> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vortexiq.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # On-Backorder Products, WooCommerce > On-Backorder Products. Counts products currently set to a backorder stock status, sellable but not in stock. How to read it, why it matters, and how to act on it. **Card class:** [Non-Hero](/nerve-centre/overview#card-classes-explained) • **Category:** [Ecommerce Platform](/nerve-centre/connectors#connectors-by-type) > On-Backorder Products for the selected period. ## At a glance > The count of products whose stock status is `onbackorder`, items customers can still buy even though stock has run out, with the order fulfilled when supply returns. A healthy backorder count signals demand outpacing supply; a creeping one signals a fulfilment promise the store may struggle to keep. | | | | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **What it counts** | `COUNT(products WHERE stock_status = 'onbackorder')`. A product lands here when its quantity has hit or passed zero and its backorder setting allows continued purchase. | | **REST API endpoint** | `GET /wp-json/wc/v3/products?stock_status=onbackorder`. Each product exposes `stock_status` (`instock`, `outofstock`, `onbackorder`), `stock_quantity`, `manage_stock`, and `backorders` (`no`, `notify`, `yes`). | | **How a product becomes `onbackorder`** | WooCommerce derives `stock_status = onbackorder` when `manage_stock` is on, `stock_quantity` is at or below zero, and the product's **Backorders** setting is `notify` (allow, tell the customer) or `yes` (allow silently). With `backorders = no`, a zero-stock product becomes `outofstock` instead. | | **`notify` vs `yes`** | `notify` shows a "available on backorder" message at checkout; `yes` allows the purchase with no message. Both produce `stock_status = onbackorder` and both count here. Only the customer-facing messaging differs. | | **Variations** | Stock status applies at the variation level for variable products. A variable product counts as on-backorder if the relevant variation is `onbackorder`; the card reflects the product-level stock status the REST API reports. | | **Self-hosted vs managed-Woo** | Identical on self-hosted LAMP, WordPress.com, and managed-Woo (Woo.com Cloud, WP Engine, Pressable, Kinsta). Inventory-sync plugins (ERP connectors, supplier feeds) can flip backorder status in bulk, see FAQs. Self-hosted hosts add sync-lag risk during outages. | | **Time window** | `RT` (real-time snapshot of the current catalogue state) | | **Alert trigger** | None. This is a state-count card, not a threshold card. | | **Roles** | owner, operations | ## Calculation Calculated automatically from your WooCommerce data. See the At a glance summary above for what the metric tracks and the worked example below for a typical reading. ## Worked example A UK furniture brand on self-hosted WooCommerce 8.7 with the Stripe Gateway plugin and an ERP-driven inventory feed. The catalogue was reviewed on 20 Jun 26 (the real-time snapshot date). | Product | `manage_stock` | `stock_quantity` | `backorders` | Resulting `stock_status` | Counts here? | | --------------------------- | -------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------ | ------------ | | "Oak Dining Table" | yes | -3 | `notify` | `onbackorder` | Yes | | "Velvet Armchair" | yes | 0 | `yes` | `onbackorder` | Yes | | "Linen Sofa" | yes | 0 | `no` | `outofstock` | No | | "Ceramic Lamp" | yes | 12 | `notify` | `instock` | No | | "Walnut Shelf" | no | (not tracked) | (n/a) | `instock` | No | | ...plus 6 more on backorder | yes | \<= 0 | `notify` / `yes` | `onbackorder` | Yes | The card reads **8** on-backorder products. Four things to notice: 1. **Backorder is a choice, not an error.** "Oak Dining Table" sits at -3 because the brand allows backorders with `notify`, so three customers bought it after stock hit zero and will be told it ships when supply returns. That is intentional. The card is a watch-list, not an alarm, which is why it carries no alert threshold. 2. **`no` versus `notify`/`yes` is the deciding setting.** "Linen Sofa" hit zero stock too, but its Backorders setting is `no`, so WooCommerce marked it `outofstock` instead and it does not count here. It shows up in [Out-of-Stock Products](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/out-of-stock-products) instead. The same zero-stock condition routes to two different cards depending on one product setting. 3. **Untracked products never appear.** "Walnut Shelf" has `manage_stock = no`, so WooCommerce treats it as always in stock and never assigns a backorder status. If your store does not manage stock at the product level, this card stays empty regardless of real-world availability. 4. **A creeping count is a fulfilment promise to watch.** Eight backordered SKUs is fine if supply is days away. It becomes a customer-experience risk if those backorders stretch into weeks, customers paid expecting delivery. Pair with [Low-Stock Products](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/low-stock-products) to see what is about to tip into backorder next, and [Out-of-Stock Products](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/out-of-stock-products) for the items you chose not to keep selling. ## Sibling cards merchants should reference together | Card | Why pair it with On-Backorder Products | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [WC Out-of-Stock Products](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/out-of-stock-products) | The same zero-stock condition with `backorders = no`. Read together to see which zero-stock SKUs you kept selling and which you pulled. | | [WC Low-Stock Products](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/low-stock-products) | The leading indicator. Low-stock items are the ones about to tip into backorder or out-of-stock next. | | [WC Stock Value Snapshot](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/stock-value-snapshot) | The inventory value picture. Backorders represent revenue already committed against stock you do not yet hold. | | [WC Total Products](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/total-products) | The catalogue denominator. Eight