How Customers Subscribe

When customers find an out-of-stock product they want, DemandLoop lets them subscribe for a restock notification. Here's exactly how it works.

What You'll Accomplish

• Understand the end-to-end customer subscription flow
• Learn what happens automatically when products restock
• Know how Fair Queue distributes notifications fairly
• Identify where to monitor subscriptions in your dashboard

Requirements

• DemandLoop installed and the widget enabled on your theme
• At least one out-of-stock product to observe the widget behavior
• Available on all plans (Free and Growth)

The Customer Experience

1. Customer Visits Out-of-Stock Product

When a product variant is sold out, your "Add to Cart" button is automatically replaced with a "Notify Me When Available" button.

No setup needed—DemandLoop detects inventory levels via Shopify and shows the widget automatically.

2. Customer Enters Email

Clicking the button opens a simple modal where customers enter their email address. That's it—no account creation, no complicated forms.

What they see:

• Product name and variant (size, color, etc.)
• Simple email input
• One-click subscribe button

Time to subscribe: Less than 10 seconds

3. Confirmation Email

Customers immediately receive a confirmation email with:

• Subscription confirmation
• Product details with image
• Link to manage/unsubscribe

This builds trust and reduces "did it work?" anxiety.

What Happens When You Restock

Automatic Detection

When you add inventory in Shopify, DemandLoop detects the change within seconds via webhook and queues notifications.

Smart Notification Timing

Based on your Fair Queue settings, subscribers receive emails in controlled batches. This prevents:

• Inventory selling out to first few people
• Angry customers who got notified but product is gone again
• Fair distribution across all waiting customers

One-Time Notification

Each subscription = one notification. After a customer gets their restock email, the subscription is marked as "notified" and won't send again.

If the product sells out again, customers need to resubscribe.

FAQ

Q: Can customers subscribe to multiple variants?
Yes! If you sell t-shirts in multiple sizes, a customer can subscribe to S, M, and L separately. Each variant tracks subscriptions independently.

Q: Do customers need a Shopify account?
No. Any valid email works—no account required.

Q: What if a customer changes their mind?
Every email includes an unsubscribe link. One click removes them from the waitlist.

Q: Can I see who subscribed?
Yes. Go to Subscriptions in your dashboard to see all active subscriptions, filter by product, and export data.

Q: What happens if I never restock the product?
Subscriptions stay active until:

• Product restocks (sends notification)
• Customer unsubscribes
• You manually cancel subscriptions (recommended if discontinuing product)

Why This Matters for Your Store

Captures lost sales: Instead of customers leaving disappointed, you capture their intent and contact info.

Measures demand: High subscription counts = strong demand signal for inventory planning.

Builds customer relationships: Proactive communication keeps customers engaged with your brand.

Drives revenue: When notified customers return, they're ready to buy—conversion rates are typically 15-25%.

What Success Looks Like

To confirm subscriptions are working correctly in your store:

• Widget visible: Out-of-stock product pages show the "Notify Me When Available" button instead of "Add to Cart"
• Subscription recorded: After a customer subscribes, the entry appears in Dashboard > Subscriptions > Active Subscriptions within seconds
• Notification delivered: When you restock, subscribers receive an email within 1-5 minutes (depending on your Fair Queue batch settings)
• Dashboard metrics updating: Subscription count, notification delivery status, and open rates are visible in your dashboard

Next Steps

• Managing Subscriptions - View and manage customer waitlists
• Fair Queue Settings - Control notification timing
• Understanding Analytics - Track performance