Losing $30K Annually? Configure Odoo 18 Website Inventory Defaults
By Braincuber Team
Published on December 20, 2025
Customer orders product from your website. Inventory shows 0 units. Order goes through anyway. Your warehouse gets notification. Product out of stock. You email customer: "Sorry, item unavailable. Refund processing." Customer posts negative review: "Sold me something they don't have. Waste of time."
Last quarter: 47 orders for out-of-stock items. Each one: $28 avg refund fee + $12 payment processing cost + 15 minutes customer service time = $58 per incident. Total cost: $2,726 quarterly = $10,904/year. Plus the reputation damage: 23 negative reviews mentioning "oversold items."
Opposite problem: Product has 2 units left. Website doesn't show it. Customers think you have plenty. No urgency. They browse competitor sites first. By the time they come back, item sold out. You lose 18 sales monthly because customers didn't know stock was low.
Odoo 18 website inventory defaults fix both problems. Configure once: Show real-time stock counts, disable checkout when out of stock, display "Only 3 left" warnings. No more overselling, no more missed urgency sales. Here's how to set it up so you stop losing $10K/year to inventory display issues.
You're Losing Money If:
What Odoo 18 Inventory Defaults Do
Control how stock availability appears on your website. Prevent checkout when out of stock, show "Only X left" warnings, allow backorders, display real-time quantities. All automatic, synced with inventory module.
| Feature | Without Config | With Inventory Defaults |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-stock ordering | Customers can order (overselling) | Checkout disabled automatically |
| Stock visibility | Hidden (no urgency) | "Only 3 left" shown |
| Backorder handling | Manual configuration per product | Global setting + per-product override |
| Real-time sync | Manual updates | Automatic with inventory |
Prerequisites
- Odoo 18 with Website/eCommerce module
- Inventory module installed and configured
- Products with stock quantities set
- Published website with online shop
Step 1: Access Inventory Defaults Settings
- Go to Website → Configuration → Settings
- Scroll to Shop – Products section
- Find Inventory Defaults field
Step 2: Configure Global Settings
Three main options control inventory display across entire website.
Option 1: Continue Selling (Out-of-Stock Handling)
Checkbox: "Continue Selling"
☐ Unchecked (Recommended for most):
- When stock = 0, "Add to Cart" button disappears
- Customers cannot order out-of-stock items
- Prevents overselling
- Product page shows "Out of Stock" message
☑ Checked (For backorders/preorders):
- Customers can still order when stock = 0
- "Add to Cart" button stays visible
- Useful for made-to-order products
- Backend creates backorder for fulfillment
Option 2: Show Available Quantity
Checkbox: "Show Available Qty"
When enabled, displays real-time stock count on product page.
- Example display: "23 units available"
- Updates live: Syncs with inventory module
- Works with threshold: Show only when stock low
Option 3: Stock Threshold
Field: "Threshold" (number)
Only show quantity when stock drops below this number.
Example Configuration:
- ☑ Show Available Qty: Checked
- Threshold: 10
Result: When stock ≤ 10, shows "7 units available." When stock > 10, quantity hidden.
Recommended Configuration
Best Practice Setup:
- ☐ Continue Selling: Unchecked (prevent overselling)
- ☑ Show Available Qty: Checked (create urgency)
- Threshold: 10 units (show stock when running low)
This combination prevents overselling while creating urgency for low-stock items.
Step 3: Per-Product Override
Override global settings for specific products (e.g., limited editions).
- Go to Sales → Products
- Open product (e.g., "Limited Edition Watch")
- Click Sales tab
- Find "Show Available Qty on Website" section
- Configure:
- ☑ Show Available Qty: Checked
- Threshold: 5 (lower than global 10)
- Save
Result: This product shows stock count when ≤ 5 units, even if global threshold is 10.
Use Case 1: Prevent Overselling
Problem
Product has 0 stock. Customers can still order. Creates 47 refunds quarterly.
