What are backorders in WooCommerce?

A backorder is an order for a product that's out of stock, which you accept now and fulfill once new stock arrives.

How WooCommerce handles them

Each product (and each variation that manages its own stock) has an Allow backorders? setting on its Inventory tab. It lets you refuse backorders, allow them, or allow them and tell the customer the item is on backorder. When backorders are allowed and stock management is on, stock can go below zero, and the product's stock status becomes On backorder.

Related tools:

• WooCommerce › Settings › Products › Inventory has an option to email you when an order creates a backorder.
• Analytics › Stock can filter to On backorder, so you can see every product currently waiting on stock.
• If you don't manage stock for a product, you can still set its status to On backorder by hand.

A worked example

Say you have 3 units of a jacket left, backorders are allowed, and a customer orders 5. WooCommerce accepts the order and stock shows −2. You now owe two jackets from your next delivery, and the product stays On backorder until you restock.

Why it matters

Backorders keep sales you'd otherwise lose to an out-of-stock page, which suits products with reliable suppliers and short lead times. The risk is promising stock you can't get, which leads to cancellations and refunds. Keep the On backorder list short and tell customers when to expect the item. The guide on what running out of stock costs helps you decide when backorders are worth it, and tracking stock for variations covers per-size settings. See also low stock threshold.