify with EZ Preorder 1. **Install the app.** Install [EZ Preorder & Back In Stock](https://apps.shopify.com/ez-preorder) from the Shopify App Store. New stores start on the Free plan; no card is needed. 2. **Enable the app embed.** In your Shopify admin, go to **Online Store** → **Themes** → **Customize** → **App embeds**, turn on **Pre order theme extension**, and click **Save**. The app's setup flow has a button that opens this screen for you. See [How to install EZ Preorder and enable the app embed](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/getting-started/install-and-enable-the-app-embed). 3. **Add products.** In EZ Preorder, open **Preorders** and click **Select products**. Pick the products and variants to sell as preorders. 4. **Choose a preorder rule** for each variant (click **Edit** on a product): - **Always**: the preorder button shows whatever the stock. For unreleased and made-to-order products. - **Sold out**: the preorder button shows only when inventory is 0 or less. For backorders on products you restock. - **Specific inventory level**: you set how many preorder units are available, and the preorder button shows until they run out. For limited drops. 5. **Add a note** (optional). Write an estimated ship date in **Custom Note**; it shows above the preorder button. 6. **Check your store.** Open the product in your store. The add to cart button should now read "Pre-order". If it doesn't, see [The preorder button is not showing on my product page](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/theme-setup-and-troubleshooting/preorder-button-not-showing). The detailed walkthrough is [How to set up your first preorder](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/getting-started/set-up-your-first-preorder). ## What happens after a shopper preorders When a shopper clicks the preorder button, EZ Preorder adds the item to the cart with the line item property `type: preorder`. The shopper pays at your normal Shopify checkout. EZ Preorder then tags the order `preorder`, and can put it **On hold** and send a preorder confirmation email. When stock arrives, filter your Shopify **Orders** by the `preorder` tag and fulfill them. See [How preorders work in EZ Preorder](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/getting-started/how-preorders-work). ## Choosing the right preorder setup | Situation | Rule | Useful extras | | --- | --- | --- | | A product that is not released yet | **Always** | Scheduled end date (Growth), deposit (Professional) | | A product that sold out and is being restocked | **Sold out** | Shipment update email if the date slips | | A limited run or drop of a set size | **Specific inventory level** | Collection page badges (Growth) | | Made-to-order or custom items | **Always** | Deposit with balance due N days after checkout (Professional) | | You only want a waitlist, not orders | No preorder; use restock alerts | **Notify Me** button and back in stock emails | For the difference between these, see [Preorder vs backorder vs back in stock](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/guides/preorder-vs-backorder-vs-back-in-stock). ## Ways to sell more preorders - **Show preorders on collection pages** with a badge and a preorder button on product cards (Growth plan and above). See [How to show preorder badges on collection pages](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/storefront-display/preorder-badges-on-collection-pages). - **List every preorder on one page** with the **Custom Pre-Order Page** (Growth). See [How to set up a custom page that lists all your preorder products](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/storefront-display/custom-preorder-page). - **Take a deposit** so shoppers commit with less money up front (Professional). See [How to take deposits and partial payments on preorders](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/payments-and-conversion/partial-payments-and-deposits). - **Reward early buyers** with a preorder discount or a free gift (Professional). See [How to give a discount on preorder products](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/payments-and-conversion/preorder-discounts). ## Limitations - EZ Preorder shows its preorder button on your Online Store theme. It does not add a preorder button to Shopify POS or other sales channels. - Turning a preorder off in EZ Preorder does not turn off **Continue selling when out of stock**. Check that setting when a preorder ends, or the product keeps selling as normal orders. See [Why a product still sells after its preorder is turned off or ends](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/theme-setup-and-troubleshooting/product-still-sells-after-preorder-ends). - The Free plan covers your first 10 preorders or $400 in preorder revenue. After that, preorders switch off until you choose a paid plan. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Shopify have a built-in preorder feature? No. Shopify has no preorder button. Its **Continue selling when out of stock** setting lets checkout accept orders with no stock, but the button still says "Add to cart" and the order is not marked as a preorder. An app such as EZ Preorder & Back In Stock adds those parts. ### Can I take preorders on Shopify for free? Yes. EZ Preorder & Back In Stock's Free plan includes the preorder button, all three preorder rules, custom notes, translations and confirmation emails for your first 10 preorders or $400 in preorder revenue. ### Can I take a deposit on Shopify preorders? Yes. EZ Preorder's partial payments, on the Professional and Scale plans, take a percentage or fixed deposit at checkout and charge the balance automatically later. They work with Shopify Payments and PayPal Express. ### How do I stop taking preorders on Shopify? In EZ Preorder, disable the product or remove it from the Preorder List, then check that **Continue selling when out of stock** is off for its variants in Shopify. On the Growth plan and above you can schedule an end date instead. ### Will preorders work with my Shopify theme? EZ Preorder works with most themes and has presets for 358 of them. See [What Shopify themes work with EZ Preorder](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/theme-setup-and-troubleshooting/theme-compatibility). ## Related articles - [How to set up your first preorder](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/getting-started/set-up-your-first-preorder): the detailed first-time setup. - [How preorders work in EZ Preorder](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/getting-started/how-preorders-work): from button to fulfilled order. - [What the preorder rules do](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/preorders/preorder-rules): choose between Always, Sold out and Specific inventory level. - [What is EZ Preorder & Back In Stock?](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/getting-started/what-is-ez-preorder): every feature and plan. - [Preorder vs backorder vs back in stock](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/guides/preorder-vs-backorder-vs-back-in-stock): which approach fits. - [Launch a new product with preorders](https://docs.ezpreorder.com/guides/launch-a-new-product-with-preorders): a launch checklist.