How to Add “Made to Order” on Shopify

If you sell handmade products, personalized items, or anything that requires time to create, you’ve probably wondered how to properly add a Made to Order option on Shopify. The problem is simple: normal Shopify products assume you already have inventory in stock. But made-to-order items are created after the customer places an order.

This is exactly where most new sellers feel confused:

“Should I show inventory?”
“Do I need a custom app?”
“How do I let buyers know production takes time?”
“How do I allow orders even when stock is zero?”

The good news?
You don’t need any coding or complicated setup. Shopify already supports made-to-order items natively, and you just need to tweak a few important settings.

This guide will walk you step-by-step through:

How to enable made-to-order behavior
How to show production timelines
How to add customization fields
How to use variants for MTO and ready-made items
How to communicate timelines clearly
Apps you can use for advanced customization
Mistakes to avoid
And real examples from successful MTO stores

Let’s begin.

In this Article

What “Made to Order” Means on Shopify

A “Made to Order” product is something that isn’t ready in your warehouse.
You create it after someone orders it.

Real-world examples:

A handmade ring that takes 5 days to craft
A custom name necklace
A painting that the artist starts only after payment
Furniture made based on customer requirements
A personalized T-shirt or mug
Tailored clothes
Resin art
Home décor items made from scratch

In short:
You don’t have a ready stock. You produce on demand.

So the Shopify product must allow:

Orders with zero stock
Custom messages (like name, size, engraving)
Processing time visibility
Clear communication on when it will ship

Shopify supports all of this — you just need to configure it.

Step 1: Create or Edit Your Product

Start by going to:

Shopify Admin → Products

You can:

Click Add product if you’re creating a new item
Click any existing product if you’re converting it to made-to-order

Name your product, add images, add pricing, and fill in basic details.

But the important part comes next.

Step 2: Change the Inventory Settings (Most Important Step)

The core of made-to-order setup lies inside the inventory section.

Scroll down to Inventory on your product page.

You’ll see options like:

Track quantity
Continue selling when out of stock

Here’s what to do:

A. Enable “Track Quantity”

Turn ON Track quantity.

Why?
Even though you’re not keeping stock, tracking helps you understand demand and avoid overselling during busy seasons.

B. Set the Stock Level (Optional)

You can set your stock to 0 or 1 — it doesn’t really matter.
But for made-to-order items, most sellers set it to 0.

C. Enable “Continue Selling When Out of Stock”

This is the magic switch.

Turn ON:
Continue selling when out of stock

This tells Shopify:

“Let people buy this even if stock is zero because I create it after they order.”

Once this is enabled, your product is now technically “Made to Order.”

Customers will see the normal “Add to Cart” button even when quantity is 0.

Without this, the product would show Sold Out — not what we want.

Step 3: Clearly Mention Processing Time (Avoid Confusion)

Made-to-order products take time.
Customers need to know this before they order.

You should display processing time very clearly.
There are 4 good places to do this.

A. Add a Message in the Product Description

Example text you can copy:

“This is a Made-to-Order product. Production time: 7–10 days before shipping.”

This is the simplest method and works in all Shopify themes.

B. Add a Production Time Badge or Line

Themes like Dawn let you add a text block:

“Made to Order: Ships in 10 Days”
“Handcrafted After Purchase”
“Custom Made • Delivery within 2 weeks”

These small badges build trust and set expectations.

C. Add a Shipping Note Under “Shipping & Delivery”

You can edit shipping profiles to include:

“Production time: 5–12 days”
“Custom items require additional handling”

D. Add a Separate “Made to Order Policy” Page

Create a page:

Online Store → Pages → Add Page

Title: Made to Order Process
Explain:

How long production takes
Whether orders can be cancelled
If customization is allowed
How shipping timelines work

Then link this page in your product description for clarity.

Step 4: Add Personalization Fields (If Needed)

Most made-to-order items require some form of personalization:

Name
Initials
Engraving
Size
Color
Material choice
Custom instructions
Uploaded images

Option 1: Use Shopify’s Default Custom Fields (Free)

Many themes allow a simple custom input field that appears automatically if you enable it.

For example, you can add a box called:

“Enter your name for engraving”

This is stored in the order details.

