Stock status

Products must be set to In Stock status when enabling backorders. You can set this value from the Product page. For multi-source merchants, you must have at least one source marked as In Stock. Access and set the status through the Product page and assigned Sources grid.

Configure backorders globally

These steps enable backorders for all products at the site level.

  1. On the Admin sidebar, go to Stores > Settings > Configuration.

  2. Set Store View to Default Config.

  3. In the left panel, expand Catalog and choose Inventory.

  4. Expand Expansion selector Product Stock Options.

  5. For Backorders, deselect the Use system value checkbox and select an option:

    OptionDescription
    No BackordersTo not accept backorders when product is out of stock.
    Allow Qty Below 0To accept backorders when the quantity falls below zero.
    Allow Qty Below 0 and Notify CustomerTo accept backorders when the quantity falls below zero and notify the customer that the order can still be placed.
  6. For Out-of-Stock Threshold, deselect the Use system value checkbox and enter a different amount.

    ValueDescription
    Positive amountWith Backorders disabled, enter a positive value.
    ZeroWith Backorders enabled, entering 0 allows for infinite backorders.
    Negative amountWith Backorders enabled, entering a negative value is recommended. The amount is added to the Salable Quantity. For example, enter -50 to allow orders up to this amount.
  7. Click Save Config.

Configure backorders for a product

Product level configurations override global configurations. You may want to configure backorders at the product level to override the settings at the global store or source level. For example, your store may globally support backorders. With product settings, you can disable backorders or change the Out-of-Stock threshold without affecting other products and sources.

  1. On the Admin sidebar, go to Catalog > Products.

  2. Open a product in Edit mode and scroll down the page to the Sources area.

    For products configured without Inventory Management, the tab does not appear. The Advanced Inventory button is displayed under the Quantity field.

  3. Click Advanced Inventory.

    This action displays a page of product-specific configurations. Any setting listed as global displays the current global setting for the store.

  4. For Backorders, deselect the Use Config Setting checkbox and select an option:

    OptionDescription
    No BackordersTo not accept backorders when product is out of stock.
    Allow Qty Below 0To accept backorders when the quantity falls below zero.
    Allow Qty Below 0 and Notify CustomerTo accept backorders when the quantity falls below zero and to notify the customer that the order can still be placed.
  5. For Out-of-Stock Threshold, deselect the Use Config Setting checkbox and enter an amount:

    ValueDescription
    Positive amountWith Backorders disabled, enter a positive value.
    ZeroWith Backorders enabled, entering 0 allows for infinite backorders.
    Negative amountWith Backorders enabled, entering a negative value is recommended. The amount is added to the Salable Quantity. For example, enter -50 to allow orders up to that amount.

    Advanced Inventory configured for Backorders

  6. Click Done, and then Save.

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