Shopify Flow: The Ultimate Guide to Automating Your Store and Boosting Efficiency

Shopify Flow is one of the coolest updates that Shopify rolled out in their Winter ‘25 edition. The aim was to take automation to the next level.

Picture this: when you’re running an online store, it’s not just about selling your products; It’s also about getting a million little things done to make you look like a professional plate spinner. Harried by marketing meetings, panicked by inventory mismanagement, thrilled by processing orders, your to-do list can get out of control in the blink of an eye – just as fast as a Black Friday sale.

That’s where Shopify Flow comes in like a superhero, with an eCommerce cape. It’s like your very own digital assistant, that is dedicated to doing the dreaded and repetitive work that goes along with it while you are off focusing on what’s important (and maybe napping or enjoying an extra espresso).

Not only is Shopify Flow capable of saving the small business starting up, but it can save the seasoned eCommerce tycoon, too. It can automate your operations, increase your efficiency, and help you sleep a little better. For one, that’s because let’s face it, who doesn’t love thinking about putting their store on autopilot?

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about Shopify Flow from top to bottom—what it is, how it works, the benefits of using it, real-life examples, and most importantly how you can leverage it yourself today to make your life (and your business) a lot easier.

Picture a wizard behind the scenes of your Shopify store that casts spells that make things disappear. That’s Shopify Flow, except where the spells are replaced by workflows. Shopify Flow is Shopify’s exclusive automation tool which allows you to handle those pesky, boring tasks that take up all your time and have you thinking maybe you have two jobs.

But what does Shopify Flow actually do? Think of it as a three-part harmony: Triggers, Conditions, and Actions. These three elements work together to automate just about anything in your store. For example:

Simple? Absolutely. Powerful? You bet. This system means you can automate tasks like tagging customers, managing inventory, sending emails, and even connecting multiple apps without lifting a finger. It’s like hiring a 24/7 assistant who never takes coffee breaks.

Let’s say you run a store selling custom sneakers. You want to:

Instead of manually handling all this, Shopify Flow creates workflows that do it for you. You set it up once, and voilà! It’s like teaching your store to run itself.

But wait, there’s more! Shopify Flow isn’t just for Shopify. Additionally, it works perfectly with apps like Klaviyo, Slack, and HubSpot to make your marketing and operational efforts more efficient. This means, that given you can connect to external tools, you are able to make it an automation powerhouse that works for your business.

Shopify Flow is an automation tool, but more than that it is the Swiss Army knife for eCommerce efficiency. Packed full of features from order management to delightful customers, this can easily change the way your store runs. Here’s a closer look at what makes Shopify Flow so powerful:

Workflows are what bring us down to the heart of what is at the center of Shopify Flow: predefined, automated sequences of tasks. Once you have developed a workflow, it will proceed on autopilot saving you precious time and keeping you away from being bothered by repetitive tasks.

Example: You run a skincare store. With Shopify Flow, you can create a workflow to:

Workflows in Shopify Flow are built using these three components:

These building blocks let you create workflows that cater to your store’s unique needs.

Example Workflow: For a high-risk order:

Not sure where to start? Shopify Flow offers pre-built templates for common workflows. Whether it’s tagging VIP customers or automating back-in-stock notifications, you can hit the ground running without building workflows from scratch.

Example Templates Include:

Shopify Flow plays nicely with others. It integrates with popular apps like Klaviyo, Slack, HubSpot, and more, allowing you to connect your workflows to external tools.

Example Integration:

The complexity of running a business grows along with its size. Because Shopify Flow scales with you, you can rest assured your automation will scale right along with your store.

Example for Scaling:

For a growing fashion store, you can create workflows that handle bulk tagging, manage tiered discounts for VIPs, and notify your team about high-value orders—all without lifting a finger.

While automation is great, sometimes you need to take manual control. Shopify Flow allows you to manually trigger workflows for specific tasks, ensuring precision when it matters most​.

Example:

You’ve just launched a flash sale. Manually trigger workflows to notify your team, adjust inventory tags, and segment customers for follow-up emails.

With features like these, Shopify Flow isn’t just a tool—it’s your business’s secret weapon. Next up, let’s explore the Benefits of Using Shopify Flow to see why this automation wizardry is worth the hype! Let me know if you’d like any adjustments here!

So, what’s in it for you? While Shopify Flow may sound like it’s merely about automating tasks, using it is so much more than that. It’s like the nitty-gritty silent hero who does his job by doing all the nitty-gritty stuff so that you can focus on growing your business and finally take that vacation you’ve been meaning to for so long now. Here are the key benefits:

Goodbye to the countless hours spent wasting our time on repetitive tasks. Shopify Flow can help automate these processes and free up your time. It tags customers, handles orders, and emails away.

Example:

Instead of manually tagging customers who spend over $200, Shopify Flow does it instantly. That’s hours of admin work saved every week.

