# Ads still running on sold-out products

> Ads keep spending after a product sells out because Meta and Google do not check your Shopify stock. Connect Meta Ads, Google Ads and Shopify to Claude, ask it to match every ad that spent in the last 7 days to its product's stock, and pause the ads pointing at sold-out items. Turn them back on after restock.

Type: Leak (something broke or wastes money)
Run it: Daily
Source: https://gooseworks.ai/playbooks/ads-running-on-sold-out-products

## 1. Connect

Give your AI assistant read-only access to Meta Ads, Google Ads and Shopify.

## 2. Ask

```text
List every ad that spent money in the last 7 days in Meta and Google. For each one, follow its link to the product in Shopify and check stock across every variant. Show me the ads pointing at products that are sold out, or that will sell out within 7 days at the current sales rate. For each, give the spend since it went out of stock.
```

## 3. Act

Pause those ads. Turn them back on when the product is restocked. Ask Claude to re-run this every morning.

## Steps

1. Connect Meta Ads, Google Ads and Shopify read-only, through a Claude connector or MCP server if you use one, or upload ad and inventory CSV exports.
2. Run the prompt to match each ad that spent in the last 7 days to its product's stock across every variant.
3. Check for pre-order products before acting; they may still sell, so only pause those whose cost per sale has clearly risen.
4. Pause the ads on sold-out or nearly sold-out products and note them so you can restart them after restock.
5. Ask Claude to re-run the check every morning.

## What it tends to find

6 ads were still pointing at a sold-out bestseller. $1,400 spent in 5 days, 2 orders. (Illustrative example, not a result from a named store.)

## Watch out

If the product takes pre-orders, it may still sell. Only pause when cost per sale has clearly risen.

## FAQ

### Why do my ads keep running when a product is out of stock?

Ad platforms do not read your store's inventory by default. An ad keeps its budget and keeps sending clicks to the product page until someone pauses it, even when every variant shows sold out.

### Does this work with ChatGPT or other assistants?

Yes. The prompt works in any assistant that can read your ad and Shopify data, whether through a live connection or exported CSV files. ChatGPT, Grok or Muse can run the same match if you give them the same reports.

### Is it safe to give Claude access to my ad account?

Use read-only access. Claude only needs to see ads, spend and links to find the problem. You pause the ads yourself, so nothing changes in your account unless you change it.

### What about products that are only low on stock?

The prompt also flags products likely to sell out within 7 days at the current sales rate. That gives you time to cut budget or restock before the ad starts wasting money.