Dibs allows you to run preorder and backorder plans with control over how many units can be sold when inventory is unavailable or not yet launched. This ensures a smoother fulfillment process and avoids overcommitting orders.
This guide explains how limit tracking works in Dibs for both preorder and backorder plans, what setup is required, and what actions are handled by you (the merchant) and what’s automated by Dibs.
Inventory Settings – What’s Required?
Before launching a plan in Dibs, make sure your product’s inventory settings meet the conditions below:
Preorder
Works in either of these settings:
✅Track quantity: Disabled (Unlimited preorders)
Sample use case -> Selling a digital course or e-book. No physical stock is involved, so quantity tracking isn’t needed, and preorders continue indefinitely.
✅Track quantity: Enabled and “Continue selling when out of stock” is Enabled
(Unlimited preorders)
Sample use case -> A new sneaker launch where items are not yet in stock. The merchant keeps inventory at 0 but enables this setting so preorders can be placed until the stock arrives.
⚠️Track quantity is enabled and “Continue selling when out of stock” is disabled (Preorders only in +ve stock)– Preorders only work while inventory is still positive. Once stock reaches zero, the product is marked as Sold Out, even if the preorder limit hasn’t been reached.
Sample use case -> A limited-edition board game where only 500 units will be produced. The merchant sets inventory to 500, and preorders automatically stop once stock runs out, switching the product to Sold Out.
Merchant's Role:
You must ensure the correct inventory setting is in place. Since preorders are typically planned in advance (e.g. new launches), you're best placed to make this decision.
Backorder
Works only when:
- Track quantity: Enabled and “Continue selling when out of stock” is Enabled
Dibs' Role:
Dibs automatically enables “Continue selling when out of stock” in two scenarios:
- When you create a backorder plan for a product that is already out of stock.
- When a product linked to an active backorder plan goes out of stock after initially having positive inventory.
How Does Limit Tracking Work?
When does order quantity tracking begin?
- Preorder: When the plan enters its scheduled date range and is live on the store.
- Backorder: As soon as the product’s inventory drops below 0, and customers start placing orders.
When does the plan end for the given product?
- The availability schedule window is passed for preroders.
- Once the ordered quantity reaches the set limit, Dibs:
- Stops showing the preorder/backorder button
- For backorders, it also disables "Continue selling when out of stock" to prevent further orders
How limit validation works for Product vs. Variant Association?
Dibs lets you associate plans at either the product level or the variant level, and allows you to set quantity limits in both cases. However, how those limits are applied and enforced differs based on the level of association:
i) Variant-Level Association
When a plan is linked at the variant level:
- Each variant is tracked individually.
- The custom limit set in the plan applies per variant.
- If the ordered quantity for a variant reaches its limit, Dibs will automatically disable preorder or backorder only for that variant.
Best for granular control — especially useful when some variants sell faster than others.
ii) Product-Level Association
When a plan is linked at the product level:
- Dibs tracks the total ordered quantity across all variants of the product.
- The custom limit is compared against this combined sum.
- Once the limit is reached, preorder/backorder is turned off for all variants of the product.
Best when your limit applies to the product as a whole — regardless of variant (e.g., due to shared materials or bundled inventory).
When and how is the ordered quantity reset?
The ordered quantity tracks how many units have been sold under a plan. It’s used to enforce preorder or backorder limits. Once the quantity reaches the defined limit, ordering stops. Here's how that count is reset:
Preorder
For preorder plans, the reset must be done manually by the merchant. This is typically required when restarting the same plan for a new preorder cycle.
To reset the ordered quantity:
- Set a new availability date range.
- Remove the product from the plan and save.
- Re-add the same product and save again. This clears the ordered quantity and resets it to zero.
- Re-apply the custom limit.
Backorder
For backorders, Dibs handles the reset automatically — but how this works depends on whether your plan is set at the variant level or product level.
Here’s what Dibs does:
✅ Cycle-based reset for variant-level association:
- If your plan is linked at the variant level, Dibs resets the ordered quantity to 0 as soon as that variant goes out of stock again, starting a fresh backorder cycle.
- Dibs also automatically re-enables “Continue selling when out of stock” for the variant, so customers can keep placing orders.
✅ Cumulative tracking for product-level association:
- If your plan is linked at the product level, Dibs continues to track the total ordered quantity across all variants, even across multiple restocks and out-of-stock events.
- This means there is no automatic reset — the system accumulates orders until the combined total reaches your set limit.
Merchant Tip:
Manual reset for product-level backorders:
If you’re using a product-level plan and want to restart the backorder cycle (for example, after all variants are back in stock), you can manually reset the ordered quantity by:
- Temporarily removing the product from the plan and save it.
- Re-associating the product and saving the plan again.
- Re-applying your custom limit.
This will safely reset the Ordered Quantity without risking data conflicts. Do this when all variants are currently in stock to ensure a clean slate. This avoids confusion and keeps order limits aligned with your new cycle.
How to Extend an active plan for the given product?
If you can fulfill more orders than originally planned:
- Just go to the plan and increase the quantity limit.
- The plan will continue until the new limit is reached.
No need to modify the schedule or reset the product. This applies for both preorders and backorders.
What Happens If You Change Inventory Settings while the plan is active?
- For preorders, if you disable the required inventory setting, the plan may not function as expected.
- For backorders, if you manually turn off “Continue selling when out of stock,” sales will pause — even if the plan is active.
It’s recommended to avoid altering inventory settings during an active plan. Dibs does not block the change, but the plan may stop functioning.
Summary Table – Preorder vs Backorder
Feature / Action | Preorder | Backorder |
Works when inventory tracking is OFF | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Works when “Continue selling when out of stock” is ON | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Who ensures correct settings | Merchant | Dibs (automated) |
When ordered quantity starts | Plan start date | When inventory < 0 |
When plan ends | Ordered quantity reaches limit or scheduled end date is reached | Ordered quantity reaches limit or merchant restocks |
What Dibs does when limit is hit | Hides preorder button | Hides backorder button & disables “Continue selling when out of stock” |
How to extend the limit | Merchant increases it in plan | Merchant increases it in plan |
How to rerun | Merchant resets via plan edits | Dibs handles it |
Ordered quantity resets | Merchant re-adds product to the plan. | Dibs handles it for variant level associations. Merchant to handle for product level associations. |
Manual intervention needed post-restock | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |