How to Send Back-in-Stock SMS & Email Alerts on Uzanga
Running out of stock doesn't have to mean losing sales. Before this feature, when a customer visited your website and found the product or variant they wanted unavailable, they would usually leave and continue searching elsewhere. Many of those potential sales were lost forever. With Uzanga's Back-in-Stock Notifications feature, customers can leave their phone number or email address directly on the product page and request to be notified when a specific variant becomes available again. Once you restock, you can instantly notify everyone who expressed interest in that product and bring them back to complete their purchase.
Why Back-in-Stock Notifications Matter
Explain the merchant task, the steps to take, and what changes on the storefront.
Back-in-stock notifications benefit both merchants and customers.
As a merchant, you reduce the number of sales lost due to stock shortages. Customers who would have otherwise purchased elsewhere can be recovered the moment inventory becomes available again. You also gain valuable insight into product demand before placing inventory orders. If dozens of people are waiting for a specific product or variant, you can restock with much greater confidence.
For customers, the shopping experience becomes more convenient because they no longer need to keep checking your website manually. Instead, they receive a direct notification as soon as the item they're interested in becomes available again. SMS and email notifications are often much more effective than relying on Instagram stories, WhatsApp statuses, or social media posts that customers may never see.
How Customers Join a Restock Waitlist
When a product variant is out of stock, customers will see the option to enter their phone number and email address and request a notification.
Once they submit their details, Uzanga saves their request and adds them to the waitlist for that specific variant. The customer will then be notified when the product becomes available again.
Enable SMS and Email Marketing First
Before using back-in-stock notifications, make sure you've activated Promotional Emails and Promotional SMS within your Uzanga account.
Promotional Emails and Promotional SMS are required because the system uses these services to deliver notifications when products are restocked. Once activated and funded, you'll be able to send both SMS and email alerts to interested customers.
Viewing Customers Waiting for Restocks
To see customers who have requested notifications, navigate to Promotions and then Restock Notifications.
Within the Audience section, you'll find a list of subscriber requests grouped by product and variant. This allows you to quickly see which products have waiting customers and how many people are interested in each item.
This information can also help guide inventory decisions. Products with long waiting lists may deserve higher restock priority because demand has already been confirmed by real customers.
Restock the Product
When new inventory arrives, update the stock quantity for the relevant product variant as you normally would.
For example, if you've received additional stock for a particular shoe size or colour, simply update the inventory levels in your store. Once the stock is available again, you're ready to notify everyone who requested alerts.
Create or Choose a Notification Template
Uzanga allows you to send either an email, an SMS, or both.
You can use the default templates provided by the system or create your own custom notification templates. The default template automatically includes details such as the product name, variant name, and a link directing customers back to the product page so they can purchase immediately.
This saves time while ensuring customers receive clear and actionable messages.
Send Notifications to Waiting Customers
After selecting your template, switch to the Batches section and choose the product and variant you want to notify customers about.
You can choose to send an email notification, an SMS notification, or both. Once sent, the notification will contain information about the restocked product together with a direct link back to your website.
Customers can simply click the link, return to the product page, and complete their purchase while the item is available.
Confirm Delivery
After sending notifications, you can verify that messages have been dispatched by checking the Sent section.
This allows you to confirm which notifications have been delivered and ensures customers have been informed about the restock.
Add Subscribers Manually
One of the most powerful aspects of this feature is that customers don't have to join the waitlist themselves.
If someone contacts you through WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, phone calls, or in person and asks to be informed when a product becomes available again, you can manually add them to the restock audience. Simply select the product and variant, then add their phone number, email address, or choose an existing customer from your database.
When the product is restocked, they'll receive the same notification as everyone else on the waitlist.
Build Organized Waitlists Instead of Managing Chats
Many merchants currently keep mental notes, WhatsApp conversations, Instagram DMs, notebooks, or screenshots to remember which customers are waiting for specific products.
Back-in-stock notifications eliminate that hassle.
Instead of searching through old conversations whenever inventory arrives, you can maintain organized waitlists inside Uzanga and notify everyone with a single click. This saves time, reduces mistakes, and helps convert waiting customers into paying customers much faster.
Final Thoughts
Back-in-stock notifications transform out-of-stock products from missed opportunities into future sales.
By collecting customer interest directly on product pages, measuring demand before restocking, building organized waitlists, and sending targeted SMS and email alerts when inventory returns, you create a smoother shopping experience for customers while maximizing revenue from every restock.