Keep the page, say plainly that it is unavailable, and give the visitor something to do: a notification when it returns, an alternative, or a date. Deleting or hiding the page discards a visitor who was ready to buy and whatever search standing the page had accumulated.

Why the page should stay

A product page that has been indexed and receives search traffic is an asset. Removing it because the item is temporarily unavailable throws that away and it has to be rebuilt when the stock returns.

It also produces an error for anyone arriving from a search result, a bookmark, or a link, which is a worse experience than an honest out-of-stock message.

The exception is a product genuinely discontinued forever, which is a different situation handled differently below.

What the page should say

That it is unavailable, clearly

Near the top, where the price and the buy button were. Not a small note at the bottom that people find after trying to add it to the basket.

When it is expected back, if you know

A date, even approximate, converts a dead end into a wait. Expected mid-March is far better than currently unavailable.

Where you genuinely do not know, saying so is better than silence, since the visitor is otherwise guessing.

A way to be told

A notify-me field is the single most valuable element on an out-of-stock page. It converts a lost sale into a contact and a sale later, and the people who use it are demonstrably interested.

Alternatives

Similar products, prominently. Some visitors will take a substitute and none of them will search your site for one unprompted.

The rest of the page, unchanged

Description, specifications, and photographs all stay. That is what the search traffic arrived for, and removing it makes the page useless to anyone researching.

What not to do

That last one is worth checking on any store where stock is managed manually, since it is the most common cause of an abandoned order that was not the customer's decision.

Ordering within categories

Out-of-stock products should sit at the bottom of a category rather than the top.

Many platforms sort by default in a way that leaves unavailable items in place, and a category whose first four products cannot be bought reads as a store that is not operating.

Keeping them visible but last is the right balance: findable for anyone who wants that specific item, out of the way for anyone browsing.

Permanently discontinued products

A different decision, and redirecting is usually right.

Redirect to the closest replacement product where one exists, since a visitor looking for the old model generally wants the new one. Redirect to the category where there is no direct replacement.

Where the page has genuine search traffic and there is no replacement at all, keeping it with a clear note that the product is discontinued, and links to alternatives, serves the visitor better than a redirect that drops them somewhere unexpected.

What to avoid is redirecting many discontinued products to the homepage, which is a pattern that helps nobody and loses whatever relevance each page had.

Seasonal items

Products unavailable for part of the year should be handled as out of stock rather than removed, since the page accumulates standing across seasons.

Saying available from October is more useful than currently unavailable, and it turns the page into something that still works out of season by setting an expectation.

This is the case where the notify-me field earns most, since the visitor knows they are early and is happy to be reminded.

The notification, done properly

Two things determine whether it works.

Sending it promptly, since a back-in-stock message a week late reaches somebody who bought elsewhere. And sending it to everybody who asked, rather than in batches, unless stock is genuinely limited, in which case saying so is fair.

Those addresses also need handling properly: collected for a stated purpose, and not added to a general marketing list without consent, which is a distinction worth respecting for both compliance and goodwill.

Done well, the notify-me list on a popular seasonal item is one of the more valuable small lists a store holds, because everybody on it has already chosen the product, which is a stronger position than any description can create, as covered in writing product descriptions that do a job.

Frequently asked questions

Should I delete an out-of-stock product page?

No. It produces errors for anyone arriving from a search result or bookmark, and it discards whatever search standing the page had, which then has to be rebuilt.

What should an out-of-stock page say?

That it is unavailable, near the top where the buy button was; when it is expected back if you know; a notify-me field; alternatives; and the rest of the page unchanged.

What is the most valuable element?

A notify-me field. It converts a lost sale into a contact and a sale later, and the people who use it have already chosen the product.

Where should out-of-stock items sit in a category?

At the bottom. A category whose first four products cannot be bought reads as a store that is not operating, but they should stay findable for anyone wanting that item.

What about permanently discontinued products?

Redirect to the closest replacement, or to the category where there is none. Avoid redirecting many discontinued pages to the homepage, which helps nobody.

How should seasonal items be handled?

As out of stock rather than removed, with a note such as available from October. The page accumulates standing across seasons and the notify-me list earns most here.

West Coast Media Solutions Inc. provides web design, web development, hosting, digital marketing, and business consulting to organisations across Canada, drawing on more than twenty-five years in the field.

Store deleting pages every time something sells out?

We set up proper out-of-stock handling with notifications, so the traffic keeps arriving and the interest gets captured.

Start a Conversation