Dibs

Documentation

Dibs notifies waiting shoppers the moment their exact variant is back in stock — verified against live inventory at send time. This guide covers setup, sender options, smart send, SMS alerts, Klaviyo sync, migrations, and how to read the delivery numbers.

Quick start

  1. Install Dibs from the Shopify App Store.
  2. In your Shopify admin, open Online Store, then Themes, then Customize. On the product template, add the “Notify me” app block and drag it next to your Add to Cart button. Save.
  3. Done. The block renders only when the selected variant is sold out. Shoppers who subscribe are alerted automatically when stock returns — no further setup needed.

The app can deep-link you straight into the theme editor with the block pre-targeted — look for the setup banner on first open.

Sender options

Dibs sends from one of two configurations:

  • Shared branded domain (default, all plans): alerts send from our warmed, SPF/DKIM/DMARC-aligned sending domain with your store name as the sender and your address as reply-to. Works instantly, no DNS changes, and passes the Gmail/Yahoo DMARC enforcement rules that land generic shared senders in spam.
  • Your own domain (Pro and Max): send from yourstore.com directly. The in-app wizard gives you 3 DNS records to add at your domain host; we poll and verify automatically, then flip sending over. Best-possible deliverability and full brand alignment.

Double opt-in

A pure back-in-stock notice is transactional, so single opt-in is sufficient in most jurisdictions — it's the default. If you prefer confirmed consent (recommended for merchants targeting Germany and other strict-GDPR markets), toggle double opt-in in Settings (Pro and Max): shoppers get a confirmation email and only join the waitlist once they click it. Unconfirmed signups are purged after 72 hours.

Smart send

Smart send releases alerts in stock-sized waves instead of blasting the whole waitlist at once. Wave sizes are based on your measured sell-through for that variant, so a 10-unit restock never sends 100 shoppers to a sold-out page — the next wave only goes out while stock remains. It's on by default on Pro and Max; you can toggle it in Settings.

SMS alerts

On the Max plan, South African stores can send SMS alerts alongside email. Enable SMS in Settings; the widget then shows an optional phone field, and shoppers who enter their number opt in to SMS. Each SMS costs $0.03 and appears on your Shopify invoice as a usage charge. Shoppers can opt out at any time by replying STOP.

Klaviyo sync

On Pro and Max, Dibs streams events into your Klaviyo account. Paste your Klaviyo private API key in Settings and two events start flowing: Dibs: Back in Stock Request when a shopper subscribes, and Dibs: Back in Stock Alert Sent when an alert goes out — ready to use in Klaviyo flows and segments.

CSV import (migrating from another app)

Moving from Appikon, Swym, or any other back-in-stock app? Export your waitlist there and import it here — Settings, then Import. The format:

  • One header row, then one row per subscriber. Columns: email, variant_id, subscribed_at.
  • email — the shopper's email address (required).
  • variant_id — the Shopify variant ID, either numeric (44012345678901) or gid form (gid://shopify/ProductVariant/44012345678901) (required).
  • subscribed_at — optional ISO date (2026-05-14 or full timestamp). Defaults to the import date if omitted.

Rows with unknown variants or invalid emails are skipped and reported back to you — nothing partial or silent. Only import lists you have valid consent to contact.

CSV export

Your subscriber list is yours. Export it any time as CSV from the app — same columns as the import format, plus status and notification timestamps. The export is formatted for direct import into Klaviyo or Mailchimp.

What the delivery numbers mean

Every restock alert shows four counts:

  • Queued: subscribers matched to the restock and scheduled for sending, after the live inventory re-check passed.
  • Sent: the email was handed to the recipient's mail server.
  • Delivered: the recipient's mail server confirmed acceptance — the strongest signal short of an open that the alert landed.
  • Bounced: the address rejected the message (mailbox full, address no longer exists). Hard bounces are suppressed from future sends automatically.

A typical healthy restock reads like “847 queued · 847 sent · 831 delivered · 12 bounced”. If those numbers ever diverge badly, you'll see it immediately — that visibility is the point.

FAQ

Why does variant-level tracking matter? Most apps track at the product level, so when any variant restocks, everyone waiting on the product gets emailed — including the shopper who wanted the size you didn't restock. That's the single biggest source of angry shoppers in this category. Dibs subscribes shoppers to the exact variant, and only that variant's return triggers their alert.

How does multi-location triggering work? We track inventory per location and trigger on the aggregate available across your active locations — the same availability your product page shows. A restock at any warehouse fires correctly; stock moving between two locations never produces a false alert.

Why are alerts verified at send time? A restock can sell out again in minutes — or an inventory adjustment can look like a restock without being one. Before any alert goes out, we re-check live Shopify inventory (tracking status, oversell policy, aggregate stock). If the variant isn't genuinely available, nothing sends. No “it's back!” emails for sold-out products.

Will my alerts land in spam? Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo enforce DMARC alignment — mail from misaligned shared senders goes to spam. Dibs's shared domain is fully SPF/DKIM/DMARC-aligned with your store name as the sender, and Pro and Max let you send from your own domain with DKIM for full alignment. Every email carries a one-click unsubscribe link, which the mailbox providers also require.

What happens to my data on uninstall? We stop all sending immediately. About 48 hours later Shopify sends the redact webhook and all your shop's data — including every subscriber — is permanently purged within 30 days. Export your CSV before uninstalling if you want to keep the list.

I have a question that's not here. Email info@askmario.co.za — we usually reply within a business day.