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Backorder management in X-Cart 5.5.1.x

A
Written by Anna Verbichenko
Updated over a week ago

Backorders let customers purchase out-of-stock products and receive them when stock arrives.

Prerequisites

Enabling backorders

You can enable backorders per product or in bulk via CSV import.

Per product

To enable backorders for an individual product:

  1. Find the product for which you need to enable backorders and open the product details.

  2. On the Info tab, scroll down to the Prices & Inventory section.

  3. Enable the Available for backorder toggle.

    This expands a subsection with more backorder settings.

  4. (Optional) Configure additional backorder settings:

    • Backorder label: A customer-facing message displayed on product and listing pages when the item is available for backorder. You can use the placeholder %number% in this text — on the storefront, it will be replaced with the maximum quantity that customers can order on backorder.

    • Limit the backorder quantity: Enable this option if you want to restrict how many units of the product can be ordered when it’s out of stock.

    • Max. backorder quantity: (Available when Limit the backorder quantity=On) The maximum number of units that customers can place on backorder when the product’s available stock reaches zero.

  5. Click Update product.

In bulk

You can enable backorders in bulk via CSV import (products.csv). The backorder-related fields in a CSV file are as follows:

  • availableForBackorder,

  • backorderQtyLabel,

  • isBackorderLimited, and

  • backorderLimit.

A sample file may look as follows:

backorder-import.png

For detailed information, please refer to CSV import: Products.

Customer experience

Items that are available for backorder display your promo text on product pages and product lists.

Product page:

Listing page:

Order processing

  • When an order includes a backordered item, the store admin receives a Backordered item in the orders email notification (configurable under Settings → Email Notifications).

  • Orders that contain backordered products get the Back-ordered fulfillment status.

  • Order details show if any products in the order are backordered.

  • Backordered products are grouped in Orders → Backorders for follow-up.

  • Important: Orders containing a backordered product cannot be split; the order ships only when all items are available. Notify the customer about delays if needed.

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