How to Send Back-in-Stock Notifications in WooCommerce (& Recover Lost Sales)

Out-of-stock products don’t just mean missed sales. They also mean missed opportunities to keep customers coming back to your WooCommerce store.

The good news is that there’s an easy way to recover those lost sales.

Adding a “Notify When Back in Stock” feature to your WooCommerce store lets customers sign up to be alerted the moment a product is available again, which brings them straight back to your store and ready to buy.

Beyond recovering lost sales, back-in-stock notifications help build customer loyalty by showing shoppers you value their interest even when you can’t fulfill their order right away.

Since WooCommerce doesn’t include this feature natively, you’ll need a third-party plugin to make it work. In this guide, I’ll show you two easy ways for how to send back-in-stock notifications in WooCommerce – no coding needed.

Why Send Back-in-Stock Notifications in WooCommerce?

Sending back-in-stock notifications in WooCommerce is one of the simplest ways to recover lost sales and keep customers coming back. Instead of losing a shopper the moment a product runs out, you give them a reason to stay connected with your online store.

I’ve found that stores using this feature are far more likely to convert interested shoppers into paying customers because the notification arrives exactly when the customer is most motivated to buy.

Here are some of the key benefits of adding back-in-stock notifications to your WooCommerce store:

• 🩹 Recover sales that would otherwise be lost — when a customer signs up to be notified, they’re telling you they already want to buy. A timely email brings them back before they shop elsewhere.
• 💙 Boost customer engagement and loyalty — showing shoppers that you’re keeping track of their interest, even when stock runs low, builds trust, and makes them feel valued. This also ties into creating a strong loyalty program.
• 📈 Drive repeat traffic on demand — when you restock an item, an automatic email brings ready-to-buy shoppers back to your store, which means more targeted traffic without extra ad spend.

Plus, customers who sign up for waitlists are already interested buyers. That makes them far easier to convert into loyal customers compared to cold traffic finding your store for the first time.

Here’s a quick overview of the topics I will cover in this guide:

Before You Start: Set Up an SMTP Plugin

WordPress uses the PHP mail function by default, which aggressive spam filters often block because it lacks proper sender authentication.

Installing an SMTP plugin routes your emails through a trusted provider, adding the necessary verification to ensure your back-in-stock emails reach the inbox. And if you have WP Mail SMTP Pro, you’ll have access to email logs, so you can see exactly which notifications were sent and when.

WP Mail SMTP is one of the best WordPress SMTP plugins to improve email deliverability. At WPBeginner, we use it across our business sites, and it’s been a great tool to work with.

For details on how to set it up, see our guide on how to use SMTP server to send WordPress emails.

Method 1: Sending Back-in-Stock Notifications Using Merchant Pro (Best for All-in-One WooCommerce Toolkit)

🎖️ Best for: Store owners who want to consolidate their plugin stack. Instead of bloating your site with dozens of single-purpose plugins, Merchant gives you back-in-stock notifications alongside 40+ other conversion tools in one lightweight package.

Merchant Pro is the ultimate all-in-one WooCommerce growth toolkit. Not only does it offer a streamlined, visual way to set up your waitlists, but it also equips you with trust badges, countdown timers, frequently bought together blocks, and much more.

Step 1: Install and Activate Merchant Pro

To get started, you’ll need to install and activate the Merchant Pro plugin on your WordPress site. It’s the best all-in-one WooCommerce growth toolkit, and it includes the Waitlist module for setting up back-in-stock notifications for your products.

First, let’s create a Merchant account.

On the aThemes website, go to the Merchant page and click the ‘Get Merchant Pro’ button.

Upon signup, you need to download your Merchant Pro zip file and copy your license key.

With that done, it’s time to install and activate the plugin.

In your WordPress admin dashboard, go to Plugins » Add Plugin.

On the next screen, click ‘Upload Plugin’ and then ‘Choose File.’

Go ahead and upload your Merchant Pro zip file from your local computer.

Once uploaded, you can click the ‘Install Now’ button, followed by ‘Activate.’ For more information, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Now, let’s navigate to Merchants Settings to verify your license key. Paste it into the field.

Once the plugin is active, you’re ready to move on to the next step and start setting up your back-in-stock notification system.

Step 2: Open the Waitlist Module

With Merchant Pro installed, it’s time to find the Waitlist feature inside the plugin.

Merchant Pro organizes its features into modules, making it easy to find exactly what you need without any clutter.

