Hacking Shopify: Show Stock Limitations Only When Necessary

Last weekend, while sipping on a mediocre cup of coffee—which was, unfortunately, reminiscent of something brewed using last Tuesday's dishwater—a curious thought meandered its way into our collective minds: What if we could design a shopping experience that was just a touch more intuitive, without cluttering our product pages with stock numbers that scream "limited supply!" when no one's actually listening?

Imagine this. You're cruising through a quaint online store, hunting for that perfect ceramic pourer. You’re entranced by its elegant curves and earthy tones—yes, these are pourers we're talking about, not fine wine—and you decide to plop a few into your cart. But wait! A gentle nudge informs you that only a couple are left, sparing you the disappointment at checkout. What witchcraft is this? More importantly, how can we conjure this same magic for your Shopify store? Spoiler alert: it involves a sprinkling of JavaScript and a dash of theme customization. Grab your wand—I mean, cup of coffee—and let’s dive in.

The Curious Case of Hidden Stock

Back in the early days, when we first dabbled in e-commerce, mindlessly throwing items into a cart without a care for quantity seemed innocent enough—until you faced the dreaded “insufficient stock” notification. Unceremoniously ripped from shopping bliss to stock anxiety. Who needs that vibe? What if we could create a system that only politely informs customers when their shopping ambitions exceed reality?

Let's take a page from Jono Smart’s magical website—they've got the right idea. You don’t see any stock numbers until you cross the line. It’s elegant, considerate, and oh, quite doable with Shopify. Here’s how you can perform this mystical transformation on your site.

Weaving the Spell: Shopify Theme Customization

At the heart of this transformation is a little dance with code. Don’t worry if you’re not a seasoned sorcerer in JavaScript. You’ll see—it’s more craft than chaos.

Step 1: Dive into the Theme Files

Start by heading over to your Shopify admin. From there, you’ll navigate to Online Store > Themes and hit that delicious “Customize” button. We’re entering the sanctum of your store's layout.

Step 2: Unveil Your Code Editor

Edit Code is your quest marker—click it. Here lies access to every snazzy detail of your site's appearance. Be careful not to upset the balance—save often, like you’re in an adventure game with no auto-save.

Step 3: The JavaScript incantation

This is where it gets juicy. Find the file usually named product-template.liquid or something evocative of product offerings. JavaScript is our tool of choice. Here’s the enchantment you’ll weave:

document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
    const productForm = document.querySelector('form[action="/cart/add"]');
    if (!productForm) return;
    
    productForm.addEventListener('submit', function(event) {
        event.preventDefault();

        let requestedQuantity = parseInt(document.querySelector('input[name="quantity"]').value);
        let availableQuantity = parseInt(productForm.dataset.inventoryQuantity);

        if(requestedQuantity > availableQuantity) {
            alert(`Only ${availableQuantity} items are available!`);
        } else {
            productForm.submit();
        }
    });
});

This little snippet does the hard work of comparing the requested quantity to what's available. If anyone gets greedy, it lets them down gently—no ugly surprises at checkout.

Step 4: Customize the Data Attribute

One last bit of business involves ensuring your product form gets fed the right data. In your Liquid file where the product is drawn, you’ll want something like this in your form tag:

<form action="/cart/add" method="post" data-inventory-quantity="{{ product.available }}" >

Simple as pie—not the mile-high apple variety, though it does serve a similar satisfaction.

Testing the Magic

Before we unceremoniously share our genie with the world, let's give it a thorough test. Enter different quantities, push its limits. Try to break—constructively, of course—what you’ve just created. It's oddly satisfying.

Looking back at our journey, it's fascinating how just a sprinkle of JavaScript wizardry can enhance customer experience, floating stock availability gracefully into view only when necessary. It’s like adding an unspoken nicety to the digital shopping dance, leading your customers with courteous cues.

And while not every potion is perfect from the start, this one, dear friends, strikes a cheerful balance between transparency and intrigue—the hidden stock number reveal. Go forth, customize, and let your brilliance shine in your Shopify store. But if you see us later, unrefined latte in hand, troubleshooting a new enchantment, wave a friendly hello. Happy coding!