How To Show Out Of Stock In Woocommerce

How to Show “Out of Stock” in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

Selling products online with WooCommerce is fantastic, but managing your inventory and keeping your customers informed is crucial. One of the most important aspects of this is clearly indicating when a product is out of stock. This prevents frustrating order attempts, builds trust, and encourages customers to check back later.

This guide will walk you through the simple steps to ensure your WooCommerce store properly displays “Out of Stock” notices. We’ll cover the default settings, custom options, and even some real-life examples to help you understand the “why” behind each step.

Why is Showing “Out of Stock” Important?

Imagine this scenario: a customer finds a product they desperately want on your website. They add it to their cart, proceed to checkout, and *then* discover it’s unavailable. Frustrating, right?

Here’s why clearly showing “Out of Stock” is vital:

Improved User Experience: Prevents disappointment and saves customers time. Happy customers are repeat customers!
Reduced Customer Service Inquiries: You’ll get fewer emails and calls asking about unavailable products.
Enhanced Credibility: A well-maintained online store builds trust with your customers. Showing that you actively manage your inventory adds to that trust.
Opportunity for Back-in-Stock Notifications: You can use “Out of Stock” notices as a chance to capture email addresses and notify customers when the product is available again, driving future sales.

Configuring WooCommerce’s Default “Out of Stock” Settings

WooCommerce has built-in settings to manage stock visibility. Let’s explore them:

1. Enable Stock Management:

Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Inventory.
Make sure the “Enable stock management?” checkbox is ticked. This is the foundation for tracking your inventory.
Reasoning: Without enabling stock management, WooCommerce won’t track your inventory, and you won’t be able to properly display “Out of Stock” notices.

2. Out of Stock Visibility:

Within the same “Inventory” tab, locate the “Out of stock visibility” checkbox.
If you uncheck this box, out of stock products will be hidden from your catalog.
If you check this box, out of stock products will be displayed in your catalog with an “Out of Stock” notice.
Reasoning: This setting determines whether you want to completely hide unavailable products or show them with a clear indicator that they are unavailable. Showing them can still drive interest and encourage future purchases.

3. Individual Product Stock Management:

Navigate to Products and select the product you want to edit.
Go to the Inventory tab in the “Product data” section.
Make sure “Manage stock?” is checked.
Enter the “Stock quantity.”
“Allow backorders?” lets you choose if customers can order even when the item is out of stock. You can choose “Do not allow”, “Allow, but notify customer” or “Allow”.
“Stock status” gives you the option to manually set the status to “In stock”, “Out of stock” or “On backorder”.
Reasoning: This is where you set the actual stock level for each product. When the stock reaches zero (or below if you allow backorders), WooCommerce will automatically display the “Out of Stock” notice (if you’ve configured the global settings correctly).

Customizing the “Out of Stock” Message

While WooCommerce provides a default “Out of Stock” message, you might want to customize it to better reflect your brand or provide more information. Here are a few options:

Using a Plugin: Several plugins allow you to easily customize the “Out of Stock” message. Search for “WooCommerce Out of Stock Message” in the WordPress plugin repository.
Custom Code (Advanced): You can modify the WooCommerce template files or use code snippets to change the message directly. This requires some coding knowledge.

Example Plugin Scenario: Let’s say you use a plugin to customize the message. You could change the default “Out of Stock” to something more engaging like:

“Sold Out! Don’t worry, we’re restocking soon. Sign up below to be notified!”

Real-Life Examples and Considerations

Clothing Store: Imagine a clothing store that sells limited-edition t-shirts. Showing “Out of Stock” with a message like “This design is no longer available” is crucial to avoid disappointment.
Handmade Crafts: For handmade items, showing “Out of Stock” with a message like “This item is currently being handcrafted. Please check back soon!” can set expectations and maintain customer interest.
Digital Products: Even for digital products, managing stock can be useful if you have limited licenses or want to create a sense of scarcity. Displaying “Out of Stock” can drive urgency for future purchases.
Variable Products: If you are selling variable products (e.g., a t-shirt in different sizes), you need to manage stock for each variation individually. This ensures that only available sizes are purchasable.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“Out of Stock” Not Displaying: Double-check that stock management is enabled globally and for the specific product. Also, verify that “Out of stock visibility” is checked in the WooCommerce settings.
Incorrect Stock Levels: Make sure you are accurately updating the stock levels after each sale. Consider using a plugin that integrates with your point-of-sale (POS) system for real-time inventory updates.
Cache Issues: Sometimes, caching plugins can prevent the “Out of Stock” message from displaying correctly. Clear your website cache and browser cache to see if that resolves the issue.

In Conclusion

Effectively showing “Out of Stock” in WooCommerce is essential for providing a positive customer experience, managing expectations, and building trust. By following these steps, you can ensure your customers are always informed about product availability, leading to increased satisfaction and repeat business. Remember to always test your settings after making changes to ensure everything is working as expected!