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Setting Up a Tightly InStock Policy

Updated this week

The Tightly InStock policy lets you control which out-of-stock products should remain sellable on Shopify based on real-world delivery logic. It automatically toggles Shopify’s backordering setting by checking lead times, purchase order status, and delivery thresholds.

This policy is ideal for teams that rely on suppliers, track purchase orders, and want to sell only what they can fulfill on time.

Want to understand how InStock policies work overall? Check the overview tutorial here.


What This Policy Does

For all products included in a Tightly InStock policy:

  • Shopify backordering is controlled automatically based on product lead time and PO status.

  • Sold quantities that cannot be fulfilled from stock or incoming POs are added to the Basket automatically.

  • A special InStock icon appears in the Basket to indicate auto-added replenishment tasks.

This ensures a balance between sales flexibility and fulfillment reliability.


Step 1: Define the Policy Logic

Navigate to the InStock page and start creating a new policy. Select "Tightly InStock" as the policy type.

You’ll then configure three key settings:

Max Days of Delivery

This sets the maximum acceptable lead time (in days) for enabling backorders. Tightly uses this value to determine whether a product should remain sellable on Shopify when it’s out of stock.

  • A product is eligible for backordering only if its supplier lead time is equal to or less than this value.

  • Additionally, if a approved purchase order is present and expected to arrive within this time frame, backordering will be allowed.

  • Draft and requested POs are not considered in this evaluation — only approved POs are used to calculate expected delivery timing.

Example:
Max Days = 20
If a product has a lead time of 14 days and a approved PO is incoming → backordering is enabled.
If the PO is in draft/requested state or the delivery date is in 30 days → backordering is disabled.


Enable Backordering if No Approved PO Exists

This toggle determines whether backordering should be allowed even when no purchase order exists yet for the product.

  • If ON: Backordering will be enabled as long as the lead time meets the Max Days threshold — even if a PO hasn’t been created yet.

  • If OFF: A product must have an approved PO in the system to be eligible for backorders. If not, it will be marked as unavailable on Shopify.


PO Processing Time (Only required if the above toggle is ON)

If you allow backordering without an existing PO, this field lets you define a safety buffer: the time it usually takes your team to create and approve a PO.

  • This value is subtracted from the Max Days of Delivery.

  • It ensures backorders are only accepted if there's enough time to create a PO and still meet customer expectations.

Example:
Max Days = 20
PO Processing Time = 3
→ Only products with a supplier lead time of 17 days or less will be eligible for backordering.

If backordering without a PO is disabled, this field is ignored.


Step 2: Select Products

After defining your logic, choose which products the policy should apply to.

  • Use the "Recommended" or "All Products" tabs to filter variants.

  • Review lead time, MOQ, and other columns before selecting.

  • Use checkboxes to assign products to this policy.

Click “Complete & Activate Policy” to save and apply.


What Happens Next

Once the policy is active, Tightly continuously evaluates your inventory data:

  • Shopify's backorder status updates automatically based on lead time and PO status.

  • If an out-of-stock product is sold:

    • If there's an incoming PO, the quantity sold is allocated from it.

    • The unfulfilled quantity is added to the Basket if Enable Backordering if No PO Exists toggle is on.

    • An InStock icon appears beside the item in the Basket

These items behave like any other replenishment tasks and can be reviewed, edited, or converted to purchase orders as usual.


Managing the Policy

You can view and manage your Tightly InStock policy anytime:

  • See all included products and performance stats

  • Add or remove products

  • Update delivery logic or thresholds as your operations change

Policy logic applies in real time — updates take effect immediately.


Best Practices

  • Use Max Days of Delivery based on realistic fulfillment expectations.

  • Only enable backordering without a PO if you have reliable, responsive suppliers.

  • If you're working with longer lead times or custom orders, consider using separate policies for different categories.


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