Dynamic Pre-Order Messaging in BigCommerce: Custom Availability for Out-of-Stock Products

Dynamic Pre-Order Messaging in BigCommerce: Custom Availability for Out-of-Stock Products

Merchants frequently need to communicate specific product availability, especially for custom-made, backordered, or pre-order items. A common requirement is to display a message like "Custom made - Ships in 4 to 6 weeks" when a product is out of stock but still purchasable. This BigCommerce forum thread explores various methods to achieve this, from manual updates to automated theme customizations and app integrations.

The Challenge: Custom Messages for Pre-Orders

The original query sought a way to display a custom availability message for products that are out of stock but available for pre-order. The goal was to replace generic "Out of Stock" messages with more informative, branded text.

Solutions: Manual, Code-Based, and App-Driven

1. Manual Option: Product Availability Description

The simplest method uses BigCommerce's built-in "Availability Description" field. You manually enter your message (e.g., "Custom made – Ships in 4 to 6 weeks") for each product and enable "Allow purchases when out of stock." This allows orders but requires per-product management as stock changes.

2. Automated Theme Code (Stencil): Conditional Out-of-Stock Message

For an automated solution, a small code snippet can be added to your Stencil theme files to display the message when inventory hits zero.

• Navigate to Storefront → My Themes → Advanced → Edit Theme Files.
• Open templates/components/products/product-view.html (or your theme's relevant file for the add-to-cart area).
• Add this Handlebars snippet near the stock/availability block:

{{#if product.out_of_stock}}
  
Custom made – Ships in 4 to 6 weeks
{{/if}}

Note: product.out_of_stock requires inventory tracking (by product or variant) to be enabled.

3. Flexible Approach: Custom Fields for Specific Products

If only certain products need a custom pre-order message, custom fields offer greater control. Add a custom field (e.g., name: preorder_message, value: Custom made – Ships in 4 to 6 weeks) to relevant products. Then, render it in your theme:

{{#each product.custom_fields}}
  {{#if (equals name "preorder_message")}}
{{value}}
{{/if}}
{{/each}}

This enables targeted messaging without affecting all out-of-stock items.

4. Advanced Conditional Logic: Stock Level Comparisons

The thread also clarified that Stencil's Handlebars does support "greater than" or "less than" comparisons using functions like GTE (Greater Than or Equal to) or LTE (Less Than or Equal to). This capability allows for more complex, inventory-driven messaging logic directly within your theme code, beyond simple out-of-stock checks.

5. App-Based Solution: BackOrder App

For a no-code or more comprehensive backorder management, a dedicated app like the "BackOrder app" can be used. Within the app's product settings, you can customize shipping details or stock status fields to automatically display your desired message when products go out of stock.

Conclusion

BigCommerce provides multiple effective ways to manage and display custom availability messages for pre-orders and out-of-stock products. From manual configuration to advanced theme customizations and app integrations, merchants can choose the solution that best fits their technical comfort and business requirements, ultimately enhancing customer communication and streamlining the pre-order process.