How to show a low stock message on product pages
Show "Only 3 left in stock" on product pages when the option a shopper picks is running low, using your real stock levels.
When an item is nearly gone, telling shoppers is useful, not pushy. The low stock message shows your real count, and only when it's low.
TL;DR
Go to Store Widgets, click Create Widget and pick Low stock. Choose how low stock must be before it shows, then click Publish. Add the Nudgesmart widget block to your product page in the theme editor and choose your message in its Widget setting.
Step 1 · Create the widget
In Nudgesmart, open Store Widgets and click Create Widget. Pick Low stock.
Widget library with the Low stock widget highlighted
Screenshot coming soon
Step 2 · Choose when it shows
In the Content tab, open the Settings section under Low stock and set Show it when this many or fewer are left. Choose any number from 1 to 50. If you leave it empty, it uses 10.
Low stock settings with the stock level and message fields
Screenshot coming soon
The message shows "Only 3 left in stock" when the option a shopper has picked has between 1 and your number left. You can change the wording in Text. Keep {{ count }} where the number should go.
Text when more are left is optional. Leave it empty and nothing shows when stock isn't low. Fill it in, such as "In stock and ready to ship", to show a line when the option a shopper picked has more than your number left. Like the low stock message, it only shows for products that track quantity and don't keep selling when out of stock.
The preview in the editor shows a sample count so you can see the design. On your store, the count is always the real one.
Step 3 · Pick a style
Open the Design tab and choose a Style.
Step 4 · Publish and add it to your product page
In the Visibility card, click Publish. Then add it to your product page in the theme editor.
- In Shopify, go to Online Store → Themes → Customize.
- Open your product page template.
- Click Add block, then Apps, and pick Nudgesmart widget. Drag it near the price or the Add to cart button.
- Choose your low stock message in the block's Widget setting.
- Click Save.
You can also click Add to store in Nudgesmart to open the theme editor on your product page. The low stock message works on product pages only.
When the message shows
The message shows only when all of these are true:
- The product tracks quantity in Shopify.
- Continue selling when out of stock is turned off for it.
- The option the shopper has picked, such as a size or color, has between 1 and your number left.
Otherwise it stays hidden. At zero, your theme already shows Sold out, so the message steps aside. When a shopper picks a different size or color, the message updates to match that option.
Tips
- The counts are real. Nudgesmart never makes up a number or shows low stock on an item that isn't low.
- Test it on a real product. Pick a product that tracks quantity and has only a few left, open it on your store, and switch between its options.
- Use a number that means something. If you usually hold 200 of an item, 10 left is genuinely low. If you only ever stock 5, set a lower number so the message doesn't show all the time.
Common pitfalls
- The message never shows. Check that the product tracks quantity, that Continue selling when out of stock is off, and that the option you picked has between 1 and your number left.
- The count didn't change right after I edited stock. It can take a few minutes for a new stock level to show on your store. Your theme's Sold out label works the same way.
- I see a count in the editor but not on my store. The editor shows a sample count. On your store, the message only shows when stock is actually low.