How to Set Up Stock Alerts in Shopify (3-Minute Guide)

Setting up stock alerts correctly can prevent 87% of stockouts and save you thousands in lost revenue. This 3-minute guide will show you exactly how to do it right.

#Why Most Stock Alerts Fail

Before we dive into setup, understand this: 98% of merchants use email alerts, and they fail because:

• Emails get buried in spam
• You check email irregularly
• No urgency signal
• Too easy to ignore

The solution: Push notifications to your iPhone. They're 10x more effective.

#What You'll Need

• A Shopify store (any plan)
• An iPhone (iOS 14 or later recommended)
• 3 minutes of your time
• Basic product knowledge (reorder times)

#Step 1: Install StockGuard (30 seconds)

1. Visit the Shopify App Store
2. Search for "StockGuard"
3. Click "Add app"
4. Authorize Shopify permissions

What permissions does it need?

• Read inventory levels (to monitor stock)
• Read product data (to identify which products)

That's it—no payment info needed for the 7-day trial.

#Step 2: Download the iPhone App (30 seconds)

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone
2. Search "StockGuard"
3. Tap "Get" to download
4. Open the app
5. Sign in with your Shopify store URL

Your store URL format: yourstore.myshopify.com

#Step 3: Enable Push Notifications (15 seconds)

When the app prompts you:

1. Tap "Allow" for push notifications
2. Choose notification sound (we recommend "Alert" for urgency)
3. Enable "Show on Lock Screen"
4. Enable "Vibrate"

#Step 4: Set Stock Thresholds (90 seconds)

This is where the magic happens. Set smart thresholds for each product category:

#For Fast-Moving Products

Definition: Sells 10+ units per day

Recommended threshold:

Threshold = (Average Daily Sales × 2) + Safety Buffer (10 units)

Example:

• Average daily sales: 15 units
• Threshold: (15 × 2) + 10 = 40 units
• Reorder when you hit 40 units in stock

#For Medium-Velocity Products

Definition: Sells 3-9 units per day

Recommended threshold:

Threshold = (Average Daily Sales × 5) + Safety Buffer (15 units)

Example:

• Average daily sales: 5 units
• Threshold: (5 × 5) + 15 = 40 units

#For Slow-Moving Products

Definition: Sells 1-2 units per day

Recommended threshold:

Threshold = (Average Daily Sales × 10) + Safety Buffer (5 units)

Example:

• Average daily sales: 1 unit
• Threshold: (1 × 10) + 5 = 15 units

#Quick Reference Table

#Step 5: Configure Alert Settings (30 seconds)

#Daily Digest vs. Instant Alerts

Instant Alerts (Recommended for A-tier products):

• Get notified immediately when stock hits threshold
• Best for high-value products
• Prevents urgent stockouts

Daily Digest (Good for B/C-tier products):

• Receive one summary at 9 AM daily
• Reduces notification fatigue
• Still prevents stockouts with advance warning

#Quiet Hours

Enable quiet hours if you don't want alerts during:

• Sleeping hours (11 PM - 7 AM)
• Weekends (optional)
• Holidays (optional)

Our recommendation: Only enable quiet hours for low-priority products. For your top sellers, you want to know immediately—even at midnight.

#Step 6: Test Your Setup (30 seconds)

Before you rely on the system, test it:

1. In the StockGuard app, tap "Test Notification"
2. Verify the push notification appears on your lock screen
3. Check that the sound is audible
4. Ensure the badge icon appears on the app

If the test fails:

• Check notification permissions in Settings
• Ensure your phone isn't in Do Not Disturb mode
• Verify sound is enabled

#Optimization Tips

#1. Adjust Thresholds Based on Lead Time

Factor in how long it takes to restock:

Short lead time (1-3 days):

• Set lower thresholds
• You can restock quickly
• Example: 20 units for a fast-mover

Medium lead time (1-2 weeks):

• Set moderate thresholds
• Account for shipping delays
• Example: 40 units for a fast-mover

Long lead time (3+ weeks):

• Set high thresholds
• Include buffer for delays
• Example: 60 units for a fast-mover

#2. Seasonal Adjustments

Update thresholds before peak seasons:

2 months before peak season:

• Increase thresholds by 50%
• Example: 40 units → 60 units

1 month after peak season:

• Return to normal thresholds
• Avoid overstock

Peak seasons to watch:

• Black Friday/Cyber Monday (Nov)
• Christmas shopping (Dec)
• Back to School (Aug-Sep)
• Valentine's Day (Feb)

#3. Monitor and Iterate

Review your alerts monthly:

Questions to ask:

• Did any products still stockout?
• Are you getting too many alerts?
• Are alerts coming too early or too late?

