Shopify Flow is a low-code automation platform that helps you automate business processes via drag and drop directly inside the Shopify admin. (Kinda like a Zapier or N8N directly built into Shopify)
You can automate common workflows like low-stock alerts, internal notifications, order prioritization, adding a free welcome gift, or fraud prevention. (For example, holding high-value orders or flagging customers who place multiple orders in a short time.)
Shopify Flow is also not limited to just internal store processes. It can handle customer-facing actions too. For example, you can automatically send a thank-you email after receiving a positive customer review. It allows you to automate workflows across almost every area of your Shopify store.
How to get started
To use Shopify Flow, you first need to install the Shopify Flow app, which is free and built by Shopify.
After installing it, you can create a new workflow either by browsing existing templates or by creating a new workflow from scratch.
Building Workflows
Shopify Flow workflows are built using three core components: Triggers, Conditions, and Actions. Each plays a specific role in how automation works.
Triggers
A trigger is what starts a workflow. It defines when Shopify Flow should run.
Examples:
When an order is created
When a product’s inventory level changes
When a customer is created
Once the trigger event happens, Shopify Flow begins executing the workflow.
Conditions
Conditions allow you to add rules or logic to your workflow. They decide whether the workflow should continue or stop based on specific criteria.
Examples:
Continue only if the order value is above a certain amount
Continue only if the customer is tagged as “VIP”
Continue only if the product is out of stock
Conditions help you control which situations the automation applies to.
Actions
Actions define what happens. This is the actual task Shopify Flow performs.
Examples:
Add a tag to an order or customer
Change the fulfillment or order status
Send a notification to Slack or another connected app
Actions help automate the actual work.
Testing & Debugging Shopify Flows
If something isn’t working in your workflow, Shopify Flow makes it easy to debug the issue.
You can open the "Recent runs" section of your workflow to see a detailed view of each run.
This view shows all the blocks in the workflow and the data that passed through them. By inspecting this, you can quickly identify which step failed and what caused the workflow to break.
After fixing an issue, Shopify Flow allows you to rerun the workflow using the exact same data from the previous run.
This means you don’t always need to place a new test order or similar just to confirm your changes.
Shopify Flow Examples
To get more familiar with Shopify Flow, here are some real-word examples.
Example 1 - Fraud Prevention System
Triggered on every new order.
If the order value is above 5,000, it sends a Slack message with the order link and key context — including whether the customer’s past orders were fully paid, partially paid, or refunded — so the team can react fast and make better decisions.
Order Created Trigger
The workflow starts whenever a new order is placed.
Condition (Order Amount Check)
The workflow checks if the order total is greater than 5000. This ensures that only high-value orders are reviewed.
Slack Notification Action
If the condition is met, a message is sent to Slack containing the order link and key order details.
Customer Payment Status Insight
The notification also includes information about the customer’s previous orders, such as whether they were fully paid, partially paid, or refunded. This gives the team useful context before taking action.
If you want to see this workflow built step by step, watch the full video here:
Example 2 - Adding a Free Welcome Gift
This workflow automatically adds a free product as a welcome gift to an order when a customer make their first purchase.
Order Created Trigger
The workflow starts whenever a new order is placed in the store.
Condition – First Order Check
The workflow checks whether the customer’s total number of orders is equal to one. This confirms that the order is coming from a first-time customer.
Admin API Requests – Add Product and Apply Discount
Shopify Flow uses the Admin API to make changes to the neworder. (Add the welcome gift and apply the discount)
If you want to see this workflow built step by step, watch the full video here:
Final Thoughts
Shopify Flow lets you automate repetitive tasks that teams usually handle manually — saving time, reducing mistakes, and often a lot of money for merchants.
That makes it a valuable and sellable skill.
If you want to learn how to package, pitch, and sell automations like this to clients, keep an eye on our Shopify Developer Bootcamp.