On The Oblist vendor dashboard this is controlled with inventory mode (stockMode), not a separate Shopify metafield editor.
1. What made-to-order means on the platform
Use This item is made to order when:
Each purchase triggers production, finishing, or procurement before you can ship.
You cannot honestly sell from a fixed on-hand quantity the way you would for ready-to-ship stock.
The catalogue still stores minimum and maximum delivery time (weeks) so buyers and internal tools (for example shipping on orders) can use realistic lead times.
2. Where to set it (new or existing product)
Sign in at https://pro.oblist.com.
Products → Add product (manual) or Products → Edit on an existing listing.
Open the Price & Inventory card.
Under How do you manage inventory?*, choose:
I manage a fixed stock quantity — normal stock model, or
This item is made to order — made-to-order model
Scroll to Shipping Details (same product form) and set Min Delivery Time (weeks)* and Max Delivery Time (weeks)*.
Minimum choices are 1–14 weeks.
Maximum choices are 1–15 weeks.
Always keep max ≥ min. The manual “Add product” flow rejects a max lower than min on submit—double-check before saving on Edit as well.
Save as draft or Send for review (new products) / Save (edits), following your usual curation flow.
3. Vintage vs new
Vintage Item: the dashboard forces inventory mode back to fixed stock and disables the This item is made to order option. One-of-a-kind vintage pieces should stay on fixed stock (often quantity 1).
New Item: you may select made-to-order when it reflects how you actually fulfil.
4. What changes in the form when MTO is on
Quantity and Allow purchase when out of stock only apply in fixed mode. In made-to-order mode you are not maintaining a sellable unit count the same way.
If you use variants with Manage quantities for this variation, that toggle is turned off for made-to-order (per-variation quantities are a fixed-stock concept).
In the vendor Products list, MTO lines show Made to order instead of a numeric “available qty” style label.
5. Returns (Accept Return)
New Item + fixed stock: the dashboard locks Accept Return to Yes and explains the EU 14-day withdrawal rule for standard in-stock products.
New Item + made-to-order: Accept Return stays editable (Yes/No) where allowed—set it to match your real policy and what you agreed with The Oblist. If you are unsure what you can select for your category or market, ask vendors@oblist.com before promising buyers.
6. Shopify-linked products
If the product is connected to your Shopify store, Made to Order (∞) may correspond to continue selling when out of stock style behaviour on the Shopify side; the Shopify Sync hub can show a short note when that applies. You can still open Manage product and adjust How do you manage inventory? and delivery weeks on Oblist if something looks wrong after sync.
7. Good practices
Set max delivery weeks with a realistic buffer (material delays, holidays, kiln or workshop queues).
State lead times and customization limits clearly in the description so curation and support see the same story as buyers.
After switching an approved listing to or from MTO, expect the usual review rules for significant catalogue changes.
For shipping implications once orders arrive (estimates, production vs in-stock in the same parcel), follow the Shipping section on the order when the platform offers it.
8. Need help?
vendors@oblist.com — include product name or ID and whether the piece is truly produced after order.