Quick Start Guide

Get DemandLoop operational in 5 minutes. This guide walks you through verifying your installation, testing the widget, and sending your first back-in-stock notification.

What You'll Accomplish

In the next 5 minutes, you'll:

• Verify DemandLoop is properly installed
• Check the widget appears on storefront
• Test customer subscription flow
• Configure basic settings (optional)
• Send your first notification

Time required: 5-10 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
Prerequisites: DemandLoop installed from Shopify App Store

Before You Begin

Required Access

You'll need:

• Shopify store admin access
• DemandLoop installed and active
• At least one product in your catalog

Helpful to Have

• Your storefront URL handy
• Test email address (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
• Incognito browser window for testing

Step 1: Verify Installation (30 seconds)

Check App Status

Navigate to DemandLoop Dashboard:

Shopify Admin → Apps → DemandLoop

You should see:

Welcome message or Dashboard overview
Navigation menu (Subscriptions, Notifications, Analytics, etc.)
No error messages or warnings

If you see errors:

• App may not be fully installed
• Try refreshing the page (Ctrl+R / Cmd+R)
• If persists → Contact support

Check Installation Status

Dashboard → Settings → Installation

Healthy installation shows:

Widget Status: Installed
Theme: [Your theme name]
App Embed: Enabled
Last Sync: 2 minutes ago

If any items show errors:

• Click "Fix issues" button
• Or follow → Widget Installation Guide

Step 2: Enable Widget on Theme (1 minute)

Open Theme Editor

Shopify Admin → Online Store → Themes
→ Click "Customize" on your active theme

Enable App Embed

In Theme Editor:

Step 1: Find App Embeds section

Left sidebar → Scroll to bottom
→ Click "App embeds"

Step 2: Enable DemandLoop

Find: "DemandLoop - Back in Stock"
Toggle: Turn ON (should be blue/enabled)

Step 3: Save

Top right → Click "Save"
Wait for confirmation: "Theme published"

Verification:

• Toggle is blue/enabled
• No error messages shown
• "Save" button no longer highlighted

Step 3: Test Widget on Storefront (2 minutes)

Find an Out-of-Stock Product

Option A: Use existing out-of-stock product

If you have products already sold out:

Shopify Admin → Products
→ Look for products with "0" inventory
→ Note the product name

Option B: Create test out-of-stock product

If all products in stock:

Shopify Admin → Products → [Pick any product]
→ Variants section
→ Set inventory to 0
→ Save product

Important: Make sure "Track quantity" is enabled and "Continue selling when out of stock" is disabled.

View Product on Storefront

Open product page:

Click "View" on product (in Shopify admin)
→ Opens storefront product page in new tab

Or manually navigate:

Visit: your-store.com/products/[product-handle]

Pro tip: Use incognito/private browsing to avoid cache issues.

Verify Widget Appears

What you should see:

Instead of "Add to Cart" button:

[Notify Me When Available]

Widget characteristics:

• Button clearly visible
• Replaces "Add to Cart" or shows where "Sold Out" was
• Button text may say "Notify Me" or "Get Notified"
• Matches your theme's button style

If widget doesn't appear:

• Is product actually out of stock? (Quantity = 0)
• Is "Track quantity" enabled for variant?
• Did you save theme after enabling app embed?
• Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+R / Cmd+Shift+R)
• See → Widget Not Showing troubleshooting

Step 4: Test Subscription Flow (2 minutes)

Subscribe as Customer

On the product page with widget:

Step 1: Click the button

Click: "Notify Me When Available"
→ Modal window appears

Step 2: Fill subscription form

Email: [email protected]
☐ Also send me push notifications (optional)
Click: "Notify Me"

Step 3: Verify success

Success message: "You're on the list!"
or "We'll notify you when this item is back"
Modal closes automatically (or has close button)

Expected result:

• Modal opened smoothly
• Form accepted email
• Success message displayed
• No error messages

Check Dashboard Subscription

Return to DemandLoop Dashboard:

Dashboard → Subscriptions → Active Subscriptions

You should see your test subscription:

Email: [email protected]
Product: [Your test product]
Variant: [Size/Color if applicable]
Status: Active
Subscribed: Just now

Verification complete:

• Subscription created successfully
• Appears in dashboard
• Status is "Active"
• Correct product/variant linked

Step 5: Send Test Notification (2 minutes)

Restock the Product

Simulate product coming back in stock:

Shopify Admin → Products → [Your test product]
→ Variants section
→ Set inventory: 10 (or any number > 0)
→ Save product

What happens behind the scenes:

