How to Add a “Notify Me” Button for Out-of-Stock Products in WooCommerce

Running out of stock doesn’t have to mean losing customers. With a “notify me” button, you can capture interested customers’ emails and automatically notify them when products become available again. This guide shows you the easiest ways to add this feature to your WooCommerce store.

Method 1: Paid Plugin Solutions

Waitlist Woocommerce (Back in Stock Notifier)

This is the most popular free waitlist plugin with over 109 positive reviews.

How to Install:

1. Go to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Click Plugins → Add New
3. Search for “Waitlist Woocommerce ( Back in stock notifier )”
4. Click Install Now and then Activate

What You Get:

• Automatic “Join Waitlist” button on out-of-stock products
• Email notifications when products are back in stock
• Works with simple and variable products
• GDPR compliant with unsubscribe options
• Works with most WooCommerce themes
• Guest user support
• Export waitlist data to CSV

Setup Process:

1. After activation, go to Waitlist in your WordPress menu
2. The plugin works immediately – no complex configuration needed
3. Customize button text and email templates if desired
4. Test with an out-of-stock product

Alternative: YITH WooCommerce Waitlist

Cost: €79.99 for single site

Best for: Stores wanting extensive customization

Features:

• Simple setup process
• Customizable email templates
• Support for multiple languages
• Integration with “My Account” page
• Option to add waitlist shortcode anywhere on your site

Method 2: Using Existing Contact Form Plugins

Contact form 7

Step 1: Install Contact Form 7 (5 minutes)

1. Go to Plugins → Add New
2. Search “Contact Form 7”
3. Install and activate the plugin
4. Navigate to Contact → Contact Forms in your WordPress admin

Important Security Note: Contact Form 7 6.0.6 includes security enhancements. For better spam protection, configure reCAPTCHA under Contact → Integration after setup.

Step 2: Create Stock Notification Form (10-15 minutes)

1. Click Add New in Contact Forms
2. Replace the default form code with this optimized version:

<label>Your Name*
    [text* your-name]</label>

<label>Your Email*
    [email* your-email]</label>

<label>Product You Want*
    [text* product-name]</label>

<label>Your Message
    [textarea your-message placeholder "Let us know when you'd like to be notified"]</label>

Technical Note: The asterisk (*) makes fields required. Form tags use brackets with asterisks, while mail tags (in emails) use simple brackets without asterisks.

Step 3: Configure Email Notifications (5-10 minutes)

In the Mail tab, configure:

Subject: Stock Alert Request: [product-name]

Message Body:

New stock notification request:

Name: [your-name]
Email: [your-email]
Product: [product-name]
Message: [your-message]

Reply to this customer when the product is back in stock.

Submitted from: [_url]
Date: [_date]

Email Delivery Tip: If emails aren’t arriving, install an SMTP plugin like “WP Mail SMTP” to ensure reliable delivery.

Step 4: Add Anti-Spam Protection

1. Go to Contact → Integration
2. Set up reCAPTCHA v3 (recommended) or enable Akismet
3. This prevents spam submissions that could flood your inbox

Note: Google plans to migrate reCAPTCHA to Enterprise by end of 2025, which may incur costs for high-volume sites.

Step 5: Embed Form on Product Pages

Copy the shortcode (e.g., [contact-form-7 id="123"]) and paste it on out-of-stock product pages.

How to Choose the Right Solution

Choose Premium Plugins If:

• You run a professional eCommerce business
• You need detailed analytics and reporting
• You want priority customer support
• You have complex product variations
• You need integration with email marketing tools

Choose Contact Forms If:

• You already have a contact form plugin
• You only have a few products that go out of stock
• You prefer manual control over the process
• You want to add personal touches to communications

Why You Need a “Notify Me” Button

When customers find an out-of-stock product they want, they usually leave and may never return. A notify me button:

• Captures potential sales that would otherwise be lost
• Builds your email list with genuinely interested customers
• Reduces customer frustration by keeping them informed
• Helps you gauge product demand for better inventory planning
• Increases customer loyalty through proactive communication

According to recent eCommerce research, back-in-stock alert emails achieve a massive 22.45% average conversion rate, making them one of the most effective email marketing strategies for online stores.

Conclusion

Adding a “notify me” button to your WooCommerce store is one of the easiest ways to capture lost sales and build customer loyalty. Start with a free plugin like “Waitlist Woocommerce (Back in Stock Notifier)” to test the concept, then upgrade to premium solutions as your business grows.

The key to success is making the process simple for customers and following up quickly when products return to stock. With proper setup and management, a waitlist system can become a valuable tool for growing your business and improving customer satisfaction.