Guide

How to set up low stock alerts in Shopify (and why they fire too late)

Shopify can email you when stock is low using Flow. Here's how to set it up, and how to pick a threshold that leaves time to reorder.

Option 1: Shopify Flow templates (free)

Shopify Flow comes with ready-made inventory templates, including:

  • Get notified by email when product variant inventory is low.
  • Send a daily email summary with out-of-stock products.
  • Send a weekly email summary with a list of low stock variants.
  • Notify team members and hide products from the online store when they're out of stock.
  1. Install Shopify Flow from the App Store (it's free) and open it.
  2. Browse templates and search for "inventory" or "low stock".
  3. Pick a template, set your threshold and the email address, and turn it on.

The Send internal email action can't use variables for the recipient, so it's meant for alerts to your own team.

The problem with a fixed threshold

A low-stock alert says "you're low". It doesn't say "you're late". Take a mug that sells 4 a day from a supplier who needs 30 days. An alert at 20 units gives you 5 days of stock, and the new order won't land for another 25 days after that.

The right threshold = daily sales × lead time + safety stock

That's the reorder point, and it's different for every product and supplier. Work yours out with the reorder point calculator. If you have more than a few dozen SKUs, updating Flow thresholds by hand every time sales change gets old fast.

Option 2: order-by dates instead of alerts

SteadyShelf recalculates every product's reorder point from recent sales and its supplier's lead time, and sends a weekly reorder email listing what to order, how much, and the date to order by. Then it drafts the purchase order for you to approve.

SteadyShelf is launching on the Shopify App Store. Join early access to get the install link first.

FAQ

Does Shopify have low stock alerts?

Yes, through Shopify Flow, Shopify's free automation app. Its templates can email you when a variant's inventory gets low, send a daily out-of-stock summary, or a weekly low-stock list.

What threshold should I use for low stock alerts?

Not one number for every product. The right trigger is the reorder point: daily sales x supplier lead time + safety stock. A fixed threshold of 10 is too late for a best-seller and too early for a slow one.

Can Shopify email my supplier when stock is low?

Flow's internal email action sends to fixed addresses, so you can add a supplier address to a workflow. Most stores prefer to review and send a purchase order instead.

Let SteadyShelf do this math for every SKU

Order-by dates per supplier, seasonal forecasts and draft POs for your Shopify store. $29/month after a 30-day free trial.

Get early access