1. Shopify sends restock webhook to DemandLoop
2. DemandLoop detects inventory change
3. Notification job queued
4. Email sent to subscriber (you)

Wait for Notification

Timeline:

Product restocked: Now
Webhook received: Within 30 seconds
Email queued: Immediately
Email sent: 1-5 minutes (depends on queue settings)

Check your email inbox:

• Look in inbox for email from DemandLoop
• Subject: "[Product Name] - Back in Stock!" (or similar)
• Check spam folder if not in inbox

Email should contain:

• Product name
• Variant details (if applicable)
• "Shop Now" or "View Product" button
• Product image
• Unsubscribe link

Verify in Dashboard

Check notification was sent:

Dashboard → Notifications → History

You should see:

Customer: [email protected]
Product: [Your test product]
Status: Delivered
Sent: 2 minutes ago

Click notification for details:

Email opened: Yes/No
Link clicked: Yes/No (if you clicked)
Delivery status: Success

Step 6: Configure Basic Settings (Optional, 3 minutes)

Customize Email Template

Make notifications match your brand:

Dashboard → Settings → Email Templates
→ Click "Customize restock notification"

Quick customizations:

Subject line: "[Product] is back in stock!"
Preview text: "Don't miss out - order now"
Button text: "Shop Now"
Button color: #FF5733 (your brand color)

Preview before saving:

Click "Preview" → See how email looks
Click "Send test" → Get sample in inbox
Click "Save" → Apply changes

Adjust Fair Queue (Optional)

Control notification speed:

Dashboard → Settings → Fair Queue

Default settings (recommended for most stores):

Batch size: 50 emails
Batch delay: 2 hours

For faster notifications:

Batch size: 100 emails
Batch delay: 30 minutes

For more fair distribution:

Batch size: 25 emails
Batch delay: 3 hours

See Fair Queue Settings for strategy.

Set Notification Preferences

Control when notifications send:

Dashboard → Settings → Notifications

Common preferences:

[x] Send email notifications
[x] Send web push notifications
[ ] Pause notifications globally (if needed)
[ ] Require double opt-in (for stricter compliance)

Verify Everything Works

Final Checklist

Run through this quick verification:

□ Widget appears on out-of-stock products
□ Subscription modal opens when clicked
□ Test subscription created successfully
□ Test notification email received
□ Email looks professional and branded
□ Dashboard shows subscription and notification
□ No error messages anywhere

If all checked: You're ready to go live!

If any unchecked: Review the relevant step above or check troubleshooting section below.

Quick Troubleshooting

Widget Not Showing

Quick fixes:

1. Hard refresh page (Ctrl+Shift+R)
2. Check app embed is enabled (Theme Editor → App embeds)
3. Verify product inventory is actually 0
4. Clear browser cache
5. Try incognito/private browsing

Still not working?
→ Full widget troubleshooting guide

Didn't Receive Notification Email

Check these:

1. Look in spam/junk folder
2. Verify email address spelled correctly
3. Dashboard shows "Delivered" status?
4. Wait 5 minutes (queue processing time)
5. Check Dashboard → Notifications → History

Still no email?
→ Email delivery troubleshooting

Subscription Not Appearing in Dashboard

Possible causes:

1. Form submission failed silently
2. Email validation error
3. JavaScript error on page

Quick fix:

1. Open browser console (F12)
2. Try subscribing again
3. Look for red error messages
4. Screenshot and contact support

Modal Won't Open

Quick fixes:

1. Check JavaScript is enabled in browser
2. Disable other apps temporarily (test for conflicts)
3. Try different browser
4. Check console for errors (F12)

Still broken?
→ Contact support with:

• Product URL
• Browser type (Chrome, Safari, etc.)
• Screenshot of console errors

What Happens Next?

Automatic Operation

DemandLoop now runs automatically:

1. Products go out of stock
   ↓
2. Widget appears on product page
   ↓
3. Customers subscribe
   ↓
4. Products restock
   ↓
5. Notifications sent automatically
   ↓
6. Customers click and purchase

No manual intervention required after setup.

Monitor Performance

Check these dashboards regularly:

Subscriptions Dashboard:

Dashboard → Subscriptions
→ See who's waiting
→ Monitor demand trends
→ Plan restocks accordingly

Notifications Dashboard:

Dashboard → Notifications
→ Track delivery rates
→ Monitor queue status
→ Verify emails sending

Analytics Dashboard:

Dashboard → Analytics
→ See top products by demand
→ Track email performance
→ View subscription trends

Growth Plan Features (Optional)

When ready to track revenue:

Dashboard → Billing → Start 14-day trial

Growth plan adds:

• Revenue attribution tracking
• ROI analytics
• Advanced metrics (CTR, conversion)
• Unlimited subscriptions/notifications

See Understanding Plans & Pricing for details.

