# How to Handle Product Stock and Availability > Show whether the buyer can order the size and scent they chose. If it is sold out, stop the purchase for that version and offer a useful next step, such as another size, a real restock notification, or a different product. Keep stock counts accurate across every place you sell. - Type: Merchant guide - Level: Intermediate - Reading time: About 4 minutes - Audience: Written for store owners, builders, and designers refining high-performance ecommerce stores. - Last updated: 2026-11-04 - Canonical page: https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/how-to-handle-product-stock-and-availability/ - Part of: [Merchant Questions](https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/) on ZenBasket Academy --- ## What you need to know ### Should you show “low stock” or an exact quantity? Only show a scarcity message when it reflects real stock. “Only one left” may help a buyer plan, but it is misleading if the count is stale or deliberately invented. If you also sell at a market or in a shop as well as online, use an exact count only when sales in both places update it reliably. A buyer usually needs to know if the product can be ordered now. They do not need to know how many other items you have stored. ### Should a sold-out page stay visible? It can, if the page still helps shoppers. You may keep a sold-out product page to show its details, offer other options, or collect requests to hear when it returns. Do not leave an active “Add to cart” button on an item you cannot send. If the product is gone permanently, update the page or direct visitors to a relevant alternative. Also check links from collections, search and promotions. ### When does a restock notification help? Offer one when you expect to restock the item and can actually send a message when it is ready. Explain that signing up asks for a notification, not a reserved item. Give people a way to manage those messages according to the rules that apply. Do not promise a date if the next batch has not been planned. ### How do you prevent overselling? Record stock changes when an order is placed, canceled, returned, or sold at a market. If you also sell at a market, test the last-item case: after recording a market sale, can someone online still buy that same item? If the systems do not share updates, use a deliberate manual routine and you may hold some stock back. Check the selected version, not just the overall product. You could have small items left while the large ones are gone. --- ## Frequently asked questions ### Should I remove every out-of-stock product? No. Keep it visible when the page gives a useful alternative or truthful restock path. Remove or revise promotions that imply it can be bought now. ### Can physical and online stores share stock? Yes, if the counts are updated reliably after sales in both places. If they cannot be synchronized, keep separate quantities or a dependable process to prevent double-selling. ## Related articles - **How to Show Product Options and Variants** - **How to Sell Online and In Store** - **How to Use Related Product Recommendations** - [ZenBasket Build Guide](https://help.getzenbasket.com/zenbasket-builder/)