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WooCommerce backorders let customers place an order when a product’s available stock has reached zero. To enable them, first turn on stock management under WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Inventory. Then edit each product or variation, open Product data > Inventory, enable stock management, and choose Allow, but notify customer or Allow in the Allow backorders field.
Allow, but notify customer accepts the order and tells the shopper that the item is unavailable. Allow also accepts the order but does not show that backorder warning. Administrator email alerts are controlled separately by the global Enable backorder notifications setting.
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What a WooCommerce backorder does
A backorder is an order for a product whose sellable stock is currently zero or below the quantity requested. Instead of preventing checkout, WooCommerce can continue accepting orders and mark the inventory situation as an on-backorder condition.
Backorders are not enabled by one global switch alone. Stock management must be active, and each product or variation must have a backorder policy. This separation lets you keep some products unavailable while allowing customers to order others that you expect to replenish.
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The three core backorder choices
| WooCommerce setting | Can the customer order when stock is exhausted? | Immediate customer notice | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do not allow | No | Not applicable | You must stop checkout when available stock reaches zero. |
| Allow, but notify customer | Yes | Yes | The shopper may order, but must be told that the item is currently unavailable. |
| Allow | Yes | No backorder warning is shown by this setting | You want to accept the order without the customer-facing backorder notice. |
The two “allow” modes both permit orders beyond available stock. The difference is the notice shown to the customer; it is not a difference in whether the order is accepted.
Prepare global inventory settings
Before changing an individual product, configure WooCommerce’s inventory controls. This is also where you decide whether store staff receive an email when an order creates a backorder.
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- Enable stock management. Without this, product-level stock quantities and backorder rules cannot provide the intended inventory control.
- Set the hold-stock timing used for unpaid orders according to your checkout and fulfillment process.
- Configure low-stock and out-of-stock notification options, including recipients and the threshold at which a low-stock alert is generated.
- Enable backorder notifications if administrators or other configured recipients should receive an email after an order creates a backorder. This is separate from the message shown to the shopper.
- Choose the catalog’s out-of-stock visibility behavior. Hiding out-of-stock products can remove them from the customer-facing catalog.
- Choose the stock-display format that should appear on product pages.
- Save the inventory settings.
The global notification checkbox controls an administrative email: WooCommerce documents it as enabling a “backorder stock notification email when an order creates a backorder.” It does not replace the product-level choice between notifying or not notifying the customer.
Enable backorders for a simple product
Use these steps for a product without selectable variations.
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- Go to Products in the WordPress dashboard and edit the product.
- In the Product data panel, select the Inventory tab.
- Enable product-level stock management.
- Enter the current stock quantity.
- Open the Allow backorders dropdown.
- Select Allow, but notify customer or Allow.
- Review the product’s low-stock threshold if a product-specific threshold is available in your configuration.
- Save or update the product.
Which mode should you select?
- Choose Allow, but notify customer when delivery timing or availability needs to be explicit at the point of purchase. The customer is still allowed to complete the order, but the unavailable status is disclosed.
- Choose Allow when your storefront should accept the order without that immediate backorder warning. Use this only when your customer communication and fulfillment process can explain the expected wait elsewhere.
- Choose Do not allow when selling beyond current stock is not operationally acceptable.
Changing the product setting affects future attempts to purchase that product. Check the front end in a logged-out or customer test session so you can see the actual availability message and whether the product remains discoverable.
Manage backorders for variable products
Variable products require an additional inventory decision because stock can be managed at the parent-product level, at the variation level, or through a combined approach. A variation can have its own quantity, backorder setting, and low-stock threshold.
Parent-level inventory
Use parent-level management when the variations draw from one shared inventory pool. Configure the stock controls on the variable product’s inventory panel and make sure the resulting policy matches every variation customers can select.
Variation-level inventory
Use variation-level management when each option has its own supply. Edit the relevant variation, open its inventory controls, enter its quantity, and choose its own Allow backorders mode. One variation can allow backorders while another uses Do not allow.
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A store may use a parent-level rule for shared stock while maintaining variation-specific quantities or thresholds where needed. Document which level is authoritative for each product so staff do not update the wrong quantity.
Visibility of backorder-enabled variations
If a variation allows backorders, WooCommerce keeps that variation available in the variation selector even when the catalog is configured to hide out-of-stock items. This makes it possible for a shopper to choose an option that has no current stock and place a backorder.
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Out-of-stock visibility and restock signups
Out-of-stock visibility is a separate catalog setting from the backorder policy. Hiding out-of-stock products can remove an item from customer view, which prevents customers from reaching its product page to order or request a restock alert.
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WooCommerce’s Back In Stock Notifications documentation specifically states that customers cannot sign up when the store hides out-of-stock products or variations. If you want a signup form, disable the relevant out-of-stock hiding option and keep the product or variation discoverable.
Choose visibility based on the workflow
| Business workflow | Visibility approach | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Accept orders while waiting for replenishment | Keep the product or backorder-enabled variation visible. | Customers need to reach the product page and select the variation. |
| Collect demand without accepting orders | Keep the out-of-stock item visible and use a restock signup workflow. | Customers can join a waitlist instead of checking out. |
| Do not sell or promote the item while unavailable | Hide out-of-stock products or variations. | The catalog removes the unavailable choice, but restock signups will not work for hidden items. |
Send staff alerts when an order creates a backorder
Customer notices and administrator alerts are independent. A product can use Allow with no immediate shopper warning while the global inventory setting still emails staff about the newly created backorder.
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- Return to WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Inventory.
- Enable backorder notifications.
- Check the configured notification recipients.
- Save the settings.
- Place a controlled test order for a product whose quantity is exhausted and whose backorder mode permits ordering.
