Manage products before release
Pre-Orders for WooCommerce Pro is designed for stores that want to accept orders before a product becomes fully available. It provides a structured way to organize pre-sales, communicate important dates, and move products from a pre-order period into regular availability.
The plugin supports pre-order status for both simple and variable products. Store owners can choose when a product will be available and can customize the text shown on the Add to Cart button. Products can also be made available automatically when the pre-order period ends, helping the store follow a defined release workflow.
Flexible pre-order administration
A specialized Pre-Orders section gives store owners a central place to manage pre-orders. The plugin can filter orders that include products purchased during the pre-order phase, making it easier to review relevant orders separately from other store activity.
Pre-order dates and statuses can be changed using bulk selection. A WordPress bulk action can also apply pre-order status to more than one product, grouped by category. This is useful when preparing a product range or coordinating several items for a scheduled release.
Pricing, payments, and shipping
During the pre-order period, the price of an individual product can be edited using a fixed amount, a percentage, or a markup based on the base price. The Pro edition also includes options for Pay Later for Pre-orders and fixed payment gateways for pre-order purchases.
Shipping can be unified for pre-orders, while a pre-order transition status helps define what happens as an order moves through the release process. The plugin also includes an option to change product stock when the pre-order date expires.
Customer and administrator notifications
Customers can be notified when a product’s pre-order period ends and the item becomes fully available. Website administrators can receive an email when a pre-order period is approaching its end, with the number of days set before the selected date.
Store owners can add a custom message to pre-order products, use pre-defined email templates, and display a pre-order badge. These tools help communicate the product’s status and expected availability throughout the buying process.
Practical store workflows
- Planned releases: Set availability dates for products that customers can order before launch.
- Catalog preparation: Apply pre-order status to multiple products through bulk actions.
- Order review: Filter orders containing items purchased during the pre-order phase.
- Flexible checkout: Use later payment, fixed gateways, and unified shipping options for pre-order orders.
- Release follow-up: Update stock, statuses, and customer communications as the pre-order date ends.
Installation and setup
Install the Pro plugin in the WordPress site and configure the pre-order settings for the products you want to offer before release. Set the product status, button text, availability date, pricing approach, payment and shipping options, messages, badges, and notification preferences. For larger catalogs, use the available bulk selection tools to update products or existing pre-order records.