To start, head to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Merchant » Modules » Boost Revenue. This section contains a collection of tools designed to help you increase sales and keep customers engaged.

From there, simply click on ‘Waitlist’ to open the module.

Step 3: Configure the Waitlist Module

Before you enable the Waitlist module, you’ll want to take a few minutes to configure it. This ensures everything looks and works the way you want it to before customers start seeing it on your store.

Form Settings

By default, the waitlist form will automatically appear on any product that is out of stock.

If you also sell products on backorder and want those customers to be able to join the waitlist, simply enable the toggle to include backorder products as well.

You can also customize the text that appears on the form itself. This includes:

• Form title — the heading that appears above the form
• Form email label — the text next to the email input field
• Form button text — what the sign-up button says, such as ‘Notify Me’ or ‘Join the Waitlist’

Every change you make will appear in the ‘Preview’ on the right panel.

You’ll also want to customize the messages customers see after they interact with the form. These include:

• The success message – shown after a customer signs up.
• The unsubscribe message – shown when they opt out.

Keeping these messages friendly and on-brand helps build trust with your shoppers.

Next, you might want to check the ‘Exclude products’ customization.

For example, if you sell limited-edition items or seasonal products that you never plan to restock, you can add them to this exclusion list.

This prevents customers from joining a waitlist for an item that will never return.

Email Settings

Next, scroll down to the ‘Email Settings’ section. This is where you control the notifications that go out to your customers.

Start by enabling the toggles for automatic email notifications. This ensures customers are contacted as soon as a product they signed up for comes back in stock without you having to do anything manually.

From here, you can customize the email content for two different scenarios – new subscriber and stock update.

Start with the email content for the new subscriber email, which is sent to confirm that a customer has successfully joined the waitlist.

You can then edit the stock update email.

Merchant will send this automatically when the product becomes available again.

It’s a good idea to preview both emails before saving. This lets you catch any formatting issues or typos before a real customer sees them.

You’ll see a blue ‘here’ link for both emails, go ahead and click on it to see the preview.

Shortcode Settings

If you’d like to display the waitlist form in a specific location on a product page — rather than relying on the default placement — you can enable the shortcode option in this section.

Once enabled, you’ll be able to use the [merchant_module_wait_list] shortcode to place the form exactly where you want it.

If you’re not familiar with how shortcodes work, our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress will walk you through it.

Once you’ve finished configuring all three sections, click the ‘Save’ button in the top-right corner of the page.

Step 4: Enable the Waitlist Module

Now that everything is configured and saved, it’s time to make the ‘Waitlist’ module live on your store.

Simply click the ‘Enable’ button at the top of the Waitlist page.

From this point on, customers visiting any out-of-stock product page will see the waitlist form and can sign up to be notified when it’s back.

That’s it – your back-in-stock notification system is now up and running!

Alternative: Send Stock Update Emails Manually

If you ever need to notify a specific group of customers without waiting for a product to restock automatically, then Merchant Pro gives you a way to do that, too.

This can be useful if you want to send an early heads-up to loyal shoppers or follow up with customers who have been waiting a long time.

Just remember that these customers signed up specifically for back-in-stock alerts. Using this list for general marketing without additional consent may violate privacy laws.

To do this, navigate to Products » Waitlist Subscribers from your WordPress admin area.

Here, you’ll see a list of everyone who has signed up to be notified.

Click the ‘Bulk actions’ menu and select ‘Send Email’ from the dropdown.

Once the emails are sent, the status for each selected subscriber will update automatically from ‘Subscribed’ to ‘Mail Sent’, so you always have a clear record of who has been contacted.

I recommend checking this list periodically, especially after a long out-of-stock period, to make sure no subscribers have been missed.

Method 2: Using the Back in Stock Notifier for WooCommerce Plugin (Free Method)

🎖️ Best for: Store owners who are on a strict budget and are looking for a powerful, fully-featured free plugin dedicated solely to waitlists.

The Back in Stock Notifier plugin is highly capable and won’t cost you anything. While the settings interface has a slightly steeper learning curve than Merchant, it provides granular control over your alerts and built-in bot protection to keep your store secure.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

First, you’ll need to install and activate the Back in Stock Notifier for WooCommerce plugin on your WordPress site.

In your admin area, head over to Plugin » Add Plugin.

Next, you can use the search box to quickly find the plugin.

When you see it on the search result, click ‘Install Now’ and ‘Activate.’