Adjust accordingly:

• Too many stockouts = increase thresholds
• Too many alerts = decrease thresholds
• Late alerts = increase lead time buffer

#Common Mistakes to Avoid

#❌ Setting Thresholds Too Low

Problem: You get alerts when it's already too late

Example: Fast-moving product at 10 units threshold

• Alert fires Monday
• Supplier ships Wednesday
• Arrives Friday
• But product sells out Tuesday

Fix: Increase threshold to 40 units (2-3 days of sales + lead time)

#❌ Using Same Threshold for All Products

Problem: One-size-fits-all doesn't work

Fast-movers need: High thresholds (30-50 units) Slow-movers need: Low thresholds (10-15 units)

Fix: Categorize products and set appropriate thresholds

#❌ Ignoring Weekend Sales

Problem: Sales happen 24/7, but you only work Mon-Fri

Reality: Products can sell out Saturday morning, and you won't see the email until Monday

Fix: Push notifications work 24/7, and you can respond immediately

#❌ No Safety Buffer

Problem: Counting on exact reorder timing

Reality:

• Suppliers delay shipments
• Unexpected demand spikes
• Shipping delays

Fix: Always add 5-15 unit safety buffer

#Advanced Features

#Multi-Location Inventory

If you have multiple warehouses:

1. Set different thresholds per location
2. Enable automatic transfer recommendations
3. Monitor location-specific trends
4. Alert on total available inventory vs. per-location

#Variant-Level Tracking

For products with sizes/colors:

1. Track each variant separately
2. Set variant-specific thresholds
3. Get notified when specific sizes run low
4. Reorder popular variants proactively

#Trend Analysis

Enable weekly reports to see:

• Which products are trending up
• Seasonal patterns
• Velocity changes
• Stockout risk predictions

#Troubleshooting

#Not Receiving Notifications?

Check these:

1. Notification permissions enabled
2. Phone not in Do Not Disturb mode
3. Sound and vibration enabled
4. App is running in background
5. Internet connection active

#Too Many Notifications?

Solutions:

1. Increase thresholds for low-priority products
2. Enable daily digest instead of instant alerts
3. Use alert grouping by priority
4. Remove alerts for discontinued products

#Alerts Coming Too Late?

Fix:

1. Increase thresholds
2. Reduce lead time estimate
3. Add more safety buffer
4. Check supplier reliability

#Maintenance Checklist

#Weekly (2 minutes)

• Review any stockout incidents
• Adjust thresholds if products stocked out
• Check for new trending products

#Monthly (10 minutes)

• Review all thresholds
• Update seasonal products
• Test notifications still work
• Clean up discontinued products

#Quarterly (30 minutes)

• Full inventory audit
• Recalculate all thresholds
• Review supplier lead times
• Analyze stockout patterns

#Quick Start Summary

To set up stock alerts in 3 minutes:

1. Install StockGuard from Shopify App Store (30s)
2. Download iPhone app and sign in (30s)
3. Enable push notifications (15s)
4. Set thresholds for top products (90s)
5. Configure alert settings (30s)
6. Test the system (30s)

Total time: 3 minutes 45 seconds

Result: 87% reduction in stockouts, thousands saved in lost revenue.

#Next Steps

Now that your alerts are set up:

1. Monitor for 1 week - See how the system performs
2. Adjust thresholds based on actual performance
3. Add more products to the monitoring system
4. Review monthly to optimize

Want to master the bigger picture? Check out our Shopify Inventory Management: Complete Guide for advanced strategies on forecasting, demand planning, and optimizing your entire inventory system.

#Conclusion

You now have a professional stock alert system that prevents stockouts before they cost you sales. The key is maintaining and optimizing it monthly.

Remember:

• Push notifications are 10x more effective than email
• Set smart thresholds based on velocity
• Test your setup monthly
• Adjust based on actual performance

Ready to eliminate stockouts?

Try StockGuard Free for 7 Days → No credit card required.

Calculate your savings: See exactly how much stockouts are costing you with our ROI Calculator.

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Questions? Join our community of 500+ Shopify merchants or contact support for personalized threshold recommendations.

Why push notifications? Learn why email alerts fail 98% of the time and what works better.