Effective marketing is essential to successfully launching a new product in an online business. A "release announcement" is an excellent technique for building customer anticipation and stimulating purchase intent. For Shopify merchants in particular, using an app built for release announcements is a powerful tool for staying competitive.
This article explains in detail how to run release announcements on Shopify, and introduces convenient Shopify apps along with concrete setup steps.
What Is a Release Announcement?
A "release announcement" is a marketing technique in which information about a new product or service is published before its release to build customer anticipation and interest. By announcing the release date and features in advance, you can boost purchase intent and expect increased sales on launch day.
Recommended Shopify Apps for Release Announcements
RuffRuff Selling Periods
RuffRuff Selling Periods is a Shopify app that makes it easy to run release announcements for new products and limited-time sales. It offers fully customizable message designs and supports translation into a variety of languages. It's also the first selling period app in Japan to adopt the Cart and Checkout Validation API, giving it more robust order restrictions than existing selling period apps.
RuffRuff Pre-orders
RuffRuff Pre-orders is a Shopify app that makes it easy to run pre-orders with simple setup. Beyond pre-orders, it can also handle release announcements, limited-time sales, VIP member-only sales, early-bird discounts, deferred payment, purchase limits, and quantity limits, all in a single app.
Differences in Release Announcement Features Between RuffRuff Selling Periods and RuffRuff Pre-orders
What Both Apps Can Do
- Setting the release start time
- Release announcements at the variant level
- Hiding the cart button until release, showing it on release day
- Different messages before and after release (e.g. showing the release date beforehand)
- Blocking orders when a product is unintentionally added to the cart before release
- Release announcements outside the product page, such as on collection pages or search results pages
- Displaying a countdown timer
What Only RuffRuff Selling Periods Can Do
- Customizing the message design
What Only RuffRuff Pre-orders Can Do
- Disabling the cart button until release, then showing it on release day
- Changing the cart button's wording before and after release
- Running early access or early sales for specific members only, e.g. an early sale for VIP members only from one week before release until release day
How to Run a Release Announcement With RuffRuff Selling Periods [Video]
This video shows you how to run a release announcement using RuffRuff Selling Periods. Please use it as a reference as you follow along.
⚠️ This video contains audio. Please be mindful of your volume when playing it.
How to Run a Release Announcement With RuffRuff Selling Periods [Text]
Here we'll walk through the steps from installing the app to running a "release announcement for a product launching on January 1, 2026".
Below is a demo product with these settings applied. Check out how it works.
Prerequisites. Install the App
(1) Install RuffRuff Selling Periods from the Shopify App Store
You can find RuffRuff Selling Periods by searching for "ruffruff" in the Shopify App Store. Alternatively, you can access and install it via the link below.
Install RuffRuff Selling Periods here
Subscribe to an Appropriate Plan
A paid plan is required to use the app.
(1) Select Pricing in the app
(2) Click Change plan for your desired plan
(3) Review the plan details and click Approve
Step 1. Enable the App Embed in Your Shopify Theme
After upgrading your plan, enable the app embed in your Shopify theme. This allows you to control quantity pickers and display product messages.
(1) From the app home, select the theme where you want to enable the app under "Select theme"
(2) Click Access
(3) Select App embeds on the left of the screen
(4) Enable the app embed named "RuffRuff Selling Periods"
(5) Click Save
Step 2. Create a Selling Period Rule
Set up a selling period rule. A selling period rule lets you define "when a specific product should go on sale (and/or when it should stop being sold)".
(1) Select Selling period rules in the app
(2) Click Create rule
(3) Enter a custom name in Title
(4) In the selling period section, enter "2026-01-01 00:00" for Starts at
(5) Add custom product messages and alert messages as needed
(6) Click Save
Step 3. Apply the Selling Period Rule to the Product You Want to Announce
(1) Select Products in the app
(2) From Products, check the products you want to announce
(3) Click Apply rule
(4) From the popup, select the selling period rule you created in Step 2
(5) Click Apply rule
Verify It's Working
Visit a product you've set up for the release announcement, and check that the product message set in the selling period rule is displayed and that the cart button is hidden.
Troubleshooting When Release Announcements Aren't Working in RuffRuff Selling Periods
Issue 1. Not Upgraded to the Light Plan
The app requires a subscription to the Light Plan. This applies to development stores as well.
