For sneaker and streetwear shops
How to create a sneaker releases waitlist
You post the release on Instagram, and the comments and DMs become the list. Bots hit the Shopify form the second it opens. Someone gets three pairs in three sizes under three emails. By the time you sort it out, real customers have given up.
The drop goes live and the DMs are unreadable in four minutes. 6 steps, about five minutes, or one click with the recipe below.
Step by step
Set up the AJ1 Chicago restock 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 "AJ1 Chicago restock". It starts as a draft, so nothing is public until you publish.
Set capacity to 300 in total
In Settings, set the capacity to 300 in total. When the 300th person joins, the form reads as full and says so.
Set the opening hours
Under Hours, set signups to open Sat, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Outside those hours the form shows a closed screen with the next opening time, in the joiner's time zone.
Add the form fields
Email is built in. On the Form tab, add Name (required), US size (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 "Claim a spot".
Or do it in one click
Use the recipe
The "AJ1 Chicago restock" 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
AJ1 Chicago restock
- 300 total
- Sat 10 AM–2 PM
- 4 fields
- 300 pairs total. The form reads as full at 300.
- The list opens Saturday at 10:00 AM and closes at 2:00 PM.
- Before Saturday, visitors see the exact opening time instead of a form.
- Asks for name, US size, and a one-per-person checkbox.
- The count is shown so people see how fast it is moving.
After you publish
How the list runs
Open at drop time
Opening hours for Saturday only, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Before that, the closed state shows the time.
Cap at 300
The 301st person sees full. Not a form that keeps taking names.
Size per entry
A dropdown for US size. Export by size to pull stock before Saturday.
Bots get nothing
Captcha, honeypot, timing check, and per-IP limits. Scripts get a fake success and no entry.
One per email
Dedupe by email. A second submit returns the same position, not a second pair.
Pull the list
CSV in position order with size, or a webhook per entry into your POS on Pro.
FAQ
Questions people here ask
Is this a raffle?
No. It is first come, first served, with a hard cap. For a raffle, leave the cap off and draw from the export.
Can they pay for the pair in the form?
No. Unwaited does not take payments. Charge at the counter or send checkout links in position order.
Can I stop one person taking several sizes?
Dedupe is by email. Add a phone field and the checkbox above, then remove duplicates in the export before release.
Related
Keep reading
- FeatureOpening hoursWaitlist opening hours, including overnight windows
- 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.
- AlternativeCalendly for class and session bookings alternativeThe meeting scheduler, used for classes and sessions through group event types on paid plans.
Five minutes by hand, or one click.
Free for 100 signups a month. Unlimited waitlists. Every setting above stays editable.
Create this waitlist