Complete Guide to Shopify Flow : Automating Your Shopify Store in 2025
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Transform your Shopify store in 2025 with our user-friendly guide to Shopify Flow automation. Learn to save hours weekly and grow your business with simple, powerful workflows. Get started today!
What is Shopify Flow?
Shopify Flow is like having a virtual assistant dedicated to streamlining your ecommerce operations. This powerful automation tool handles tedious, repetitive tasks so you can dedicate more time to scaling your business. With no coding required, you simply configure workflows, and Shopify Flow takes care of the rest—seamlessly and efficiently.
The best part? Shopify Flow, once exclusive to Shopify Plus, is now available on Shopify, Advanced, and Plus plans. That means more businesses can automate like pros!
Fun Fact: Shopify Flow processes over a billion automated decisions every month for merchants worldwide!
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How Does Shopify Flow Work?
At its core, Shopify Flow operates on a straightforward principle using three key components:
- Triggers: These are events that initiate a workflow. A trigger could be a customer placing an order, a product’s inventory reaching a certain level, or a specific time and date.
- Conditions: These are rules that determine whether an action should be executed. For example, you might set a condition that an order must be over $200.
- Actions: These are the tasks that are automatically executed when the conditions are met. Actions can include adding tags, sending notifications, or interacting with third-party apps.
Think of it this way: IF (trigger) happens AND (condition) is true, THEN do (action).
a real world example:
Getting Started with Shopify Flow
Step 1: Access Shopify Flow
If you’re on a compatible Shopify plan (Advanced or Plus), you’ll find the Flow app on your dashboard. No separate installation is needed as it’s built directly into Shopify.
Step 2: Choose Your Starting Point
You have two options:
- Use a Template: Shopify Flow offers hundreds of pre-built templates for common workflows. The template library provides numerous examples that demonstrate how to use Flow effectively. This is perfect for beginners or if you need inspiration.
- Create a Custom Workflow: If you have a specific automation in mind, you can build it from scratch using the intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Step 3: Set Your Workflow Components
Whether you’re customizing a template or building from scratch, you’ll need to configure your:
- Trigger: Select what will start your workflow – an order being placed, inventory changes, customer actions, etc.
- Condition: Define when the action should happen – specify the criteria that must be met
- Action: Specify what should happen when conditions are met – from tagging orders to sending notifications
Step 4: Test and Activate
Before going live, test your workflow to ensure it functions as expected. Once you’re satisfied, simply turn it on and let automation work its magic.
New Shopify Flow Features
Shopify continues to evolve Flow with powerful new capabilities:
- Scheduled Workflows
One of the most game-changing additions is the ability to schedule workflows to run at specific times and dates, without needing a commerce event to trigger them.
This means you can:
- Generate daily reports about unfulfilled or draft orders
- Receive daily summaries of low or out-of-stock items
- Schedule automated inventory checks at regular intervals
2. Flow in Admin
With the ability to run Flow automations from the Admin, you can now run workflows retroactively, giving you more flexibility and control over your automations.
3. Code Action Feature
Introduced in Shopify Winter Editions ’24, the Code Action feature allows users to write and execute custom JavaScript within their workflows. This opens up possibilities for solving intricate problems that standard automation might not address.
For example, you could create a custom notification system for special orders like engraved products, including specific details about each order and the items requiring special attention.
Advanced Operations in Shopify Flow
To leverage Shopify Flow’s full potential, familiarize yourself with these advanced operations:
- Time Operation
The Time operation allows you to launch workflows at fixed intervals every day or month. For example, you could send a reminder email every day at 5 PM to review cancelled orders.
- Each Operation
The “Each” operation lets you perform actions over multiple items like “all orders” or “all clients.” When combined with time scheduling, this creates powerful automations. For example, you could retrieve all unfulfilled orders daily at 5 PM and add an “Expedite shipping” tag to each one.
- Count Operation
The Count operation determines how many times a certain event happens. For instance, you can count the number of orders a customer placed in the last day and send an internal email if it’s more than three.
- Sum Operation
The Sum operation adds together items in a list to provide a total value. You might use this to calculate the total price of orders placed by a customer in the past week, and if the amount exceeds $1,000, apply a VIP customer tag.
Best Practices for Shopify Flow Success
To get the most out of your automation efforts, consider these recommendations:
10 Powerful Ways to Use Shopify Flow
Let’s explore real-world applications that can transform your business operations:
1. Order Management Automation
Categorize orders based on shipping method, location, or value. For example, automatically tag orders over $200 as “VIP” for special handling or consolidate multiple orders from the same customer within 24 hours to save on shipping.