Option 2: Use Product Personalization Apps

If you want advanced personalization (multiple text boxes, dropdowns, image uploads), you can install apps like:

Infinite Options by ShopPad
Zepto Product Personalizer
Product Options & Customizer
Live Product Options

These apps allow things like:

Color selection
Image uploads
Engraving text
Custom fonts
Personalized previews

For made-to-order stores, these apps boost conversions significantly.

Step 5: Use Variants to Offer Multiple Options

If you sell some ready-made items alongside made-to-order ones, you can use variants.

Example:

Variant 1: Ready to Ship
Variant 2: Made to Order
Variant 3: Personalized

For each variant, you can set:

Different stock
Different pricing
Different processing times
Different “continue selling when out of stock” rules

This gives your customers flexibility.

Step 6: Add Clear and Trust-Building Images

When customers hear “Made to Order,” they want proof that it’s real craftsmanship — not a scam.

Add 3–6 powerful images such as:

Work-in-progress photos
Your workspace
Tools used
Raw materials
Customization examples
Before/after pictures
Video showing the process (optional)

This builds trust and increases conversions.

Stores that show process images often see 20–40% less hesitation from buyers.

Step 7: Add Tags and Organize Your Store

Tags make your product easy to manage.

Add tags like:

made-to-order
custom-made
handmade
personalized
production-required

Then create a collection like:

Made to Order Products

This helps shoppers quickly discover all customizable items.

Step 8: Update Your Store Policies

When selling made-to-order products, normal policies don’t work.

You must update:

Refund policies
Cancellation policies
Processing and shipping timelines
Custom order rules

Example text:

“Made-to-order items are crafted specially for you. Because of this, cancellations are allowed only within 24 hours of purchase.”

This reduces disputes and refunds.

Step 9: Customize Your Confirmation Emails

Once the customer places an order, they should immediately receive a message clarifying production timelines.

You can update it by going to:

Settings → Notifications → Order confirmation

Add something like:

“Thank you for your order! Since this is a Made-to-Order item, production will begin within 24 hours. Estimated completion time: 7–10 days.”

This prevents confusion and keeps customers informed.

Step 10: Test Your Made-to-Order Setup

Before going live, always test everything:

Add product to cart
Checkout
See if “continue selling when out of stock” works
Check if custom fields appear in the order
Confirm email shows your message
Verify product description shows processing time

A quick test can save you from customer complaints.

Advanced: Should You Use a Pre-Order App?

If you want features like:

Pre-order countdowns
Pay later options
Deposit-based ordering
Pre-order badges

Then apps like Pre-Order Manager or Timesact can help.

But for basic made-to-order products, the built-in Shopify settings are usually enough.

Common Mistakes Sellers Make (Avoid These)

Mistake 1: Not Displaying Processing Time Clearly

Customers assume fast delivery unless told otherwise.
Always write your production timeline clearly.

Mistake 2: Forgetting to Enable “Continue Selling When Out of Stock”

If you skip this, your product will show “Sold Out.”

Mistake 3: Not Customizing Email Confirmation

Customers often panic when shipping takes a week.
A clear email reduces support tickets.

Mistake 4: Not Using Proper Images

A made-to-order product needs visual proof of craftsmanship.

Mistake 5: Having Confusing Return Policies

Custom items usually can’t be returned, so you must communicate this upfront.

Real Examples of Successful Made-to-Order Stores (Inspiration)

1. Custom Jewellery Brands

They show:

Raw materials
Handmade craftsmanship
Step-by-step production

This makes customers feel the product is truly exclusive.

2. Furniture Makers

They display:

Wood types
Manufacturing process
Delivery timelines

This reduces price sensitivity.

3. Personalized Gifts Stores

They use:

Custom text boxes
Engraving previews
Multiple font options

This boosts conversions.

4. Clothing Tailors

They allow:

Custom measurements
Size charts
Fabric selection

This gives customers confidence.

You can adapt inspiration from these stores to your Shopify store.

Summary

Selling made-to-order items on Shopify is one of the best ways to offer:

Personalized products
Higher value items
Better profit margins
Unique customer experiences

And the best part?
You don’t need coding or expensive apps to get started.

With the simple steps above, your Shopify store will be fully ready for made-to-order products professional, transparent, and customer-friendly.

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