Humans are great, but prone to mistakes when trying to balance multiple things at once. An API will guarantee you consistent, precise workflows, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Example:

An item arrives in your inventory. This is what Shopify Flow is about because Shopify Flow automatically updates your marketing tools and notifies your team – it works even without you having to check each step.

Shopify Flow makes personalization simple. You can fit your workflows to tag VIP customers, send personalized emails, etc. to allow you to ensure that they are experiencing the most unforgettable shopping experience.

Example:

A customer makes their 10th purchase from your store. With Shopify Flow, they receive a personalized thank you email with a discount code so they feel appreciated.

Less delays, and more efficiency with streamlined operations. With Shopify Flow, your team can focus on meaningful work instead of manual tasks.

Example:

Your store runs out of a popular product. Shopify Flow automatically notifies the supplier and updates your website with a “back in stock soon” message.

As your business grows, so does the complexity of managing it. Shopify Flow ensures that your workflows adapt to your expanding operations. This allows you to scale seamlessly.

Example:

A holiday sale generates a surge of orders. Shopify Flow automatically tags and prioritizes orders for faster fulfillment, so you don’t get overwhelmed.

With Shopify Flow, it’s not just about automation within the app itself. Instead, you can create automation workflows that connect with your favorite apps like Klaviyo, HubSpot, and Slack to supercharge your workflow.

Example:

A customer has abandoned their cart. Shopify Flow connects to Klaviyo to trigger a follow-up email including a discount offer to entice them to come back.

Assuming that you automate routine tasks, you will have some time to look at other important things like performance data. This will help you strategize your business better. So with Shopify Flow, you’re freeing up your mental bandwidth for what really matters.

In other words, Shopify Flow brings order out of chaos, provides efficiency out of inefficiency, and converts good businesses into great ones. Next up, we’ll learn How to Set Up Shopify Flow and get you running down the automation highway. If you’re ready to roll, let me know!

As we’ve discussed a lot of interesting and promising things on Shopify Flow, you must be convinced about the magic of Shopify Flow. Now, let’s get your hands dirty (figuratively though) and see the implementation process of Shopify Flow.

Just like a coffee maker, setting up Shopify Flow is easy (once you get it set up right, it’s on autopilot). Here’s how to set up and customize your workflows:

First things first: Shopify Flow is only available for Shopify Plus and Advanced plans. If you’re already on one of these plans, you’re golden. To access Shopify Flow:

Pro Tip: Just to ensure you have quick access to Shopify Flow, you’d want to bookmark Shopify Flow on your browser—you’ll be using it a lot once you realize how powerful it is.

Let’s start with the basics: creating a simple workflow. In Shopify Flow:

Example Workflow: Rewarding Big Spenders

Let’s say you run a premium candle store. You want to send personalized thank-you emails to customers who spend over $100 on one purchase. Here is how you’ll create the workflow:

Before you let your workflow loose in the wild, always test it. Click Test Workflow and run through the steps to ensure everything works as intended. If something looks off, tweak it and run the test again.

Pro Tip: Use sample orders and dummy data during testing to avoid accidental notifications to real customers.

Sometimes, you might need to trigger a workflow manually—like when you’re running a flash sale or need to handle a special order. To do this:

Feeling overwhelmed with all the possibilities? Shopify Flow offers pre-built templates for popular workflows, so you can plug and play.

Examples of Pre-Built Templates:

And just like that, you’re ready to automate like a pro! In the next section, we’ll explore 10 Real-Life Shopify Flow Workflow Examples to inspire your automation game. Let me know if we’re good to proceed!

Shopify Flow is not one of those pretty shiny tools that it’s just a tool to play with, it is a workhorse that can automate just about anything repetitive for you on your store. Now let’s check out 10 real-life examples, to inspire your game and see how Shopify Flow could make these easier, faster, and a delight for your customers.

Why not treat their VIP customers differently than their others? Tag your customers automatically if they spend over a certain amount so you can give the red carpet treatment.

Running out of stock can be a nightmare. Use Shopify Flow to stay ahead of inventory management.

Never lose a sale again. Notify customers as soon as their favorite products are back on the shelves.

Stay ahead of potential fraud by flagging risky orders for manual review.

Personalization is key to effective marketing. Automatically segment customers based on their behavior.

Speed up your refund process and reduce customer frustration.

Keep pre-orders organized and customers informed with automated workflows.

Delight customers with timely follow-ups, whether it’s for reviews or product recommendations.

Reward loyal customers without lifting a finger.

Stay ahead of demand by notifying your suppliers before stock runs out.

Not sure where to start your AI expidition? Here’s a simple rule: you should start by automating tasks that are repetitive, time-consuming, or prone to human error.

Although it’s simple to set up flows with the Shopify Flow platform, some of our clients have found it confusing. They needed experts to do it and we had experts. So, if you need any help in setting up Shopify Flow workflows, feel free to reach out to us at Techtic Solutions. We have Shopify experts that can build the next level of automation for your eCommerce store.