availability_date

Preorders without an availability_date look like vapourware to channels and users alike. Channels often suppress preorders without dates because user trust signals are too low — buying a "preorder" with no commitment date is risky. With a date set, channels surface the explicit "available from X" messaging that users understand and trust.

The 1-year-in-the-future cap most channels enforce reflects a real-world rule: products with availability dates beyond a year look speculative rather than committed. Real preorders typically have dates within 3-9 months — beyond that, the channel and the user start questioning whether the product is actually coming. Don't try to use availability_date for "we'll launch this someday" — use it for "this launches on specific known date".

The post-launch clean-up: when the availability date passes and the product ships, flip availability to "in stock" and either clear the date or leave it (becomes informational at that point). Most teams clear it because lingering dates clutter the feed. Either way, the transition needs to happen — items showing "available from yesterday" look broken.