Once the plugin is active, you’re ready to move on to configuring it from your WordPress dashboard. If you need help with the process, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Step 2: Access the Plugin Settings

Now, you’ll need to head over to the plugin’s settings to start configuring it for your store.

From your WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to Instock Notifier » Settings.

This is where you’ll find all the options you need to customize how the back-in-stock notification feature works on your site.

Step 3: Configure Back in Stock Notifier Plugin Settings

Now it’s time to set up how the button looks and behaves on your WooCommerce store. The settings page is organized into several sections, and I’ll walk you through each one so you know exactly what to do.

Front End Form

This section lets you customize the subscription form that shoppers will see on your out-of-stock product pages.

You can adjust the form display type, such as pop-up or inline, to match your store’s design.

You can also tweak the placeholders for your name and email address fields, as well as the button label.

Visibility Settings

Here, you can control where and how the subscription form shows up on your product pages.

For example, you can choose to hide the form for certain categories, like archived or discontinued products.

This way, customers don’t sign up for restock alerts on items that won’t return, keeping the shopping experience smooth.

Message Settings

This section lets you edit the messages that customers see when they interact with the form.

You can customize the text that appears after a customer submits the form, as well as the content of the notification email they receive when the product is back in stock.

I recommend keeping these messages friendly and on-brand — a warm, personalized message can go a long way in building customer loyalty.

Mail

In this section, you’ll set up how email notifications are sent to your customers.

You can configure details like the sender name, sender email address, and the email subject line. It helps to use your store’s name as the sender so customers immediately recognize where the email is coming from.

Background Process Settings

The background process setting ensures that notification emails are sent reliably without slowing down your site.

You have two options: WooCommerce’s built-in background process or the plugin’s default process. The WooCommerce option integrates seamlessly with your existing store infrastructure, while the default process works independently.

I recommend going with the WooCommerce option if you want consistency with your other background tasks. That said, you can use the default process if you encounter any compatibility issues.

Bot Protection

For improved security, you can switch to the Bot Protection tab. This helps protect your form from spam submissions — a small but important step for keeping your store’s data clean.

Back in Stock Notifier offers protection through Turnstile and Google reCAPTCHA.

• Turnstile is a modern bot detection service using advanced technology to identify and block bots without requiring users to solve a challenge or prove they’re human. This makes it invisible and frictionless. However, Turnstile requires a Cloudflare account to set up. 
• Google reCAPTCHA is the more widely-used option and shows a checkbox that says “I’m not a robot.” I recommend reCAPTCHA for most store owners because it’s free, doesn’t require a separate account, and most customers are already familiar with how it works.

When enabled, reCAPTCHA adds a verification check that ensures only real people can sign up for notifications, not automated bots. This protects both your email list and your site’s reputation from spam.

Setting up reCAPTCHA is straightforward, but you’ll need to install the Advanced Google reCAPTCHA plugin to handle the verification on your site.

In your admin dashboard, navigate to Plugins » Add Plugin and search for “Advanced Google reCAPTCHA.”

On the search result, click ‘Install Now’ and then ‘Activate’. See our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin for details.

Once activated, the plugin will ask you for your reCAPTCHA API keys, which you can generate for free from Google.

To do this, simply visit the Google reCAPTCHA website and sign in with your Google account.

In the ‘Register a new site’ section, you can fill in the form with a label, which is any name you choose for reference. Then, select the ‘Challenge (v2)’ option and choose ‘I’m not a robot Checkbox’.

In the ‘Domains’ field, enter your website domain without https:// or www (for example, mystore.com).

You can add multiple domain names if needed.

After submitting, Google will provide you with a Site Key and Secret Key.

You can go ahead and copy these keys.

Now, you can paste them into your Google reCAPTCHA plugin settings in the Back In Stock Notifier Bot Protection tab.

Here’s what you might see on the screen:

Auto-Delete Settings

This feature helps you maintain a clean subscriber database by automatically removing inactive records.

When enabled, the plugin will delete subscribers based on their status—such as those marked as ‘mail sent’, ‘unsubscribed’, or ‘purchased’—after a specified number of days.

This is useful for cleaning up old records and complying with data retention policies while keeping your database efficient.

Quantity Field Settings

The Quantity Field settings let you collect the number of items customers want when they join your waitlist.

You can customize the field placeholder text, for example, you might use something like “Enter quantity” or “How many would you like?”

The plugin also lets you edit the empty field error message shown when a customer submits the form without entering a quantity. If you prefer to keep the form simpler, though, then you can make the quantity field optional so customers can subscribe without filling it out.

