# Installation - Preorderline 1.x documentation

> Install Preorderline from WordPress.org and put your first product on pre-order in a few minutes.

Preorderline is free and listed on WordPress.org, so you can install it straight from your dashboard.

## Install the plugin

1. Make sure WooCommerce is installed and active. Preorderline won't activate without it.
2. Go to **Plugins → Add New Plugin** and search for **Preorderline**.
3. Click **Install Now** on "Preorderline – Pre-Orders for WooCommerce", then **Activate**.

If you have the zip file instead, use **Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin**, choose the file, then **Install Now** and **Activate**.

Nothing changes on your store yet: products only take pre-orders once you switch it on for them.

## Your first pre-order product

1. Go to **Products** and edit the product that isn't released yet, or add a new one.
2. In the **Product data** box, open the **Pre-order** tab.
3. Set **Pre-orders** to **Not released yet**.
4. Set the **Release date** if you know it. It's optional: without one, shoppers see that the product is available for pre-order, without a date.
5. Click **Update**.

![The Pre-order tab of a product](https://storage.extendiment.com/media/1012/screenshot-4.png)

Open the product page on your store. The button now says **Pre-order now**, and the stock line says when it ships.

![A product page taking pre-orders](https://storage.extendiment.com/media/1013/screenshot-1.png)

> [!TIP]
> The product doesn't need any stock. Pre-orders are sold like backorders, so a product with 0 in stock can still be pre-ordered, and its stock goes below zero by the number of units you owe.

## Check the store-wide texts

Go to **WooCommerce → Settings → Products → Pre-orders** to change the button text and the availability texts. See **What shoppers see**.

## What's next

- **Taking pre-orders** explains the Pre-order tab in full.
- **Pre-ordered orders** describes what happens to an order once it's placed.
- **Releasing pre-orders** covers shipping them when the product arrives.

Source: https://extendiment.com/plugins/preorderline/docs/1.x/installation