Issue 2. Checking the Product in "Preview Mode" or the "Theme Editor"
A product preview only reflects the state at the time the preview button was pressed.
For example, if you change a setting in the app after pressing the preview button, that change won't appear on the preview page even after refreshing the browser. In this case, either reopen the preview page or check on the live store.
Issue 3. App Embed Not Enabled
If this is the case, go to the Shopify theme editor, enable the app embed, and check again.
Issue 4. Rule Not Enabled
If this is the case, check the rule's status on the rules screen. If the status is "Disabled", change it to "Enabled" and check again.
Issue 5. Delayed Updates Due to Caching
Shopify's caching can sometimes delay how quickly changes are reflected. In this case, please wait and check again later.
How to Run a Release Announcement With RuffRuff Pre-orders
Here we'll walk through the steps from installing the app to running a "release announcement for a product launching on January 1, 2026".
Below is a demo product with these settings applied. Check out how it works.
Prerequisites. Install the App
(1) Install RuffRuff Pre-orders from the Shopify App Store
You can find RuffRuff Pre-orders by searching for "ruffruff" in the Shopify App Store. Alternatively, you can install it via the URL below.
Install RuffRuff Pre-orders here
Subscribe to a Paid Plan
A paid plan may be required to use the app. Choose an appropriate plan based on your business size and required features.
(1) Open the app and select Pricing from the left menu
(2) Review the terms of service and check "I agree to the terms of service"
(3) Click Change plan for your desired plan
(4) Review the plan details and click Approve
Step 1. Enable the App Embed
First, enable the app embed in the Shopify theme you're using.
(1) Go to Online Store > Themes
(2) Click Customize on the theme you want to add the app to
(3) Click App embeds, shown on the left of the theme customizer
(4) Enable the app embed for "RuffRuff Pre-orders"
(5) Click Save in the upper right of the screen
Step 2. Create a Pre-order Rule
Next, create a pre-order rule. This defines the release date and what message to show before it.
(1) Click "Pre-order rules" in the left menu
(2) From the pre-order rules list page, click Create rule
(3) Set a name of your choice for the rule name
(4) Enter "2026-01-01 0:00" for the start date/time
(5) Also enter "2026-01-01 0:00" for the end date/time
* This setting lets you run the release announcement without incurring a pre-order fee.
(5) Configure the pre-release action, under Action (start date)
For this example, we've configured the following:
- Cart button state: "Disable the cart button"
- Cart button text: "Available January 1, 2026"
- Product message: "This product has not been released yet. It will be available on January 1, 2026."
(6) Configure the post-release action, under Action (out of condition)
For this example, we've configured the following:
- Cart button state: "Show the cart button"
- Product message: (blank)
(7) Optional: Enable robust restriction on the checkout page
With this setting, if a product is unintentionally added to the cart before release, the order can be blocked on the checkout page.
(8) Click Save
Step 3. Apply the Pre-order Rule to the Product You Want to Pre-sell
Apply the pre-order rule you created in Step 2 to the product you want to pre-sell, turning it into a pre-order product.
(1) Click "Pre-order products" in the left menu
(2) From the pre-order products list page, select the product you want to apply the pre-order rule to
(3) Click Apply rule, shown at the bottom of the screen
(4) From the popup, select the pre-order rule you want to apply
(5) Click Apply rule
Verify It's Working
Visit the product you applied the pre-order rule to in Step 4, and check whether the bundling restriction is working as intended.
Visit the product and check that the cart button and product message are displayed as set in the pre-order rule.
Troubleshooting When Release Announcements Aren't Working in RuffRuff Pre-orders
Issue 1. Not Upgraded to a Paid Plan
The app requires a subscription to the Light Plan.
This applies to development stores as well.
Issue 2. Checking the Product in "Preview Mode" or the "Theme Editor"
A product preview only reflects the state at the time the preview button was pressed. For example, if you change a setting in the app after pressing the preview button, that change won't appear on the preview page even after refreshing the browser. In this case, either reopen the preview page or check on the live store.
Issue 3. App Embed Not Enabled
If this is the case, go to the Shopify theme editor, enable the app embed, and check again.
Issue 4. Delayed Updates Due to Caching
Shopify's caching can sometimes delay how quickly changes are reflected. In this case, please wait and check again later.
A Thorough Comparison of Apps for Release Announcements
Comparing Pricing Plans
When choosing a Shopify app for release announcements, the usage fee is an important consideration.
