Stock Scarcity

Show a low-stock alert on product pages so shoppers buy before it's gone.

Is this for me?

If you sell products with limited inventory and want to nudge undecided shoppers, Stock Scarcity is for you. Picture a customer staring at the last 4 units of a popular sneaker — a small "Only 4 left in stock!" message on the product page can be the difference between an added-to-cart sale and an abandoned tab.

The numbers it shows are real. The app reads live inventory from Shopify, so the alert only appears when stock is genuinely low — no fake countdowns.

Before you start: Your products need inventory tracking turned on in Shopify. Without it, the app has no stock number to show.

Setup, Step by Step

1. In your Vitals dashboard, open Stock Scarcity and toggle it on.
2. Set your threshold under Show urgency box when variant inventory is below. Fast-moving items: try 10–20. Slower items: 50 (the default) is fine.
3. Edit the alert text under Text when inventory is low. Keep {{ stock }}  in the message so the real number shows up. Example: Only {{ stock }} left — order soon!
4. Pick a Layout — Bar (progress bar under the text) or Dot (pulsing dot next to the text).
5. Adjust the colors to match your store. The default red-to-yellow gradient reads as urgent, but you can soften it for a calmer brand.
6. If you sell pre-order or made-to-order items, turn on Show widget when variant is out of stock but still purchasable and write a separate message for that case.
7. Want the alert on only some products? Use Vitals' advanced display rules to limit where it appears.

When to use Bar vs Dot

• Bar — Bigger visual footprint, with a gradient progress bar under your message. Best when you want the alert to really catch the eye.
• Dot — Compact single-line alert with a small pulsing dot. Best for premium or minimalist brands where a loud bar would feel pushy.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of It

• Be honest with the threshold. Set it to a number that's actually low for your business. A "only 47 left!" alert on a product with 50 in stock feels manipulative and erodes trust.
• Match your brand voice. "Hurry! Only 3 left!" works for a deals-driven store. "Only 3 remaining" reads better for a premium brand. Edit the text to fit.
• Check it on mobile. Most Shopify traffic is mobile. Open a product page on your phone and confirm the alert sits in a useful spot and the text doesn't wrap awkwardly.
• Use filters on slow movers. Showing scarcity on a product that's been sitting at 5 units for six months looks fake. Limit the widget to products that actually turn over.
• Test the variant behavior. Pick a product with multiple variants at different stock levels and click through them. The alert should appear and disappear smoothly as you switch.
• Pair it with real urgency. Stock Scarcity works best alongside genuinely limited drops, seasonal items, or restock waves — not as a permanent fixture on every product.

How It Works

Stock Scarcity appears on product pages only — not on collections, the home page, or the cart. When a shopper lands on a product, the app checks the selected variant's inventory. If it's at or below your threshold, the widget appears with your message and the live stock count.

When the shopper switches variants (e.g., from Medium to Large), the widget instantly re-checks. If Large has plenty of stock, the alert disappears. If Large is low, the alert updates with that variant's number. No page reload needed.

The {{ stock }}  placeholder in your text is swapped in with the real Shopify quantity. The progress bar (in Bar layout) is a visual urgency cue — it's consistent per product but isn't a precise percentage of remaining stock.

Settings Reference

Core Behavior

Layout

Colors

FAQ

Does Stock Scarcity show real inventory numbers?

Yes. The {{ stock }}  placeholder is replaced with the actual quantity from Shopify, and the widget only appears when real stock is at or below your threshold. Nothing is faked.

Why isn't the widget showing on my product?

Usually one of: the variant's stock is above your threshold (try lowering it); the product doesn't have inventory tracking turned on in Shopify; a product filter is excluding it; or you're on a non-product page.

Can I show different messages for different products?

The text is one global setting that applies wherever the widget appears. You can use advanced display rules to control where it shows, but the message itself is the same everywhere unless you add custom code or metafields.

Does the progress bar reflect the actual stock level?

No — it's a visual urgency cue, not a precise percentage. The real stock number is in the text via {{ stock }} .

How does it work with variants?

Each variant has its own stock level. When a shopper picks a variant, the widget checks that specific one. If Medium has 5 units and your threshold is 50, the alert says "Only 5 left." If they switch to Large with 200 units, the alert disappears.

What does "out of stock but still purchasable" mean?

In Shopify, you can enable "Continue selling when out of stock" on a product. Shoppers can still buy it at zero inventory — useful for pre-orders or made-to-order items. The matching setting in Stock Scarcity lets you show a scarcity message for those products too.

Can I change where the widget appears on the product page?

By default it sits just above the Add to Cart area. You can move it using the app's widget positioning controls.