Checkbox Subscribe Form

This section allows you to configure an alternative checkbox-style subscription option for your product pages.

So, instead of a standalone form, customers can simply check a box to sign up for a back-in-stock notification.

Estimate Stock Arrival

This feature allows you to show customers an estimated restock date. If you have multiple rules set up for a single product, you can use the ‘Rule Priority’ setting to determine which estimate displays first.

I recommend displaying this message just before the submit button so customers see it right before they sign up.

Troubleshoot Settings (Experimental)

This section contains experimental debugging tools for advanced users experiencing technical issues.

Only use these settings if you’re comfortable with technical troubleshooting or if you have support guidance from the plugin developer. Most users can safely leave this section unchanged.

Once you’ve finished configuring all the sections, you’ll want to make sure your changes are saved before leaving the settings page.

Simply scroll to the bottom of the page and click the ‘Save Changes’ button. This ensures all your configurations are applied, and your back-in-stock notification feature is ready to go for your customers.

Step 4: Visit Your Out-Of-Stock Product Pages

Now that you’ve configured the Back in Stock Notifier plugin, it’s time to see it in action on your store’s front end. Navigate to any product page for an item that’s currently out of stock.

When you land on an out-of-stock product page, you’ll notice a ‘Subscribe Now’ button, like this:

Clicking it opens a popup form where shoppers can enter their email address and subscribe to alerts.

If you have set quantity control and consent checkbox, you’ll also see the fields appear on the form:

If you’ve set up a discontinued product category and configured the plugin to hide the Subscribe Now button for those items, you might want to check those product pages as well.

If the page still shows the ‘Subscribe Now’ button, go back to your plugin settings to make sure they’re configured correctly for your discontinued products.

That’s it – you’ve successfully set up a back-in-stock notifier for your out-of-stock WooCommerce products.

To track your notification log, you can head over to Instock Notifier » All Subscribers in your WordPress dashboard.

Here, you’ll see a list of shoppers who subscribed to restock alerts, along with product details, subscription dates, and notification status.

Bonus: Optimize Your WooCommerce Store to Increase Sales

Setting up back-in-stock notifications is a great step toward building a more profitable WooCommerce store. But there’s a lot more you can do to keep customers engaged and drive more revenue once they’re back on your site.

From reducing cart abandonment to adding upselling features, small tweaks can make a big difference in sales.

Our guide on ways to increase WooCommerce sales with actionable tips covers a wide range of strategies that are beginner-friendly and easy to implement. It’s a helpful next read once you’ve finished setting up your waitlist system.

FAQs About Sending Back-in-Stock Notifications in WooCommerce

Here are answers to some of the most common questions we get about back-in-stock notifications for WooCommerce stores:

How do I set up email notifications for my WooCommerce store?

You can set up email notifications for your WooCommerce store by using a plugin like Merchant Pro, which includes a built-in Waitlist module that handles back-in-stock alerts automatically.

For best results, I also recommend pairing it with an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP to improve email deliverability.

Is it possible to customize WooCommerce notification emails?

Yes, most back-in-stock notifier plugins let you customize WooCommerce notification emails directly inside the editor.

What happens if the emails aren’t delivered immediately?

If your back-in-stock emails aren’t delivering immediately, the most likely cause is that your site is using WordPress’s default mailer instead of a dedicated SMTP provider.

Setting up WP Mail SMTP with a provider like Gmail or Brevo will make your emails more reliable and ensure they reach your customers’ inboxes on time.

Can I view a log of sent notifications?

Yes, most back-in-stock notifier plugins allow you to do that.

For example, if you are using Merchant Pro, you can check the status by going to Products » Waitlist Subscribers. And if you’re using the Back In Stock Notifier for WooCommerce, you can access the report in Instock Notifier » All Subscribers.

How do I notify customers when products are back in stock?

You can notify customers when products are back in stock by using, for example, the Merchant Pro Waitlist module. It sends automatic email alerts as soon as a product’s stock is updated.

Next Steps to Improve Your WooCommerce Store Performance

I hope this guide has helped you set up back-in-stock notifiers for your WooCommerce store.

Next, you might want to see our other helpful guides on:

• How to Run a WooCommerce Flash Sale
• How to Add a Wishlist to Your WooCommerce Store
• How to Make a Smart WooCommerce Product Search
• How to Easily Create Post-Purchase Surveys in WooCommerce
• How to Build a WooCommerce Sales Funnel That Actually Converts

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