For drops and presales
How to create a drops and releases waitlist
Prints, small-batch hot sauce, a limited run of anything. A Shopify signup form takes 2,000 names for 500 units, then you spend launch week disappointing 1,500 people. The Instagram comments fill with people asking if they got one, and you do not know either.
A presale list that over-collects is a refund list. 6 steps, about five minutes, or one click with the recipe below.
Step by step
Set up the Vol. 3 release yourself
These are the exact values the recipe applies. Change any of them to match your line.
Create the waitlist
Sign in, click New waitlist, and name it "Vol. 3 release". It starts as a draft, so nothing is public until you publish.
Set capacity to 500 in total
In Settings, set the capacity to 500 in total. When the 500th person joins, the form reads as full and says so.
Leave the hours open
Under Hours, leave the schedule off so people can join at any time. You can pause the list by hand whenever you need to.
Add the form fields
Email is built in. On the Form tab, add Edition (required), Terms (required). Labels and help text render as plain text.
Show the counter
In Settings, turn on the counter so the form shows how many spots are left. People join faster when they can see the number.
Publish and share
Click Publish. The Share tab has the hosted link, a QR code, and the script tag or iframe for your site. The submit button reads "Reserve a spot".
Or do it in one click
Use the recipe
The "Vol. 3 release" recipe creates the waitlist with every step above already done. Sign in, click once, and it is live as a draft you can publish.
Recipe
Vol. 3 release
- 500 total
- Open any time
- 3 fields
- 500 spots total. The 501st person sees the full message.
- No opening hours. Open the list when you announce and pause it when you ship.
- Asks for edition and a terms checkbox (one per person).
- The count is shown on the form as it climbs.
- Fans see their position on the success screen.
After you publish
How the list runs
Hard capacity
Set 500. The 501st person sees "full", not a form that pretends.
A count that climbs
"498 of 500 spots taken" on the form. Nothing sells urgency like the truth.
Position numbers
"You're #212." Screenshotted and shared, which is the point.
Ask for a variant
A dropdown for edition or size, a checkbox for terms, a text field for the shipping country.
Push to your tools
On Pro, a signed webhook per signup into Shopify Flow, Klaviyo, Airtable, or a script.
Export for fulfilment
CSV with position, email, and every field, in order.
FAQ
Questions people here ask
Can I take payment?
No. Use the position list to send checkout links in order from your store.
Can people join twice with different emails?
Yes, with different emails. Dedupe is by email address. Add a phone field if you want a second signal.
Can I open the list at a fixed time?
Yes. Set a one-off open and close time for the drop, or opening hours for the drop day. Before that, visitors see when it opens.
Related
Keep reading
- FeaturePosition numbersWaitlist position numbers that never collide
- For your businessThe waitlist app for gyms, studios, and class schedulesTwenty spots in the 6:00 AM class, forty across the week, registration that opens the evening before.
- AlternativeTally alternativeA polished free form builder with unlimited submissions, payments, and integrations.
Five minutes by hand, or one click.
Free for 100 signups a month. Unlimited waitlists. Every setting above stays editable.
Create this waitlist