How to Hide Out of Stock Products in Shopify: A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Importance of Hiding Out of Stock Products
3. Methods for Hiding Out of Stock Products
4. Conclusion
5. FAQ

Introduction

Imagine this: your online store is bustling with activity, customers are browsing through your extensive catalog, and suddenly, they encounter a frustrating sight—out of stock products scattered throughout your collections. Did you know that displaying out of stock items can lead to an increase in cart abandonment rates by as much as 68%? This statistic underscores the importance of maintaining a clean and user-friendly shopping experience.

As ecommerce professionals, we understand the critical role that inventory management plays in optimizing store performance and enhancing customer satisfaction. This blog post aims to explore effective strategies on how to hide out of stock products in Shopify. By the end, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of various techniques, tools, and best practices to ensure that your online store remains clutter-free and focused on available inventory.

In this article, we will delve into several methods for hiding out of stock products, including manual adjustments, the use of Shopify’s built-in features, third-party apps, and custom coding solutions. Each approach will be examined in detail, providing you with the insights needed to choose the best solution for your business. We invite you to reflect on your current inventory management practices and consider how these strategies can streamline your operations.

The Importance of Hiding Out of Stock Products

Enhancing User Experience

Displaying out of stock products can create a frustrating experience for customers who may be interested in purchasing those items. Customers prefer to see only what is available, which improves their overall shopping experience and increases the likelihood of conversion.

Reducing Cart Abandonment

As mentioned earlier, showing out of stock items can lead to increased cart abandonment. Customers may add items to their cart only to find out at checkout that they are unavailable. By hiding these products, you can help create a smoother purchasing journey, ultimately boosting your conversion rates.

Maintaining Store Aesthetics

A cluttered store filled with out of stock items can detract from the overall aesthetics of your online shop. By ensuring that only available products are displayed, you can create a more polished and professional appearance that resonates with your brand image.

Inventory Management Best Practices

Effectively managing your inventory also involves making strategic decisions about what to display. By hiding out of stock products, you can focus more on promoting items that drive sales and provide a clearer picture of your product offerings.

Methods for Hiding Out of Stock Products

1. Using Shopify’s Built-in Features

1.1 Activating Inventory Tracking

The first step towards effectively hiding out of stock products in Shopify is to activate inventory tracking. Here’s how you can do it:

1. From your Shopify admin, navigate to Settings > Inventory.
2. Ensure the “Track quantity” option is enabled for all products you wish to manage.
3. Save your settings.

By enabling inventory tracking, you can easily manage stock levels and automate processes related to product visibility.

1.2 Hiding Out of Stock Products in Collections

Shopify allows you to customize collections based on inventory levels. Follow these steps to hide out of stock products from your collections:

1. Go to Products in your Shopify admin.
2. Select Collections and choose the collection you wish to edit.
3. Under Conditions, add a condition such as “Inventory stock is greater than 0”.
4. Save your changes.

This method ensures that only products currently in stock appear in the selected collection.

2. Managing Visibility Through Draft Status

Another straightforward approach to hiding out of stock products is to set them to “draft” status. While this method effectively removes the product from your online store, it also prevents customers from viewing the item entirely. Here’s how:

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Products.
2. Select the product you want to hide.
3. In the Product status section, change the status from “Active” to “Draft”.
4. Save your changes.

Keep in mind that this method also removes the product from any order history, which may not be ideal for all businesses.

3. Using Third-Party Apps

For those looking for a more automated solution, several third-party apps are available in the Shopify App Store that can assist with hiding out of stock products. Here are some popular options:

3.1 Nada: Sort & Hide Out-of-Stock

Nada is a user-friendly app that automatically hides sold-out products from your online store. It also republish items when they come back in stock, ensuring your inventory is always up to date. The app starts at $4.99 per month and comes with a free trial.

3.2 Wipeout

Wipeout is another excellent choice that scans your store daily for out-of-stock items and hides them automatically. It simplifies inventory management and offers both manual and automatic options, making it a versatile tool for store owners.

4. Custom Coding Solutions

For those comfortable with coding, custom solutions can be implemented to hide out of stock products on a more granular level. This method allows for greater flexibility and control over how products are displayed. Here’s a basic outline of how to implement a custom solution:

4.1 Modifying Liquid Templates

To hide out of stock products using Shopify's Liquid template language, follow these steps:

1. Go to Online Store > Themes in your Shopify admin.
2. Click on Actions > Edit code next to your current theme.
3. Locate the relevant template files (e.g., collection-template.liquid, product-template.liquid).
4. Within the product loop, add a conditional statement to check the inventory level:

{% if product.selected_or_first_available_variant.available %}
  <!-- Display product details -->
{% endif %}

5. Save your changes.

This code ensures that only products with available inventory are displayed on the collection and product pages.

5. Advanced Automation with Shopify Flow

Shopify Flow is an automation tool available for higher-tier plans that allows you to create workflows based on specific triggers. For example, you can set up a workflow that hides products when their inventory level reaches zero. Here’s how:

1. Install the Shopify Flow app.
2. Create a new workflow using the “Inventory quantity changed” trigger.
3. Set conditions to check if the inventory is less than or equal to zero.
4. Add the action to hide the product.

This method requires a Shopify Plus, Advanced, or Standard plan but can significantly streamline your inventory management.

Conclusion

Hiding out of stock products in Shopify is essential for maintaining a positive customer experience, reducing cart abandonment, and enhancing your store’s aesthetic appeal. By implementing the methods outlined in this guide, you can effectively manage your inventory and ensure that customers only see what’s available for purchase.

Whether you choose to utilize Shopify’s built-in features, third-party apps, or custom coding solutions, the key is to find the approach that best aligns with your business needs. We encourage you to reflect on your current inventory practices and consider how these strategies can help you optimize your online store.

To further enhance your ecommerce operations, we invite you to explore the PowerCommerce eStore Suite, designed to empower brands with scalable, AI-driven solutions that boost performance and drive sustainable growth.

FAQ

Q1: Can I hide out of stock products without removing them from my inventory?
Yes, you can hide out of stock products by setting them to draft status or using apps that automatically manage visibility without impacting inventory levels.

Q2: Will hiding out of stock products affect my SEO?
Hiding out of stock products generally does not negatively impact SEO. It can improve user experience, which is a critical factor in SEO rankings.

Q3: Are there any free apps available for hiding out of stock products?
While many apps offer premium features, some may have free versions or trial periods that allow you to manage out of stock items without incurring costs.

Q4: How can I automate the process of hiding out of stock products?
Using Shopify Flow, you can create automated workflows that trigger actions based on inventory levels, allowing for seamless management of product visibility.

Q5: Can I customize how out of stock products are displayed on my site?
Yes, customizing Liquid templates allows you to control the display of out of stock products, including hiding them entirely or modifying their visibility based on specific conditions.

By understanding and implementing these strategies, you can enhance your Shopify store's efficiency and customer satisfaction, leading to increased sales and growth.