What the preorder rules do: Always, Sold out and Specific inventory level
In EZ Preorder & Back In Stock, every variant on your Preorder List has one preorder rule that decides when the preorder button replaces your theme's add to cart button. Always shows it whatever the stock. Sold out shows it when the variant's inventory is 0 or less. Specific inventory level shows it while inventory is above 0, so you can sell a set number of preorders and then stop. Saving a rule also changes Shopify's Continue selling when out of stock setting: on for Always and Sold out, off for Specific inventory level.
Available on: All plans (Free, Core, Growth, Professional and Scale).
Where to find it: EZ PreOrder → Preorders → Edit on a product → Pre-order rules → Condition to allow Pre-Order.
The three preorder rules
| Rule | Preorder button shows when | Continue selling when out of stock | Inventory change when you save | Badge on the Preorder List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | Always, whatever the stock | Turned on | None | Always |
| Sold out | The variant's inventory is 0 or less | Turned on | None | Sold out |
| Specific inventory level | The variant's inventory is above 0 | Turned off | Sets the quantity at each location to the numbers you enter | Greater than 0 |
New products start on Specific inventory level. Whenever a variant does not match its rule, shoppers see your theme's normal button, which reads "Add to cart" or "Sold out" depending on stock and your theme.
How to change a variant's preorder rule
- In EZ PreOrder, open Preorders.
- Click Edit on the product, or click the product row to expand it and click Edit on a variant.
- In the Variants card on the left, select the variant you want to change.
- Under Pre-order rules, in Condition to allow Pre-Order, choose Always, Sold out or Specific inventory level.
- For Specific inventory level, enter the number of units in each Location field. The fields start at the current available quantity.
- Optional: tick Apply settings for all variants to use this rule on every variant of the product that is on your list.
- Click Save in the bar at the top of the page. A "Preorder(s) updated" message confirms the save.
How the Always rule works
The Always rule shows the preorder button on the variant at all times, whether it has stock or not. Use it for products that are not released yet, or products you only make to order.
- Saving Always turns on Continue selling when out of stock for the variant, so Shopify accepts orders at any stock level.
- Every order of the variant is a preorder: EZ Preorder tags it
preorderand counts it toward your plan's preorder limit, even if you had stock on hand. - The preorder runs until you change the rule, disable the product, remove it, or a schedule ends it.
How the Sold out rule works
The Sold out rule shows the preorder button only once the variant's inventory is 0 or less. While the variant has stock, shoppers see your theme's normal add to cart button and orders are regular orders. Use it to keep selling a product through a stockout.
- Saving Sold out turns on Continue selling when out of stock, so Shopify accepts orders when stock is 0 and inventory goes below 0.
- A variant counts as sold out at exactly 0, not only below it.
- When you receive stock and inventory rises above 0, the normal button returns and new orders are regular orders. Units already sold as preorders stay owed: if inventory is -12 and you receive 20, 8 become available.
- An order is a preorder when the variant's stock before that order was 0 or less.
How the Specific inventory level rule works
The Specific inventory level rule shows the preorder button while the variant's inventory is above 0. You set the number of units you want to sell as preorders as the variant's inventory, and when it reaches 0 the variant sells out. Use it to cap a preorder campaign at a fixed quantity.
- Saving Specific inventory level turns off Continue selling when out of stock, so Shopify stops selling at 0 and your theme shows its sold out state.
- The Location fields set the available quantity at each of the variant's locations in Shopify. EZ Preorder records the change as an inventory correction. Leave a field unchanged to keep that location's quantity.
- Every unit in stock counts as a preorder unit. Orders placed while stock is above 0 are tagged
preorder, including stock you receive later, until you change the rule. - This is the default rule for products you add to the list. Right after you add a product, any variant with stock shows the preorder button.
What changes on the Shopify product
EZ Preorder writes Shopify's Continue selling when out of stock setting (inventory policy) only at these moments:
| What you do in EZ Preorder | Continue selling when out of stock | Inventory quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Add a product or variant to the Preorder List | Turned off for the added variants | Unchanged |
| Save Always or Sold out on the Edit page | Turned on | Unchanged |
| Save Specific inventory level on the Edit page | Turned off | Set to the Location numbers |
| Click Enable or Disable | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Remove a product or variant from the list | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Click Apply in Bulk Settings | Set on every variant on the list, to match the rule in the dialog | Changed only for Specific inventory level |
| A scheduled preorder ends with Mark as sold out when the pre-order ends ticked (Growth plan and above) | Turned off | Set to 0 |
Because disabling and removing leave the setting as it is, a variant that was on Always or Sold out can still be bought at zero stock with your theme's normal button. See A product still sells after the preorder ends. For Bulk Settings, see Bulk edit preorder settings. For schedules, see Schedule preorder start and end dates.
Apply settings for all variants
The Apply settings for all variants checkbox on the Edit page saves the rule, the custom note for the selected language, and the market settings to every variant of the product that is on your list. With Specific inventory level, every variant gets the same quantity at each location as the numbers you entered. The checkbox is unticked each time you open the page, and the Variants card is hidden while it is ticked.
Limitations
- Rules are per variant. Schedules are per product.
- The product page reads inventory when it loads. Use Sold out and Specific inventory level on variants with Track quantity turned on, so the count is accurate.
- If you change Continue selling when out of stock directly in Shopify, EZ Preorder does not change it back until you save the rule again. The rule still decides when the button shows, but Shopify decides whether checkout accepts the order.
- Saving the Edit page turns the product's preorder status to enabled, unless the save sets a schedule that starts on a later date. To keep a product disabled, click Disable after saving.
- Only the first 100 variants of a product can be added to the list.
Troubleshooting
An in-stock product shows the preorder button. The variant uses Specific inventory level (the default for new products) or Always. Change it to Sold out to show the button only after the product sells out.
The Sold out rule shows no button at 0 stock. Check that the product's status is Enable and that the app embed is on. Then see The preorder button is not showing.
The preorder button shows but shoppers cannot add the item to the cart. Continue selling when out of stock was turned off in Shopify after you saved the rule. Save the rule again in EZ Preorder. See I cannot add a preorder product to the cart.
Inventory changed after you saved. Specific inventory level sets each location to the number in its Location field, and Apply settings for all variants copies those numbers to every variant. Correct the quantities in Shopify or save again with the right numbers.
A disabled product turned itself back on. Saving the Edit page enables the product. Click Disable after saving.
Frequently asked questions
Which preorder rule is the default?
Specific inventory level. Every variant you add with Select products, Bulk Add or Bulk Add Collections starts on it, with Continue selling when out of stock turned off.
Does the Sold out rule start at 0 or below 0?
At 0. The preorder button appears when the variant's inventory is 0 or less.
How do I limit how many preorders I take?
Use Specific inventory level and enter the number of preorder units as the variant's quantity. The variant sells out when that number reaches 0.
Can variants of the same product have different rules?
Yes. Select each variant in the Variants card on the Edit page, choose its rule and save. Leave Apply settings for all variants unticked.
Does changing a rule affect orders already placed?
No. Existing orders keep their preorder tag and their items. The new rule applies to orders placed after you save.
Can I take preorders without turning on Continue selling when out of stock?
Yes. Specific inventory level keeps it off and sells only the quantity you set.
Related articles
- How to manage your Preorder List: add, edit, sync and disable products.
- How preorders work: the full journey from button to fulfilled order.
- Bulk edit preorder settings: set one rule on every product at once.
- Schedule preorder start and end dates: turn preorders on and off automatically.
- A product still sells after the preorder ends: stop overselling.
- I cannot add a preorder product to the cart: when the button shows but checkout refuses.