Description
Visible Stock Threshold lets you control what customers see and can buy:
- Visible stock cap: If real stock is above the threshold, only the threshold amount is shown/purchasable.
- Strict Mode: If real stock ≤ threshold, the product is Out of Stock (not purchasable).
- Multiple levels: Per-product, per-category, role-based, or global default.
- Custom message: “Only {qty} left in stock” (fully editable).
- Secure limits: Frontend input is capped and server-side validations prevent bypassing limits.
- Variation support, i18n-ready, clean code, no templates overridden.
Precedence: Product > Role > Highest Category > Global.
Why this plugin?
Urgency marketing without lying: keep internal buffer stock while honestly limiting visible/purchasable quantity.
Works with
WooCommerce stock-managed products (simple & variations). If stock management is off, plugin stays out of the way.
Screenshots
Settings page under WooCommerce menu 
Product Inventory meta box 
Product Category term field 
Frontend “Only {qty} left” text example
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to
/wp-content/plugins/or install via Plugins Add New. - Activate Visible Stock Threshold.
- Go to WooCommerce Visible Stock Threshold to configure:
- Enable on storefront
- Strict Mode
- Global default threshold
- Availability text (use
{qty}) - Role-based overrides
- (Optional) Set thresholds per Product (Inventory tab) and Product Category.
FAQ
-
Does it change real stock?
-
No. It only changes what’s visible and purchasable to the customer.
-
How does Strict Mode work?
-
If real stock ≤ threshold, the product is Out of Stock. If real stock > threshold, visible/purchasable qty = threshold.
-
Which level wins if multiple thresholds are set?
-
Product > Role override > Highest category threshold > Global default.
-
Does it support variations?
-
Yes—each variation’s stock is treated independently.
-
Is it compatible with backorders?
-
If a product allows backorders (and stock management is enabled), the plugin still enforces the visible cap unless another plugin bypasses WC’s checks. Test your backorder flow.
Reviews
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Contributors & Developers
“Visible Stock Threshold for WooCommerce” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.1.0
- Fix: If no threshold set for new products, QTY shown is wrong and no limit on purchasable quantity.
1.0.0
- Initial public release: visible stock cap, Strict Mode, per-product/category/role/global, server validations, i18n.