Release announcement apps generally use one of two pricing models: a monthly fee only, or a monthly fee plus usage-based charges. If you want to keep costs down, we recommend RuffRuff Selling Periods. This app is relatively inexpensive and provides the basic features needed to run a release announcement. Also, if you're only running release announcements, RuffRuff Pre-orders doesn't charge a pre-order fee and is available from $9/month. This lets you run release announcements efficiently while keeping your budget in check.
| App Name | RuffRuff Selling Periods | RuffRuff Pre-orders | Reteria Coming Soon | Simple Coming Soon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $9 | ・$9 + 3% pre-order fee ・$52 + 1% pre-order fee ・$199 + no pre-order fee |
$14.99 | $14.99 |
Comparing Ease of Setup
When choosing a Shopify app for release announcements, ease of setup is also an important consideration. Here, we compare how these apps are set up.
Many release announcement apps are designed as an app embed, so you can set them up simply by enabling the app. They don't require specialized knowledge or complex configuration, so you can complete setup quickly and get started with confidence even as a beginner.
| App Name | RuffRuff Selling Periods | RuffRuff Pre-orders | Reteria Coming Soon | Simple Coming Soon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup method | App embed | App embed | App embed | App embed |
| Coding required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
Comparing Release Announcement Features
The most important factor when choosing a release announcement app is comparing its features.
In general, every app can run a release announcement on the product page, but some apps can also set up a release announcement on collection pages and elsewhere in addition to the product page. This increases the chances of customers seeing it, making the release announcement more effective.
Also, to prevent products from being unintentionally ordered before release, it's important to check whether the app supports the "Cart and Checkout Validation API", released in 2024. With an app that supports this API, you can prevent pre-release products from moving forward into the cart or checkout, heading off operational trouble before it happens.
In addition, choosing an app that supports setting a release announcement at the variant level lets you handle things flexibly, for example running a release announcement only for a new color of an apparel product. This makes it possible to fine-tune operations to the needs of each individual product.
| App Name | RuffRuff Selling Periods | RuffRuff Pre-orders | Reteria Coming Soon | Simple Coming Soon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release announcement on the product page | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| Release announcement outside the product page | ◯ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Variant-level setting | ◯ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Bulk setup across multiple products | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| Cart and Checkout Validation API support | ◯ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
Comparing Customizability
How customizable a release announcement app is has a big impact on your brand's identity and the customer experience. It's not an essential feature, but it's an important factor in more effective marketing.
Choosing an app that lets you customize the design, especially colors and fonts, lets you clearly and visually communicate a product's release status (whether it's before or during release). This helps customers intuitively understand a product's status, improving the shopping experience.
Also, choosing an app with multilingual support and translation features lets you operate with a view toward global expansion. Displaying release announcements in the right language for customers overseas lets you smoothly roll out an international sales strategy. This is an especially important feature for stores considering expansion into global markets.
| App Name | RuffRuff Selling Periods | RuffRuff Pre-orders | Reteria Coming Soon | Simple Coming Soon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design customization such as colors | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ☓ |
| Per-product message customization | ◯ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Translation feature | ◯ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
Comparing What Else Each App Can Do Beyond Release Announcements
Running release announcements is a basic feature common to all these apps, but each app differs in its additional capabilities, which are also an important point when choosing.
By weighing your store's scale, the nature of your products, and future expansion plans, and identifying the additional features you need, you can run your store more efficiently.
| App Name | RuffRuff Selling Periods | RuffRuff Pre-orders | Reteria Coming Soon | Simple Coming Soon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limited-time sales | ◯ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Limited-time deals | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Recurring sales | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Recurring discounts | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Pre-orders | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Member-only sales | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Member-only deals | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| VIP member-only deals | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Deferred payment sales | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Sales with a discount | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Sales with a quantity limit | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
| Sales with a bundling restriction | ☓ | ◯ | ☓ | ☓ |
Conclusion
Choosing a release announcement app is an important decision that can significantly affect your business's success. We recommend weighing cost, features, and ease of setup to choose the app that best fits your needs.
In particular, RuffRuff Selling Periods and RuffRuff Pre-orders are both cost-effective options with solid basic features. We recommend starting with a free trial to get a feel for actually using them. Use the setup steps introduced in this article as a reference to efficiently run release announcements for your new products and achieve success.
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