Preorder functionality is useful when a product is out of stock or when a new product is launching. Implementing a preorder feature lets you prevent lost sales opportunities and forecast demand for new products. Preorder Wolf is an app that makes it easy to add this kind of preorder functionality to Shopify. Preorder Wolf is simple and easy to understand, making it a good recommendation for those looking for a bare-bones preorder feature.
"Tell me how to use Preorder Wolf." "What are the benefits of Preorder Wolf? Are there any points to watch out for?"
Reading this article will answer the needs and questions above.
Preorder Wolf is a preorder app used around the world, but there are some points to be aware of when implementing it. This article thoroughly explains Preorder Wolf's features, benefits, and how to use it.
If you're considering implementing a preorder feature, please use this as a reference.
What Is the Shopify Preorder App "Preorder Wolf"?
Image source: Preorder Wolf | Shopify App Store
Preorder Wolf is a preorder app that lets you keep selling a product even after it's out of stock, or accept preorders before a new product launches. It's also useful when you want to test demand or sell made-to-order items.
No coding is required, so even those without web development knowledge can use it with confidence. It's an app focused on simple functionality, and it's recommended for those who feel that "a bare-bones preorder feature is enough."
Preorder Wolf's Main Features and Capabilities
Here are Preorder Wolf's main features and what it can do.
Product Preorders
You can start taking preorders for products in your Shopify store. It can be used when a product runs out of stock or when a new product launches, so you won't miss out on sales opportunities.
The preorder button and product description text can also be customized, so you can clearly communicate to customers when the product will arrive. You can also choose a payment method that suits your store, such as pay-now or pay-later, so you can implement preorders without compromising the customer experience.
Note: Regarding payment methods, the Beginner Plan supports pay-now only.
Preorder Quantity Limits
Preorder Wolf also lets you set an upper limit on the preorder quantity, so you can only accept as many preorders as you can fulfill. This is an effective feature for wholesale businesses that stock a set quantity of a product, or for branded goods where limiting sales volume enhances value.
This prevents preorders from exceeding your expected incoming stock, letting you set up a system that reliably delivers products to customers.
Waitlist
Even if the number of preorders reaches its limit, the waitlist feature ensures you don't lose customers. Customers who join the waitlist can automatically be notified once the product becomes available again. This lets you capture demand beyond your preorder capacity, and if a preorder is canceled, you can smoothly guide the next customer in line.
Note: Not available on the Beginner Plan.
Benefits of Adding Preorder Wolf to Shopify
Here are the benefits of adding Preorder Wolf to your Shopify store.
You Can Keep Selling Even When Out of Stock
By adding Preorder Wolf, even when a product is out of stock, you can keep selling it as a "preorder" rather than marking it "sold out." In situations where you would normally lose the sales opportunity, you can instead accept preorders against the next incoming shipment, helping prevent customer churn.
Furthermore, stores can reduce the risk of excess inventory when restocking, and customers gain the peace of mind of reliably being able to obtain the product they want.
You Can Gauge Demand by Selling New Products in Advance
By taking preorders before a new product's official launch, you can gauge market response in advance. Because actual demand can be estimated from the number of preorders, you can adjust production volume, reducing the risk of excess inventory or stockouts.
It also makes it easier to spread customer anticipation and reactions to a new product on social media and elsewhere, helping build buzz even before launch.
Made-to-Order Sales Become Smoother
Adding Preorder Wolf dramatically streamlines the sales process for made-to-order products. For made-to-order businesses that begin manufacturing only after receiving a customer's order, a preorder feature is essential. By clearly stating the production time after an order is accepted as a preorder, customers can know roughly when to expect delivery before purchasing, which builds peace of mind.
It also lets you optimize the procurement of raw materials and your production schedule to match the number of preorders, helping reduce unnecessary costs. This is especially helpful for stores handling handmade or customized products, as it supports building a well-planned production system.
Points to Note When Using the Shopify App Preorder Wolf
Preorder Wolf is an app that makes it easy to implement preorder functionality, but there are some points to be aware of when using it.
Limited Functionality
Preorder Wolf's functionality is limited. Please note that it cannot accommodate the following needs, which are commonly requested of preorder features:
- Specifying a start and end date/time
- Running recurring preorders on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis
- Clearly marking preorder products in the product listing (displaying a preorder badge)
- Limiting the quantity a single user can purchase (as an anti-reselling measure)
- Integrating with newsletter apps and similar tools
and so on.
Also, as noted below, the Beginner Plan for small stores doesn't give you access to all features, and you need to upgrade to the Growth Plan. However, you can't upgrade to the Growth Plan at will — it requires preorder sales of $500 or more per month.
Settings Are in English Only
Preorder Wolf's settings screen is in English only and does not support Japanese. Preorder Wolf's settings are configured within the Shopify admin, but the app's settings screen also doesn't support browser translation features (such as Google Translate).
Because of this, please note that those who aren't comfortable with English will need to translate each piece of English text individually using a translation app.
Support Is Also English Only
Preorder Wolf is an app provided by a company based in India, and its support is also English only. In reviews on the Shopify App Store, many positive comments say things like "the 'Preorder' button wasn't displaying correctly, but when I contacted support, they responded quickly," and the speed and thoroughness of its support are well regarded.
On the other hand, because it only supports English, those who aren't comfortable with English could find themselves in a serious situation if a problem occurs. Delays in resolving issues when trouble arises can directly impact your business, so caution is needed.
For those who want to use a full-featured preorder app, or who want Japanese-language support, we recommend "RuffRuff 予約販売."
