How to automate order processing with Shopify Flow

How to Automate Order Processing with Shopify Flow

Shopify Flow is a visual automation builder for Shopify merchants. As of April 2026, it is available on Shopify ($79/month), Advanced ($299/month), and Shopify Plus ($2,300/month) plans. Flow automates order processing, inventory management, customer tagging, and fraud review.

Step 1: Access Shopify Flow

In Shopify Admin, go to Apps > Shopify Flow. Click "Create workflow" to start from scratch or browse templates for common automation patterns.

Step 2: Order Processing Triggers

• Order created — When a new order is placed
• Order paid — When payment is confirmed
• Order fulfilled — When the order is shipped
• Order cancelled — When an order is cancelled or refunded
• Order risk analyzed — After Shopify's fraud detection runs

Step 3: Add Conditions

Conditions filter which orders the automation applies to:

• Order total greater than / less than a threshold
• Customer has/does not have a specific tag
• Product type or collection matches a value
• Shipping country or region
• Payment method

Step 4: Define Actions

• Add order tag — Tag for internal tracking (e.g., "high-value," "review-needed")
• Add customer tag — Segment customers for marketing
• Send internal notification — Email or Slack alerts to the team
• Hide/publish product — Auto-hide out-of-stock items
• Create draft order — Generate follow-up or subscription orders

Practical Example: Fraud and VIP Routing

Workflow 1: High-Risk Order Review

1. Trigger: Order risk analyzed
2. Condition: Risk level is "High"
3. Actions: Tag order "fraud-review," send Slack notification to #orders, add internal note "Manual review required before fulfillment"

Workflow 2: VIP Customer Handling

1. Trigger: Order created
2. Condition: Customer total spent > $1,000
3. Actions: Tag customer "VIP," tag order "priority-fulfillment," send email to fulfillment team "Priority order — ship within 24 hours"

Workflow 3: Inventory Alert

1. Trigger: Order created
2. Condition: Product inventory quantity < 10
3. Actions: Send email to purchasing team with product name and current stock level, tag product "low-stock"

Extending with Third-Party Apps

Shopify Flow integrates with third-party apps installed from the Shopify App Store:

• Klaviyo: Trigger email flows based on Flow conditions
• Gorgias: Auto-create support tickets for specific order issues
• ShipStation: Route orders to different fulfillment providers
• Loyalty programs: Award points based on order value or product type

Limits

Shopify Flow processes workflows within seconds of the trigger event. There are no published execution limits as of April 2026, but workflows that run on every order in high-volume stores should be kept efficient to avoid processing delays.