Configuration
Preorder has two layers of configuration: store-wide defaults under WooCommerce → Pre-orders, and per-product fields in the product editor. Per-product values override the global defaults.
Store-wide settings
Section titled “Store-wide settings”Open WooCommerce → Pre-orders.
Enable pre-orders
Section titled “Enable pre-orders”The master switch for the whole store. When it is on, every product you have flagged as a pre-order behaves as a pre-order: purchasable while out of stock, with the custom button label and the release-date notice.
When it is off, flagged products fall back to normal WooCommerce behaviour — they stop being purchasable once out of stock, the standard add-to-cart label returns, and the release-date notice disappears. The flags on individual products are preserved, so flipping the switch back on restores every pre-order at once. This is the safe way to pause a launch without touching dozens of products.
Default button text
Section titled “Default button text”The add-to-cart label shown on every pre-order product that does not set its own label. Typical values are “Pre-order now” or “Reserve yours”. This text is what tells shoppers, at a glance, that they are buying ahead rather than buying a product that ships today.
A per-product button text field overrides this default for that one product.
Show release date
Section titled “Show release date”Toggles the estimated-availability notice on the storefront. When on, products that have a release date show it to shoppers as the date the pre-order is expected to ship. When off, the date is still stored on the product and still flagged through cart and order, but it is not displayed on the product page.
Per-product fields
Section titled “Per-product fields”Edit a product and open Product data → General.
Pre-order
Section titled “Pre-order”The checkbox that marks this product as a pre-order. Once ticked, the product stays purchasable even when its stock status is out of stock, and it picks up the pre-order button label and release-date notice (subject to the global toggle).
This field is available on simple products. For variable products, the flag applies at the product level and the cart/order flagging carries through to whichever variation is bought.
Release date
Section titled “Release date”An optional date for this product, shown to shoppers as the estimated availability date when Show release date is on. It also rides along into the cart and onto the order line so fulfilment can see, per line, when each pre-order is expected.
Leave it blank if you do not yet have a date — the product is still sold as a pre-order, just without a displayed date.
Button text
Section titled “Button text”An optional per-product add-to-cart label that overrides the global Default button text for this product only. Use it when one product needs different wording from the rest of the store.
How the layers combine
Section titled “How the layers combine”- The global toggle decides whether pre-orders are active at all.
- Button text resolves per product first, then falls back to the global default.
- The release date is per product; the global Show release date decides whether it is displayed.
Security and housekeeping
Section titled “Security and housekeeping”The settings screen is gated on the manage_woocommerce capability and its forms are nonce-protected. All storefront output is escaped and all input sanitised. Uninstalling the plugin removes its options cleanly — Preorder creates no custom database tables.