A store owner using a pre-order app faces a display conflict: enabling “continue selling when out of stock” allows pre-orders to function but incorrectly shows out-of-stock items as “in stock” on product pages.
Core Issue:
Proposed Solutions:
Side Discussion:
Status: The original inventory display issue remains unresolved, though app-based solutions and theme customization were suggested as workarounds.
I’m using a pre order application and I have to check the (continue selling when out of stock) checkbox to make pre order button do its job when clicked. At the same time I’m displaying inventory status on product page but the problem is that if I have an out of stock quantity it display (in stock) because the (continue selling …) check box is selected.
Is there a way to display 0 quantity or out of stock message for out of stock items even if (continue selling …) checkbox is selected ?
Thanks for the reply. Actually I’m new on this stuff 
I opened the txt file but didn’t understand anything
From where these bugs came from and are they fixed now by you ? or I have to do something ?
And for the issue I mentioned, yes please assist me.
@Miaa09 0794
I accepted the request
Hi @rsebzali ,
Two things. Firstly, and most importantly, I would delete Miaa09’s access to your store. There is no bug in your store. Your robots.txt file is standard. This smells of a scam, or exploitation to try and get money from you to fix the “bugs”.
Secondly, to address your initial question, it would depend on the app you’re using. We built a preorder app for example which has options to show a custom message with your preorder/backorder products, so you can make it clear that the item is not currently in stock.
You may also be able to hide the “In stock” indicator for preorder products only using CSS.
If you’re interested in trying our app (Early Bird), I’d be happy to help you set this up.
Where are the bugs? The robots.txt file is completely standard with every Shopify store.
You’ve also gone around posting the same message on a lot of forum threads. Interesting that every store seems to have these same bugs…
Okay that’s up to you. My point was that there is no issue to solve. So I’d still beware…
I appreciate your concern, the issue was how can I display out of stock or 0 quantity on inventory status even if continue selling when out of stock is checked
Okay all good. Best of luck with your store!
Hey,
Unfortunately, Shopify doesn’t have a built-in setting for this - when Continue selling when out of stock is enabled, the platform treats products as available regardless of inventory levels. You’ll need to edit your theme to separate display logic from selling functionality.
Alternatively, an app like K1 PreOrder can automate this (I’m the founder), handling the Continue selling when out of stock setting automatically during rule activation/deactivation while keeping inventory displays accurate, with scheduling and custom buttons built in. And the inventory status can be modified (for correct status showing) by custom css inside. If this is relevant, you can check K1 PreOrder app in Shopify Store.
Happy to help with theme customization if needed.
Best regards,
Yauheni
You can display “Out of stock” while keeping pre-orders active by adding custom code to your product template.
Add this Liquid code where you want the inventory message to appear:
liquid
{% if variant.inventory_quantity <= 0 %}
<span>Out of Stock - Pre-order Available</span>
{% endif %}
This will show an out-of-stock message even with “continue selling” enabled, while still allowing purchases through your pre-order app.