Settings hub
Open Inline messages → Settings to configure message types and selection behavior. Changes recalculate activity and refresh product metafields when you save.
Message types
Toggle which activity types can appear on product pages:
- Purchases: order-based counts from Shopify webhooks
- Views: tracked via the Recently web pixel
- Add to cart: tracked via the Recently web pixel
- Low stock: inventory-based urgency when stock falls below a threshold
For Low stock, set the threshold (default: 5 units). The message appears when inventory is at or below that number.
Selection modes
Selection mode controls how Recently picks which message to show and which time windows qualify. Three modes are available:
Automatic
Automatic is the default. Recently applies built-in minimums for each activity type and time window. A message is published only when the product’s count in that window is at least the number below. You do not set the minimums yourself.
| Window | Purchases | Views | Add to cart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| 3 hours | 3 | 12 | 4 |
| 6 hours | 3 | 18 | 5 |
| 12 hours | 4 | 25 | 6 |
| 24 hours | 5 | 35 | 8 |
| 3 days | 7 | 55 | 12 |
| 7 days | 10 | 90 | 18 |
Example: 4 purchases in the last 24 hours stays hidden, because Automatic requires 5 in that window. The same 4 purchases can still qualify for a shorter window if that window’s minimum is met, such as 3 purchases in the last 6 hours. Recently then uses the shortest qualifying window.
Low stock is separate from these windows. With the default threshold of 5, “Only 3 left in stock” appears when inventory is from 1 up to 5. Zero stock does not show a low-stock line.
Guided
Pick a store volume preset and Recently swaps the whole minimum table. Typical uses the Automatic numbers above. Low lowers them for smaller catalogues. High raises them so busy stores keep short, fresh windows instead of very large stale counts.
Manual
Full control per message type:
- Enable or disable each time window (1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h, 3d, 7d)
- Set minimum counts required to show a message
- Optional max displayed count cap (e.g. show “100+” instead of the exact number)
Hard floors prevent unrealistically low thresholds:
- Purchases: minimum 2
- Views: minimum 5
- Add to cart: minimum 3
Time windows
Available rolling windows for purchase and view messages:
| Window | Label shown to shoppers |
|---|---|
| 1 hour | in the last hour |
| 3 hours | in the last 3 hours |
| 6 hours | in the last 6 hours |
| 12 hours | in the last 12 hours |
| 24 hours | in the last 24 hours |
| 3 days | in the last 3 days |
| 7 days | in the last 7 days |
Recently prefers the shortest qualified window: fresher messages feel more relevant than older aggregates.
Message copy
Inline message wording is built into Recently and localized automatically. Unlike popup templates, inline copy is not editable in the admin. You control which messages appear, not the exact sentence structure.
When nothing shows
If a product has not reached the minimum for any enabled type, the live product page renders nothing. That is intentional: a line such as “1 person viewed this” on a quiet product reads as weak proof. In Automatic mode, wait for real activity or switch to Guided Low. Manual mode can go lower, but not under the hard floors.
The theme editor does not follow those minimums. It always shows the fixed placeholder sentence so the block can be styled before any product qualifies. Shoppers never see that placeholder.
Related
- Inline overview
- Install: theme block placement