Common Next Steps

Week 1: Monitor & Optimize

Daily tasks:

□ Check Dashboard → Overview (5 min)
□ Review new subscriptions
□ Verify notifications sending
□ Monitor any errors/issues

By end of week:

□ Review email open rates
□ Check if customers clicking links
□ Identify top-demand products
□ Adjust Fair Queue if needed

Week 2-4: Refinement

Customize experience:

□ Brand email templates
□ Test different subject lines
□ Optimize widget button text
□ Configure advanced settings

Analyze performance:

□ Which products get most subscriptions?
□ What time of day are clicks highest?
□ Are notifications converting to sales?
□ Should you upgrade to Growth plan?

Month 2+: Advanced Features

Consider enabling:

□ Web push notifications (instant alerts)
□ Revenue attribution (Growth plan)
□ Advanced analytics
□ Custom automation rules

Pro Tips

1. Test Multiple Products

Don't just test one product:

Test on:
- Simple product (no variants)
- Product with size variants
- Product with color variants
- Product with multiple variants (size + color)

Why: Ensures widget works across all product types.

2. Test on Mobile

Most customers browse on mobile:

1. Open product page on phone
2. Verify widget displays properly
3. Test subscription form on mobile
4. Check email looks good on mobile

3. Subscribe with Multiple Emails

Test different email providers:

□ Gmail account
□ Outlook/Hotmail account
□ Yahoo account
□ Your business email

Why: Some providers have stricter spam filters.

4. Bookmark Key Dashboards

Quick access to important pages:

Bookmark:
- Dashboard → Subscriptions
- Dashboard → Notifications → History
- Dashboard → Analytics
- Dashboard → Settings

5. Set Up Notifications

Get alerts for issues:

Dashboard → Settings → Notifications
→ Enable email alerts for:
  [x] Queue errors
  [x] High bounce rates
  [x] API issues

FAQ

Q: Do I need to do anything after initial setup for notifications to work? No. Once the widget is enabled and working, DemandLoop operates automatically. When a product restocks, subscribers are notified without any manual action required.

Q: Can I test the full flow without affecting real customers? Yes. Use a personal email address and an out-of-stock product (or temporarily set inventory to 0) to test the entire subscription and notification flow in isolation.

Q: How long does it take for a notification email to arrive after restocking? Typically 1-5 minutes, depending on your Fair Queue settings. The webhook is received within seconds, and email is queued immediately after.

Getting Help

Self-Service Resources

Common questions:

• How Customers Subscribe
• Widget Installation
• How Notifications Work

Troubleshooting:

• Widget Not Showing
• Emails Not Delivering

Settings & customization:

• Fair Queue Settings
• Customizing Email Templates

Contact Support

Email support:

Email: [email protected]
Response time: Within 24 hours
Include:
- Shop domain
- Specific issue
- Screenshots (if applicable)
- Steps you've already tried

Live chat:

Dashboard → Help icon (bottom right)
Available: 9am-5pm EST, Mon-Fri
For urgent issues

Video Tutorials (Coming Soon)

We're creating video walkthroughs:

• Complete setup guide
• Widget customization
• Email template design
• Dashboard navigation

Subscribe for updates:

Dashboard → Settings → Notifications
→ [x] "Product updates and tutorials"

Summary

Congratulations!

You've successfully:

• Verified DemandLoop installation
• Enabled widget on your theme
• Tested subscription flow
• Received your first notification
• Configured basic settings

DemandLoop is now live and will automatically:

• Show widget on out-of-stock products
• Collect customer subscriptions
• Send notifications when products restock
• Track performance in your dashboard

Next steps:

1. Let it run and collect real customer subscriptions
2. Monitor Dashboard → Overview daily
3. Review analytics weekly
4. Optimize based on performance

Questions? Check our full help center or contact [email protected]

Appendix: Keyboard Shortcuts

Dashboard navigation:

G then S = Go to Subscriptions
G then N = Go to Notifications
G then A = Go to Analytics
G then O = Go to Settings
? = Show keyboard shortcuts

Theme Editor:

Ctrl/Cmd + S = Save theme
Ctrl/Cmd + Z = Undo
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z = Redo

Setup time: ~5-10 minutes Difficulty: Beginner-friendly Support: [email protected] Updated: 2025-01-13

Happy selling!