What are pre-order modes?#
Pre-order modes control how your store handles orders when one or more products are set as pre-order.
This matters because pre-order products have an availability date, and your store needs a consistent rule for how orders are created and when they ship.
Where to find this setting#
Go to: WooCommerce → Settings → Pre-Orders → General.
Look for the option named: Pre-order Mode.
How to choose the right mode#
Pick the mode that matches how you want to manage:
- Orders that contain only pre-order products
- Orders that contain only in-stock products
- Mixed carts (pre-order + in-stock products)
If you are not sure, start with the default mode and run a quick test order on a staging site.
Pre-order modes available#
1 — Treat the whole order as a preorder#
If you choose this mode, the customer places one order and everything ships together on a single date.
Shipping is based on the latest availability date in the order. This means in-stock items will wait and ship together with the pre-order item.
For example, if the cart includes:
- In-stock cap (Available Sep 3)
- Pre-order jacket (Available Oct 1)
Then the order will ship on Oct 1, because that is the earliest date when all items in the order are available.
Note: If the order includes multiple pre-order items, the shipping date is based on the latest availability date among them.
2 — Generate two separate orders, one for preorders and one for in-stock products#
If you choose this mode, the customer gets two different orders:
- one order for in-stock items
- one order for pre-order items
For example, if the cart includes:
- In-stock cap (Available Sep 3)
- Pre-order jacket (Available Oct 1)
Then two orders are created:
- an in-stock order that ships on Sep 3
- a pre-order order that ships on Oct 1
3 — Generate separate orders for each preorder products#
If you choose this mode, the customer gets:
- one order for all in-stock items, and
- one separate order for each pre-order product, shipped on that product’s specific pre-order date
For example, if the cart includes:
- In-stock cap (Available Sep 3)
- Pre-order phone (Available Sep 15)
- Pre-order jacket (Available Oct 1)
Then the store creates:
- one in-stock order (cap) shipped on Sep 3, plus
- one pre-order order shipped on Sep 15 (phone), and
- one pre-order order shipped on Oct 1 (jacket)
4 — Order only preorder products or available one#
Free version: This is the only available pre-order mode in the free version.
Use this mode if you want to allow customers to purchase only pre-order products or only in-stock products.
If a customer tries to mix a pre-order product with an in-stock product in the same cart, checkout is blocked and they must choose one type.
Notes about availability (Free vs Pro)#
Some options may appear differently depending on your plan.
If your settings screen shows anything marked as “Pro” (or similar), that option requires the Pro version.
Updated on April 22, 2026 · Need help? Open a support ticket