How Dibs Automatically Manages Backorders

Key Concepts

Continue selling when out of stock:

This is Shopify’s native inventory setting. When enabled, customers can keep buying even if inventory is zero or negative.

Ordered Quantity:

This is a Dibs-managed custom field that tracks how many units have been sold after stock hits zero. It ensures your custom limit is enforced correctly.

The Backorder Flow — Explained with an Example

Here’s a typical inventory cycle and how Dibs handles each phase automatically:

Restock

Inventory increases from 0 or negative to positive.

Dibs disables “Continue selling when out of stock” (green marker: OFF).

Backordering ends. Normal sales resume.

Normal Sale

Customers purchase from available stock as usual.

Out of Stock

Inventory reaches 0.

Dibs automatically:Enables “Continue selling when out of stock”.

Resets Ordered Quantity to 0 for variant level associations. Merchants responsibility to handle this for product level associations.

Backorder begins. Orders are now counted against the Dibs limit.

Backorder Sale

Customers continue purchasing beyond 0 inventory.

Dibs tracks how many units are sold during this phase.

Sold Out (Custom Limit Reached)

If total backordered units reach your Dibs Custom Limit (e.g., 7 units), Dibs disables “Continue selling when out of stock.”

Product is marked as sold out, and backordering stops.

Cycle Repeats After Next Restock

Summary of What Dibs Automates (Backorders)

Each time something changes in your store — a product goes out of stock, an order is placed, or a plan is edited — Dibs automatically updates key settings so your backorder flow stays accurate and seamless.

Plan Setup & Changes (Manual Actions)

⚙️ Event	📝 When	🔁 Dibs Action
Create backorder plan	Product inventory is 0 or negative	✅ Enable Continue selling🔄 Reset Ordered Quantity to 0
Add Product to Backorder Plan	Inventory is 0 or negative	✅ Enable Continue selling🔄 Reset Ordered Quantity to 0
Remove Product from Plan	Any inventory	🚫 Disable Continue selling🧹 Remove Ordered Quantity tracking
Change Plan Category from Preorder to Backorder	Inventory is 0 or negative	✅ Enable Continue selling🔄 Reset Ordered Quantity to 0
Reduce Custom Limit	New limit < Ordered Qty	🚫 Disable Continue selling
Increase Custom Limit	New limit > Ordered Qty	✅ Enable Continue selling
Disable Plan	Any time	⏸ Pause auto-updates to Continue selling & Ordered Qty
Delete Plan	Any time	🧹 Clear all plan data:- DB record- Metaobject- Ordered Qty

Inventory Changes (Auto via Webhooks)

⚙️ Event	📝 When	🔁 Dibs Action
Goes Out of Stock	Product is in active backorder plan	✅ Enable Continue selling🔄 Reset Ordered Quantity to 0 only for variant level associations. Merchant handles this for product level associations.
Comes Back in Stock	Product is in active backorder plan	🚫 Disable Continue selling

Order Events (Auto via Webhooks)

🧾 Event	📝 When	🔁 Dibs Action
Order Placed (Backorder)	Product is in active backorder plan	➕ Increase Ordered Quantity by item qty
Order Reaches Custom Limit	Ordered Qty ≥ Custom Limit	🚫 Disable Continue selling (auto stop further orders)

You only need to set the plan and limits once — Dibs will take care of the rest, adjusting Shopify’s native Continue selling when out of stock and its own Ordered Quantity field based on real-time store activity.