Back in Stock Opt In Process (Overview, Sign-Up Units, & Journeys)

What is it?

The Back in Stock Waitlist allows shoppers to sign up for instant notifications directly on out-of-stock product pages. When an item runs out of stock, a dynamic "Notify Me When Available" button replaces your standard "Add to Cart" button. When shoppers click this button, they can enter their email or phone number to join the product's waitlist.

This complete solution consists of three integrated components:

• On-Site Waitlist Button & Form: A sign-up unit embedded directly on your product display pages (PDPs).
• Opt-In Journey: An automated flow that confirms the subscriber’s waitlist request and captures opt-in consent.
• Automated Alert: A dynamic message sent automatically when catalog inventory ingests a restock for that specific item or variant.

Subscriber Experience:

• On Desktop: Shoppers click the "Notify Me" button on the out-of-stock product page, enter their details into a clean pop-up modal, and receive an instant confirmation.
• On Mobile: Shoppers tap the button, which seamlessly opens their native messaging app with a pre-populated opt-in keyword text message, or prompts a 1-tap email submission.

How do I use it?

Prerequisites

Before implementing a Back in Stock Waitlist, verify the following:

• Active Product Catalog Sync: Your e-commerce integration (e.g., Shopify) must sync real-time inventory and catalog data to Attentive.
• On-Site SDK / Tag Installed: Ensure the Attentive Tag is installed on your website store templates.

Step-by-Step Implementation Guide

Step 1: Create the Waitlist Sign-Up Unit

1. In Attentive, navigate to Sign-up Units and click Create sign-up flow.
2. Select Back in Stock Waitlist as your unit type.
   • In your ecommerce platform, make necessary adjustments to accommodate the new Back in stock experience.
     • Customize the trigger rule with your ecommerce platform: set the button to display only when inventory equals 0 (out of stock).
3. Hover over the unit and click Edit design in order to adjust your unit’s appearance

4. Customize the button text (e.g., Notify Me When Restocked) and the form fields (phone number, email, or both).

5. Save and publish the unit.

Step 2: Add the Code Snippet to Your Store (If using Embedded Custom CTA)

1. If using an embedded button on custom site templates, copy the container code snippet 

<script id="attn-waitlist-eligibility" type="application/json">{
{%- liquid
for variant in product.variants
assign eligibility = 'false'
if variant.inventory_quantity <= 0
assign eligibility = 'true'
endif

assign entry = '"' | append: variant.id | append: '":' | append: eligibility
unless forloop.last
assign entry = entry | append: ','
endunless

echo entry
endfor
-%}
}</script>
<div id="attn-waitlist-trigger"></div>

2. Paste the snippet into your e-commerce theme files directly adjacent to your product page's Add to Cart button container.
3. Test an out-of-stock product page in preview mode to verify that the button renders dynamically when inventory is 0.

Step 3: Create the Back in Stock Opt-In Journey

1. Navigate to Journeys and click Create journey.
2. Select the Back in Stock Opt-In template or, if starting from scratch, set the trigger event to Joined Back in Stock Waitlist.
3. Set a minimum threshold to prevent this journey from firing if there are not enough units. 
4. Add a confirmation SMS or Email step:
   • Example SMS: "You're on the list! We'll text you as soon as {{triggerEvent.product.name}} is back in stock."
5. Include dynamic variables ({{triggerEvent.product.name}}, {{triggerEvent.product.image}}).
6. Click Turn on.

To see what your subscriber experience will look like, check out this article.

Why should I use it?

• Capture Lost Intent: Turn out-of-stock zero-inventory pages into high-converting subscriber capture points instead of losing disappointed shoppers to competitors.
• Accurate Demand Forecasting: Gain clear visibility into which out-of-stock products or variants have the highest waitlist counts so your buying team can prioritize restocks.
• Zero Irrelevant Alerts: By letting subscribers choose which items to track, restock alerts deliver messages users actually want, leading to meaningful engagement and intent-driven purchases.
• Automated List Growth: Simultaneously grow your overall SMS and email subscriber list by offering high-value value exchanges (restock updates) at the exact moment of buyer interest.