---
title: "How do I set up a pre-order campaign on Shopify?"
description: "Step-by-step setup of a Shopify pre-order campaign: products, full payment or deposit, ship date, design, activation and the app embed."
url: "https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/set-up-a-preorder-campaign"
updated: "2026-11-02"
product: "SMART Preorder & Back in stock"
section: "Help center / Pre-orders"
---


# How do I set up a pre-order campaign on Shopify?

In the app, open **Pre-orders**, click **Create campaign**, pick the products, how customers pay and when you expect to ship, then click **Create**. A new campaign saves as Inactive, so click **Activate** next, and make sure the app embed is on in your theme so the Pre-order button can show.

## Before you start

- **The app embed must be on.** In your theme editor, open App embeds, turn on **Pre-order & Back in stock** and press Save. Without it the Pre-order button can't show. See [Enable the app embed](https://smart-preorder.com/help/general/enable-the-app-embed).
- **Your payment provider must support pre-orders.** Shopify sells pre-orders only through Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Adyen on Shopify and, for some merchants, Stripe ([Shopify developer docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/deferred)).
- **For pre-orders that start when stock runs out,** the variant needs Track quantity turned on in Shopify. Untracked variants never sell out.

## Step by step

1. Open **Pre-orders** in the app menu and click **Create campaign**. The editor has three tabs, **Campaign**, **Design** and **Settings**, with a live preview of your product on the right.
2. On the **Campaign** tab, enter a **Campaign name**. Only you see it.
3. In the **Products** card, choose **Specific products**, **Collections** or **All products** and add them. Details in [Choose products for a campaign](https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/choose-products-for-a-campaign).
4. In the **Availability** card, choose when the Pre-order button shows: **When the product is out of stock** (the default), **Always**, **Only while the product is in stock** or **Coming soon (scheduled launch)**. Optionally tick **Set start date** and **Set end date**. Times are in your store's time zone. Not sure whether you need a pre-order or a plain backorder? See [Pre-order vs backorder](https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/preorder-vs-backorder).
5. In the **Payment** card, keep **Full payment** or choose **Deposit**, then set the deposit and when the balance is collected. See [Take a deposit, charge the balance later](https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/take-a-deposit-charge-balance-later). You can also tick **Apply discount** here.
6. In the **Delivery** card, pick the **Estimated delivery**: **Ships as soon as possible** (default), **Ships within a set window (e.g. 2-4 weeks)**, **Ships on a specific date** or **Ship date not known yet**. Shoppers see this text under the button and in the confirmation email.
7. On the **Design** tab, set the button text (default "Pre-order now"), an optional badge, a countdown and translations. See [Pre-order button, badge and countdown](https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/preorder-button-badge-countdown).
8. On the **Settings** tab, check the **Purchase option name** (default "Pre-order", shown under the product name in the cart and at checkout), **Mixed carts**, **Unit limit**, **Inventory**, **Fulfillment** (**Unfulfilled** or **On hold**), order and customer **Tags** (the order tag "Pre-order" is added by default) and **Checkout mode**.
9. Click **Create** in the save bar. The campaign is saved as **Inactive** and a banner says **Campaign created. What's next?**
10. Click **Activate**, then **Activate** in the dialog. If the app embed is off, the dialog asks you to turn it on first: click **Open theme editor**, turn it on, press Save, then **Check again**.
11. Open a product from the campaign in your store. The first time a campaign goes live, the app asks **Do you see the Pre-order button?** If you don't, **No, get help** opens a support chat, and [Pre-order button not showing](https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/preorder-button-not-showing) lists what to check.

## What the shopper sees

![Product page where Add to cart became a Pre-order now button with a Pre-order badge and estimated delivery Mar 2, 2027](https://smart-preorder.com/screens/preorder-button.png)

*When a variant sells out, Add to cart becomes a Pre-order button, with a badge under the price and the ship date below.*

- The Pre-order button in place of Add to cart, in your theme's button style unless you set a custom style.
- The delivery message under the button, and for deposit campaigns a payment line such as "Pay $50.00 now, $50.00 due Dec 1, 2026".
- No Buy it now or express checkout buttons on that variant while the Pre-order button shows. Shopify doesn't sell pre-orders through Shop Pay, Apple Pay or Google Pay ([Shopify Help Center](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/pre-orders/setup)).
- In the cart and at checkout, the purchase option name under the product and a line such as "Delivery: Ships as soon as possible" (on by default, also on the order and packing slips).
- After checkout, the **Pre-order confirmation** email (on by default). The order gets the "Pre-order" tag seconds after Shopify creates it.

## Campaign statuses

| Status | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Active | Live on your storefront and taking pre-orders. |
| Inactive | Never activated, or deactivated. Shoppers don't see it. |
| Scheduled | Active, but the start date is still ahead. |
| Expired | The end date passed, or the balance date of a deposit campaign with a set balance date passed. |
| Limit reached | A whole-campaign unit limit is used up, so the Pre-order button is hidden. |

## Shopify rules that apply to every pre-order

- Pre-orders work in the Online Store and custom storefronts. Shopify doesn't support them in Shopify POS or on draft orders ([Shopify developer docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/deferred)).
- Local payment methods such as Klarna and iDEAL can't buy pre-orders ([Shopify Help Center](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/pre-orders/setup)).
- Shopify asks you to have a reasonable basis for any ship time you state. With no date stated, you should expect to ship within 30 days, and if a shipment is delayed you must give a new date and explain the customer's right to cancel or get a refund. The **Shipping update** email is how you tell customers. See [Pre-order emails](https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/preorder-emails).

## Edge cases

- **Editing a live campaign:** the storefront changes when you save. Placed orders keep the payment terms Shopify set at checkout. To move an order's balance date, use **Change balance date** on the order. See [Manage pre-orders](https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/manage-preorder-orders).
- **Moving the delivery date later:** if the campaign has open pre-orders, saving offers **Send a shipping update?** to email those customers.
- **Deactivate or delete:** existing pre-orders are not changed. Their balances are still charged and their holds still released. Deleting also removes the Pre-order option from the products and puts their "Continue selling when out of stock" setting back.
- **Duplicate:** the editor's **Duplicate** opens an inactive copy with the same settings, design and translations. Products, collections, unit limits per variant and the schedule aren't copied.
- **"Saved in Shopify, but the app couldn't finish setting it up":** shoppers may not see the change yet. Click **Retry** in that banner.

**Start taking pre-orders today** SMART Preorder & Back in stock is free on the Shopify App Store: full payment or deposits, holds, limits and emails included. [Install SMART Preorder & Back in stock on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/smart-preorder-back-in-stock).

## Frequently asked questions

### The campaign is active but I don't see the Pre-order button. What should I check?

Most often the app embed is off in the published theme, or the campaign isn't Active yet. The full checklist is in [Pre-order button not showing](https://smart-preorder.com/help/preorders/preorder-button-not-showing).

### Does deactivating a campaign cancel its orders?

No. Deactivating only removes the Pre-order option from your storefront. Orders already placed keep their deposit, balance date and holds, and the app keeps charging and releasing them.

### Do I need to edit my theme code?

No. Everything runs from the app embed. If the button lands in the wrong place on a heavily customized theme, use Settings > Theme compatibility in the app, or contact us by chat or email (support@etradepartner.io).