Visit the RuffRuff 予約販売 homepage here
Preorder Wolf Pricing Plans
Preorder Wolf's pricing plan is determined by your monthly revenue from preorders.
| Plan Name | Beginner Plan | Growth Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $4.99 | From $19 |
| Preorder revenue | Up to $500/month | See table below |
| Features & Support | Preorders Preorder limits |
Preorders Preorder limits All other features Custom theme & custom coding support Dedicated developer support |
As of April 2025.
The pricing structure of the Growth Plan is as follows.
| Monthly Preorder Revenue | Monthly Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $2,000/month | $19 |
| Up to $3,000/month | $38 |
| Up to $4,000/month | $57 |
| Up to $5,000/month | $76 |
| Up to $6,000/month | $95 |
| Up to $7,000/month | $114 |
| Up to $8,000/month | $133 |
| Up to $9,000/month | $152 |
| Up to $10,000/month | $171 |
| Up to $11,000/month | $190 |
| Up to $12,000/month | $209 |
| Up to $13,000/month | $228 |
| Up to $14,000/month | $247 |
| Up to $15,000/month | $266 |
| Up to $16,000/month | $285 |
| No limit | $299 |
As of April 2025.
The pricing plan is automatically adjusted based on your monthly preorder revenue.
How to Install, Set Up, and Use the Shopify App Preorder Wolf
Here's how to install, set up, and use Preorder Wolf.
Installing and Setting Up Preorder Wolf
First, install "Preorder Wolf" from the Shopify App Store.
Image source: Preorder Wolf | Shopify App Store
A confirmation to install will appear again in your Shopify store, so click "Install."
Image source: Shopify admin
Next, approve the subscription. There's a 10-day free trial, so no charges will occur at this point.
This completes the installation. The screen will switch to the initial setup screen. Click "Activate Now" as shown on the screen.
Your store's theme customization screen will appear automatically, so turn on the "Preorder Wolf" switch and click "Save."
Return to the Shopify admin and click "I have already activated." That completes the initial setup.
How to Use Preorder Wolf
Once the initial setup is complete, a preorder setup guide (onboarding) will appear on screen. Let's walk through how to use the app following these steps.
Click "Add Product" and select the product you want to take preorders for.
Select one of the three preorder methods.
- A. To always show Preorder button (until I remove the products from the app).
- B. To switch to Preorder only when they go out of stock.
- C. To show Preorder button, as long as I have inventory. After that the Product page will show "Sold Out".
Option C means setting an upper limit on the preorder quantity — that is, a preorder quantity limit.
The product page has an "Add to cart" button. Let's change this button's text so it's clear that it's a preorder. Enter something like "Place a Preorder" in "Button Text," then click "Save Customization."
Click "Click Here to Preview."
If the preview doesn't display correctly, troubleshooting steps will appear on screen. Here's what they say:
- If the preview doesn't display, try reloading the page a few times.
- Sometimes the browser can't immediately fetch the app's code the first time (due to caching). Things to try if it still doesn't display:
- Try reloading the page a few times
- Try opening the page in incognito/private mode
- Try a hard reload — Ctrl+F5 on Windows, or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac, or hold Shift while clicking the reload button
- If it still doesn't display, please contact support — they'll take care of it. Thank you for your cooperation. Click the green button below to view the preview.
Click "Okay, Preview it" to display the preview of the product page.
If the button text on the preview screen has successfully switched to "Place a Preorder," go back to the page and select "Yes, it is working." If it didn't work correctly, select "No, it's not working. I need help."
From this point on, you can add, change, or remove preorder products from "Products" on the home screen.
How to Configure Preorder Wolf
Finally, let's cover how to configure the app. Select "Settings" on the home screen. The main configuration items on the Beginner Plan are as follows.
- Customization Settings
- Button Text
- Delivery Info
- Choose Default Setting
- A. Always Preorder.
- B. Switch to Preorder when out of stock.
- C. Preorder if I have inventory.
We recommend using "Delivery Info" to note things like when a preordered product will ship.
However, this delivery info setting affects all preorder products as a whole. If you want to note different delivery information for each preorder product, Preorder Wolf's delivery info setting can't do that — you'll need to create a separate product page for each product and vary the description there.
That concludes the explanation of installation and usage.
For a Preorder App With Japanese Support, We Recommend "RuffRuff 予約販売"
Preorder Wolf is an app that's easy to implement, but the fact that its settings and support are English only is a drawback. If you can't resolve an issue quickly when trouble arises, it could lead to serious consequences, such as "losing a sales opportunity" or "causing confusion for customers."
For those who want a preorder app with Japanese support, we recommend "RuffRuff 予約販売." RuffRuff 予約販売 provides Japanese-language support from Japanese staff. It has been adopted by more than 2,500 stores (as of January 2025), and is characterized by its attentive, highly functional feature set.
If you're interested, be sure to check it out.
Preorder Wolf Is a Simple Preorder App for Those Comfortable With English
This article covered the Shopify preorder app Preorder Wolf, including its features, benefits, and how to use it.
Preorder Wolf requires no coding and is a beginner-friendly app that lets you start taking preorders with a simple setup. On the other hand, its settings screen and support only support English, which may be a hurdle for those who aren't comfortable with the language. Its functionality is also simple, so it may not be a good fit for those who want a custom setup or who want to combine it with a variety of marketing tactics. For those who prioritize Japanese-language support and functionality, we recommend "RuffRuff 予約販売."
Why not use the information in this article as a reference and start taking preorders in your Shopify store?
The blog article below provides a thorough comparison of preorder apps, including Preorder Wolf. If you're planning to implement preorders, please use it as a reference when choosing an app.
