Hi,
I run a lot of preorders and despite being as clear as possible at time of ordering, people still chase via emails a LOT. I’m wondering if there’s a way to have a static preorder update page with like a chart or graph showing where specific preorders are up to in the production/shipping cycle? Does anyone know an app that might support this or is it a case of custom code a landing page?
When you say static how are you gonna update the cycle?
hey @whitedaisyuk , I think what you mean is to create a page showing production progress like batch A - in production, batch B - to warehouse, batch C - shipping out to customer,.. then state which batch does their order belong to and link the page to order confirmation email to direct customer to this page so they know when to expect their orders. Practically it can work this way but when you create the page, you need to consider how to update the batch status (Notion/Google Sheet embed or manually update the changes on page).
I think some help from Parcel Panel or Tracktor could probably sort this out.
Hope this helps
@whitedaisyuk The most straightforward approach would be to create a landing page and display a simple table listing all your preorder SKUs and their production/shipping stage. Update it by importing a CSV. No app needed.
Then link to it everywhere beyond your product page, like the order confirmation email, post-purchase thank you page, FAQs, website footer, social media etc. Say something like “Track your preorder here”.
imo the bigger challenge is getting people to actually visit your preorder status landing page, since some customers just won’t read no matter what. But it’s worth doing to cover your bases anyway.
Our solution handles this by sending out status emails for all orders on backorder along with it’s expected ship date (based on expected PO receipt date), to keep them apprised.
The Google Sheet or Notion embed idea is probably the fastest way to get this live. I’ve seen a few stores do it where they create a simple Shopify page, embed a Notion table showing each batch and its current status, and then link to that page from their order confirmation email.
The nice thing about the Notion approach is you just update the status in Notion and it reflects on your store page instantly. No code changes, no redeploys.
For the email side, you could also set up a Shopify Flow automation that sends a bulk email update whenever a batch status changes instead of waiting for customers to check the page. That way you’re pushing updates to them before they have a chance to email you.
How many active preorders are you typically managing at once? That might change whether a simple page is enough or if you need something more structured.
I think the most important thing is being crystal clear that the order is a preorder at every step. Not just on the product page.
I’d recommend showing the estimated shipping date on the product page, cart, checkout, and especially in the order confirmation email, since that’s what customers usually go back to later.
I’m Emma, co-founder of REZ Preorder. That’s exactly how our app works, we display preorder messaging and shipping information throughout the customer journey (and you can easily update it for next preorder batches), which helps reduce “Where’s my order?” emails.
@whitedaisyuk This is exactly why we built In the Making. It gives each customer a private branded page for their own order, so instead of trying to keep a public status chart in sync, you update the journey as the order moves from confirmed through production, finishing and dispatch. You can add the current stage, an expected date, photographs and a short note, and an optional email update brings them back to the same page. Carrier and tracking details can be added at dispatch too. It’s a little more personal than a static batch page, but it solves the same chasing problem by giving each customer one place to see what’s actually happening.