- Confirm that the order is accepted, the customer-facing behavior matches the selected mode, and the configured recipients receive the backorder email.
Use a test product or a controlled variation rather than changing a best-selling item during business hours. The test should also verify that the email address, spam filtering, and internal assignment process are correct.
Manage many products with Backorder Manager
Product-by-product editing becomes difficult when dozens of products need the same policy or when different teams require different permissions. The official Backorder Manager extension adds centralized controls for that situation.
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Its documented capabilities include:
- Global rules that apply across the catalog.
- Category-level scopes for groups of products.
- Role-based restrictions.
- Per-product opt-outs when an individual item should not follow a broad rule.
- Catalog-visibility overrides.
- Stock-status normalization.
- Runtime application to the storefront, REST and Store API responses, and customer-facing AJAX requests.
Use centralized rules when consistency matters more than editing speed alone. Before applying a broad policy, identify exceptions such as regulated goods, limited allocations, or products with supplier-specific delivery commitments. The per-product opt-out is useful for those exceptions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use a restock waitlist instead of accepting backorders
If your store does not want to create orders before inventory returns, use a restock-notification workflow rather than selecting an “allow” mode. The official Back In Stock Notifications extension supports signup forms for guests and logged-in customers.
Its documented tools include:
- Signup forms for both unauthenticated visitors and account holders.
- Notification queues.
- Filtering by customer, product, and variation.
- CSV export.
- Catalog prompts that invite a visitor to request an alert.
- Manual notification creation.
This approach captures demand without accepting an order against unavailable stock. Keep the relevant products and variations visible; hiding them prevents customers from signing up.
Choose the right workflow
| Capability | Core WooCommerce settings | Backorder Manager | Back In Stock Notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accept orders while stock is zero | Yes, when a product or variation uses an “allow” mode. | Applies centralized backorder policies to eligible products. | No; it is a signup and notification workflow. |
| Immediate customer backorder warning | Yes, with Allow, but notify customer. | Depends on the resulting product policy. | Not a checkout backorder warning; it prompts for a future restock alert. |
| Administrator backorder alerts | Yes, through global Inventory settings. | Works alongside the store’s notification configuration. | Uses notification queues for restock messages. |
| Global, category, role, or product rules | Product and variation settings are the native controls. | Global and category scopes, role restrictions, and product opt-outs. | Filters and manages signup demand by customer, product, or variation. |
| Out-of-stock catalog visibility | Controlled by the global visibility option and product behavior. | Can apply catalog-visibility overrides. | Requires visible products or variations for customer signups. |
| Demand capture for later emails | Not a native waitlist feature in the documented controls. | Not its primary purpose. | Yes, with signup forms, queues, filtering, export, and manual notifications. |
Select core settings when only a few products need a straightforward policy. Select centralized management when rules must be applied consistently across categories, roles, and channels. Select a restock-notification workflow when the business wants to collect interest but not accept an order until stock returns.
Use the WooCommerce API values consistently
WooCommerce’s developer documentation defines three values for the backorders field:
| API value | Meaning |
|---|---|
no |
Backorders are not allowed. |
notify |
Backorders are allowed and the customer is notified. |
yes |
Backorders are allowed without the customer-notification mode. |
Stock status uses these documented values:
outofstockinstockonbackorder
The same values are exposed in product-query documentation through wc_get_products. Automation should preserve the distinction between the backorder permission and the current stock status: backorders describes what the product permits, while stock_status describes its present inventory state.
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The backorder dropdown is missing or has no effect
- Confirm that stock management is enabled under WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Inventory.
- Open the product’s Product data > Inventory panel and enable product-level stock management.
- For a variable product, edit the specific variation if inventory is managed at variation level.
- Save the product after changing the setting, then test the customer-facing page.
Customers still cannot order an out-of-stock item
- Check that the product or variation is set to Allow, but notify customer or Allow, not Do not allow.
- For variations, verify the selected option has its own backorder permission if variation-level inventory is being used.
- Check whether the product or variation is hidden by the out-of-stock visibility setting.
- Ensure the customer is selecting the backorder-enabled variation rather than another variation that remains unavailable.
The product is not visible for a restock signup
- Disable the setting that hides out-of-stock products or variations.
- Confirm that the signup workflow is attached to the correct product or variation.
- Check whether the customer is viewing a variation that is hidden even though another variation remains visible.
Staff did not receive a backorder email
- Verify that global backorder notifications are enabled.
- Check the configured recipients under the Inventory settings.
- Place a test order against a product whose backorder mode allows ordering and whose available quantity is exhausted.
- Check spam filtering and the mail delivery setup if WooCommerce records the event but the message does not arrive.
The wrong inventory policy applies to a variation
Review whether the product uses parent-level, variation-level, or combined inventory management. Then inspect the exact variation’s quantity, backorder mode, and low-stock threshold. A parent setting does not eliminate the need to verify variation settings when each option has independent inventory.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Stock management is enabled globally.
- Hold-stock timing, low-stock alerts, out-of-stock alerts, recipients, thresholds, and stock-display format are configured.
- Backorder notifications are enabled if staff need an email when an order creates a backorder.
- Each simple product has the correct stock quantity and backorder mode.
- Each variable product has a documented parent-versus-variation inventory strategy.
- Backorder-enabled variations remain visible to shoppers.
- Out-of-stock hiding is disabled when a restock signup form is required.
- A test order verifies both the customer-facing message and the staff notification.
- Any centralized extension rules include explicit exceptions for products that must not be backordered.
- API integrations use
no,notify, andyescorrectly and distinguish them fromoutofstock,instock, andonbackorder.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