- Automatic Order Categorization: Sort orders based on attributes like shipping methods, customer locations, or product types for faster processing.
- Order Fulfillment Notifications: Notify fulfillment teams about high-priority orders to ensure prompt delivery.
- Fraud Detection: Flag high-risk orders for manual review to enhance security and reduce fraud risk.
- Inventory Syncing: Maintain real-time inventory updates across channels to prevent stockouts or overselling.
- Customer Communication: Automate order confirmation emails and tracking updates to improve transparency and trust.
- Smart Order Routing: Route orders to the nearest warehouse or fulfillment center for optimized delivery.
2. Customer Management Automation
Segment customers based on their purchase history, location, or behavior. Organize customers into lifetime spend tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold) to tailor your marketing approach accordingly. This helps identify indicators of high Customer Lifetime Value and low Customer Acquisition Cost cohorts.
Features and Workflows
- Customer Segmentation: Automatically group customers based on purchase behavior, lifetime spend, or attributes for targeted marketing.
- Loyalty Programs: Reward loyal customers with points, discounts, or special offers after milestones like repeat purchases.
- Negative Review Handling: Automate responses to negative reviews by creating support tickets and resolving issues proactively.
- Wishlist Notifications: Notify customers when items on their wishlist go on sale to drive conversions.
- Order Tracking: Tag high-value customers based on order history for loyalty campaigns.
- Educational Discounts: Identify and tag customers eligible for discounts using specific email domains.
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3. Inventory Management Automation
Receive notifications when product inventory falls below a threshold. You can automate reordering processes and even hide products that are out of stock until they’re replenished.
When a product goes below a certain quantity (like 10 items), you can attach a “low quantity” message to the item on your site and send a notification to your fulfillment team. When the last item is purchased, it automatically removes the product from your storefront and republishes it when stock is replenished.
Key Points
Features:
- Real-time stock tracking and updates.
- AI-driven demand forecasting.
- Multi-channel inventory synchronization.
- Automated reordering based on thresholds.
- Barcode scanning for quick inventory updates.
- Detailed reports and analytics.
4. Fraud Prevention Automation
Flag high-risk orders based on specific criteria and hold fulfillment until they’re reviewed. For medium or low-risk orders, Shopify can automatically capture payment (if you have manual payment capturing enabled).
Key Points
Features and Workflows
- Fraud Detection: Automatically flag high-risk orders using Shopify’s fraud analysis tools (e.g., mismatched billing/shipping addresses, multiple payment attempts).
- Automated Actions: Cancel flagged orders, restock inventory, and notify your team for manual review.
- Block Lists: Prevent fraudulent transactions at checkout by maintaining block lists of known fraud sources.
- Geolocation Blocking: Restrict transactions from high-risk regions to reduce fraud exposure.
- Third-Party Integration: Connect Shopify Flow with external fraud prevention tools for enhanced detection and security.
5. Loyalty Program Automation
Reward repeat customers by automatically awarding loyalty points after purchases or sending discount codes after their second order. You can even automate sending handwritten notes after a customer’s second purchase, which has been shown to increase customer retention by 31%.
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- Features:
- Automates enrollment, point tracking, and reward redemption.
- Personalizes rewards based on customer behavior.
- Integrates with CRM and marketing systems.
- Provides real-time analytics for program optimization.
6. Payment Reminder Automation
For subscription-based services or payment plans, automatically send reminders for upcoming or overdue payments without manual intervention.
Key Points
Features and Workflows
- Automate payment reminders at intervals (e.g., 7 days before due, on due date, and after due date).
- Trigger reminders based on events like “Payment schedule is due” or “Payment missed.”
- Include invoices in reminders for streamlined payment collection.
- Automate follow-ups for overdue payments with escalation options if necessary.
- Customize recipients to send reminders to specific contacts.
7. B2B Workflow Automation
Manage complex B2B relationships by automating company account approvals, tagging B2B orders differently from regular orders, and sending specialized invoicing to multiple email addresses.
Features:
- Automates repetitive tasks like client onboarding, invoicing, and approvals.
- Integrates systems for seamless data flow across platforms.
- Provides real-time analytics for performance monitoring.
- Offers customizable workflows to adapt to business needs.
- Ensures security and compliance with data protection regulations.
Workflow automation transforms B2B operations by optimizing processes, reducing costs, and enhancing productivity while ensuring scalability and adaptability in dynamic business environments.