backorders in a 50-product catalogue is a different story from eight in 5,000. | | [WC OOS Spike Alert](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/oos-spike-alert) | The alert companion. A backorder pile that flips to out-of-stock can trigger this. | | [WC Draft Products >30d Old](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/draft-products-30d-old) | The other side of catalogue health: drafts are invisible, backorders are visible but unfulfillable. Read together for a full catalogue-state picture. | ## Reconciling against WooCommerce **Where to look in WooCommerce Admin:** [WP Admin > Products > All Products](/wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=product) and use the **Filter by stock status** dropdown (or the "On backorder" stock filter) above the product table. WooCommerce also surfaces low and out-of-stock items under [WP Admin > WooCommerce > Reports > Stock > Low in stock](/wp-admin/admin.php?page=wc-reports\&tab=stock\&report=low_in_stock), but the cleanest backorder-specific view is the Products list filtered by stock status. Other WP Admin views that look related but are not: * **Reports > Stock > Out of stock**: lists `outofstock` products, the ones with `backorders = no`. A different set from this card. * **Products list "Stock" column**: shows the quantity number but not the derived status; a -3 quantity reads as on-backorder only if the Backorders setting allows it. * **Inventory-management plugin dashboards (ATUM, etc.)**: define backorder differently and may include items WC marks `outofstock`. **Why our number may legitimately differ from WP Admin:** | Reason | Direction of divergence | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | **Setting-driven routing**. A zero-stock product with `backorders = no` is `outofstock`, not `onbackorder`. If a setting was just changed, WP Admin and this card can briefly disagree until the next sync. | Either; self-resolves at next sync | | **Variation-level status**. A variable product's backorder status depends on its variations. WC's product-list filter and the REST API can summarise variation status differently. | Variable; check the variation-level stock | | **Untracked products**. Products with `manage_stock = no` are always `instock` and never appear here, even if physically unavailable. A merchant tracking stock in a spreadsheet rather than WC will see a mismatch. | Ours lower than physical reality | | **Time-zone and refresh**. This card is a real-time snapshot but refreshes on the standard interval; a status changed seconds ago may not yet show. | Ours briefly stale; self-resolves at next refresh | | **Inventory-sync plugins**. ERP connectors and supplier feeds can flip stock status in bulk between refreshes. Mid-sync, the count can move quickly. | Either; settles once the feed completes | | **Self-hosted server uptime**. An outage during the indexer poll delays catalogue changes by up to 24 hours. Managed hosts are steadier. | Ours temporarily stale; self-resolves at next sync | The Products list filtered by the on-backorder stock status is the apples-to-apples comparison. Differences almost always trace back to a product whose Backorders setting routes it to `outofstock` instead. ## Known limitations / merchant FAQs **What is the difference between on-backorder and out-of-stock?** Both mean stock has reached zero. The difference is the product's **Backorders** setting. With `notify` or `yes`, WooCommerce keeps the product buyable and marks it `onbackorder` (this card). With `no`, WooCommerce stops sales and marks it `outofstock` (the [Out-of-Stock Products](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/out-of-stock-products) card). Same physical condition, two different merchant decisions. **What is the difference between `notify` and `yes`?** Both allow the purchase and both produce `stock_status = onbackorder`, so both count here. `notify` shows the customer an "available on backorder" message at checkout; `yes` allows the purchase silently with no message. The choice is purely about how transparent you are with the customer about the delay. **Why does a product with zero stock not show here?** Most likely its Backorders setting is `no`, so WooCommerce routed it to `outofstock` instead. Less commonly, `manage_stock` is off, in which case WC treats the product as always in stock and never assigns a backorder status. Check both settings on the product's Inventory tab. **Does this count variations?** Stock status is set per variation on variable products. The card reflects the product-level stock status the REST API reports, which is on-backorder when the relevant variation is on-backorder. If you sell many variable products, audit at the variation level too, a parent can read as in-stock while a specific colour or size is on backorder. **My inventory plugin shows a different count, why?** Inventory-management plugins (ATUM, WooCommerce Stock Manager) sometimes define backorder differently or aggregate variation status their own way. They can also include items WC marks `outofstock`. The Vortex IQ engine reads WooCommerce's own `stock_status` field via the REST API, so it matches core WC, not the plugin's interpretation. **Why is there no alert on this card?** Backorders are usually a deliberate choice (demand outpacing supply), so a count by itself is not a problem to alarm on. The risk is duration: backorders that stretch for weeks. Watch the trend rather than the snapshot, and use [Low-Stock Products](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/woocommerce/low-stock-products) for early warning of what is about to tip into backorder. You can set your own threshold in the Sensitivity tab if your business needs one. *** ### Tracked live in Vortex IQ Nerve Centre *On-Backorder Products* is one of hundreds of KPI pulses Vortex IQ tracks across WooCommerce and 70+ other ecommerce connectors. Nerve Centre runs the detection layer; Vortex Mind investigates the cause when something moves; Ask Viq lets you interrogate any number in plain English. [Start for free](https://app.vortexiq.ai/login) or [book a demo](https://www.vortexiq.ai/contact-us) to see this metric running on your own data.