Solution
Website Settings:
☐ Continue Selling: UNCHECKED
Result:
- Stock = 0 → "Add to Cart" button hidden
- Shows "Out of Stock" message
- Customers cannot place orderCustomer View
Product Page Shows:
Premium Wireless Headphones
Out of Stock
Use Case 2: Create Urgency
Problem
Product has 3 units left. Customers don't know. No urgency. Browse competitors. Item sells out.
Solution
Website Settings:
☑ Show Available Qty: CHECKED
Threshold: 10
Result:
- Stock ≤ 10 → Shows "3 units available"
- Creates urgency
- Customers order fasterCustomer View
Product Page Shows:
Gaming Keyboard Pro
⚠️ Only 3 units available!
Use Case 3: Backorder/Preorder Products
Problem
New product launches next month. Want to accept preorders now. Stock = 0 but need to sell.
Solution
Per-Product Setting (override global):
☑ Continue Selling: CHECKED
Result:
- Stock = 0 but "Add to Cart" still visible
- Backend creates backorder
- Customer charged now, ships when availableHow Settings Sync with Inventory
Real-time synchronization between inventory and website:
Automatic Updates:
- Order placed on website → Inventory decreases by ordered quantity
- Warehouse receives stock → Inventory increases → Website reflects new stock
- Product reaches threshold → "Only X left" message appears automatically
- Stock hits zero → "Add to Cart" disappears (if Continue Selling unchecked)
Real-World Impact Example
Scenario: Electronics Retailer (200 Products Online)
Before Inventory Defaults:
- Oversold orders: 47/quarter @ $58 each = $2,726/quarter
- Missed urgency sales: 18/month × $85 avg order = $1,530/month lost
- Negative reviews: 23/quarter mentioning overselling
- Customer service time: 11.8 hours/quarter @ $28/hour = $330
- Total quarterly cost: $7,646 = $30,584/year
After Implementing Inventory Defaults:
- Oversold orders: 2/quarter (99% reduction) = $116
- Urgency sales: 14 additional/month × $85 = $1,190/month gained
- Negative reviews: 1/quarter about stock
- Customer service time: 0.5 hours/quarter = $14
- Quarterly cost: $130 + Revenue gain: $3,570
Impact: $7,516 saved + $3,570 gained = $11,086 quarterly improvement
Annual impact: $44,344
Common Mistakes
1. Leaving "Continue Selling" Enabled Globally
All products allow backorders. Customer orders out-of-stock item, doesn't know it's backordered, angry when it doesn't ship.
Fix: Disable globally, enable only for specific preorder/made-to-order products.
2. Threshold Too High
Threshold = 100. Website shows "97 units available." No urgency created. Defeats purpose.
Fix: Threshold should be 5-15 units depending on product velocity.
3. Hiding Stock Completely
"Show Available Qty" unchecked for all products. Customers can't gauge urgency. Cart abandonment higher.
Fix: Enable for fast-moving, limited-stock items to drive conversions.
4. Not Testing
Configured settings but never checked customer view. Settings don't work as expected.
Fix: Browse your own shop. Set product to 0 stock. Verify "Add to Cart" behavior.
Quick Implementation Checklist
- Access settings: Website → Configuration → Settings → Inventory Defaults
- Disable Continue Selling (prevent overselling)
- Enable Show Available Qty
- Set threshold: 10 units (show stock when low)
- Save settings
- Test with 0-stock product: Verify "Add to Cart" disabled
- Test with low-stock product: Verify quantity shows when ≤ threshold
- Configure preorder products: Enable Continue Selling per-product
- Monitor for 1 week: Check for oversold orders
- Adjust threshold based on sales velocity
Urgency Tip: For limited edition items, set threshold = 20 and add custom text: "Limited stock - only [X] remaining!" Use urgency without lying about scarcity.
Losing $30K Annually to Overselling + Missed Urgency Sales?
We configure Odoo website inventory defaults to prevent out-of-stock orders, create urgency with smart thresholds, optimize conversion rates. Stop bleeding money to poor stock visibility.