8. Promotional Automation
Identify eligible customers for special promotions based on their purchase history, email domain, or other criteria. For example, you could automatically tag customers with educational email addresses for student discounts.
Key Points
Features and Workflows
- Automated Discounts: Apply discounts or free shipping automatically based on product attributes, customer segments, or cart value.
- Flash Sales: Schedule and manage time-sensitive promotions, including automatic theme changes and pricing updates for limited-time offers.
- Customer Segmentation: Tag and group customers based on purchase behavior, demographics, or spending history to send personalized promotions.
- Loyalty Rewards: Automate loyalty programs by awarding points or adding free gifts to orders after specific purchase milestones.
- Pre-Order Campaigns: Track pre-orders and integrate with email marketing to nurture customer excitement for upcoming product launches.
- Wishlist Notifications: Notify customers when wishlist items go on sale to encourage conversions.
Promotional automation with Shopify Flow helps businesses drive sales, improve efficiency, and deliver personalized shopping experiences.
9. Pre-order Management
Track pre-order purchases automatically in a spreadsheet and send the information to your email marketing app to kick off nurture campaigns for pre-order customers.
Features:
- Tracks pre-order inventory and prevents overselling.
- Automates order processing and customer notifications.
- Provides real-time inventory synchronization across platforms.
- Facilitates centralized order tracking for efficiency.
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Pre-order management is a powerful tool for optimizing inventory, increasing revenue, and building anticipation for new products.
10. Draft Order Notifications
When a draft order is created manually or by a customer via the wholesale channel, notify your customer service team to add shipping fees, review the order, and collect payment.
Key Points
Features and Workflows
- Automatically send email alerts to store owners when a draft order is created, including order details.
- Notify customers with draft order invoices for payment or confirmation.
- Automate follow-up reminders for unconfirmed draft orders at intervals (e.g., 4 and 10 days).
- Cancel unconfirmed draft orders after multiple reminders.
- Send daily Slack notifications summarizing open draft orders.
- Customize triggers to notify specific team members or customers based on conditions like region or customer type.
Automating draft order notifications helps streamline operations, reduce manual effort, and increase sales conversions.
Third-Party Integrations
Shopify Flow becomes even more powerful when integrated with other tools:
🔗 Klaviyo: Send personalized email campaigns, automated follow-ups, and targeted marketing sequences to boost engagement. Learn More
🔗 Slack: Get real-time alerts for new orders, fraud detection, and inventory updates to keep your team informed. Learn More
🔗 Asana: Assign order fulfillment tasks automatically, set deadlines, and track progress seamlessly. Learn More
🔗 Google Sheets: Automatically record and organize pre-orders, sales, customer data, and other crucial insights for easy analysis. Learn More
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If you encounter errors in your workflows, don’t panic. Common issues include:
- Data Not Found: This occurs when an action requires a specific resource that isn’t available. You might need to restructure your workflow using a “For each” action to process lists properly.
- Rate Limiting: If your workflows are processing too much data, Shopify may limit their execution. Simplify your conditions and focus on specific fields rather than checking multiple lists of items.
- Workflow Running Too Long: This often happens with complex data requests. Try to be more specific in your data queries instead of fetching everything.
Workflow Optimization Strategies
Optimization Tips:
- Use scheduled workflows to reduce real-time API requests.
- Combine multiple conditions into one to improve efficiency.
- Regularly audit workflows to remove unnecessary automations.
FAQs About Shopify Flow
Is Shopify Flow available on all Shopify plans?
Sadly, no—it’s only for Shopify Plus merchants. But if you’re growing fast, it might be worth the upgrade just for this feature alone.
Do I need coding knowledge to use Shopify Flow?
Not at all! I’m terrible at coding, and I use it daily. The visual builder is super intuitive.
Can Shopify Flow integrate with other apps?
Absolutely! It works with tons of third-party apps to extend what you can automate.
What are the most common uses for Shopify Flow?
From what I’ve seen, customer segmentation, inventory management, order processing, and fraud prevention top the list.
Can I create workflows for marketing automation?
You bet! Tag customers, trigger email campaigns, create segments—it’s a marketer’s dream tool.1
Final Thoughts
Shopify Flow isn’t just another app—it’s a game-changer for ecommerce automation. By setting up simple workflows, you can:
✅ Save hours of manual work.
✅ Reduce errors and improve efficiency.
✅ Enhance customer experience with automated personalization.
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