Discover how I leverage Shopify Flow to streamline operations, save time, and boost my store’s efficiency.
As a Shopify merchant, I know firsthand the constant juggle of managing products, fulfilling orders, engaging with customers, and, of course, marketing my brand.
It’s a lot to handle, and for a long time, I found myself spending countless hours on repetitive, manual tasks that, while necessary, took away from the strategic work I truly enjoyed.
I was always looking for ways to reclaim my time and scale my efforts without hiring a massive team.
That’s when I discovered Shopify Flow, and it truly became my secret weapon for automating many of my marketing tasks.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the day-to-day grind, or simply want to make your marketing more consistent and effective, then you’re in the right place.
In this article, I’m going to share my journey with Shopify Flow, explain what it is, and walk you through some of the most impactful ways I use it to automate my marketing efforts.
First, let’s talk about why automation, especially in marketing, is so crucial for any growing e-commerce business.
For me, the biggest benefit is the immense amount of time it saves. Instead of manually tagging customers or sending follow-up reminders, Flow handles it instantly.
This frees me up to focus on higher-level strategies, like product development, content creation, or exploring new marketing channels.
Automation also drastically reduces the potential for human error. When tasks are performed manually, mistakes are inevitable, whether it’s a missed tag or an incorrect customer segment.
Flow ensures consistency. Every time a specific condition is met, the exact same action is performed, guaranteeing a uniform customer experience and reliable data.
It also allows for incredible scalability. As my store grows and order volume increases, Flow effortlessly handles the increased workload without me needing to dedicate more manual hours.
So, what exactly is Shopify Flow? At its core, it’s a powerful automation tool built directly into your Shopify admin.
It allows you to create custom workflows that respond to events in your store, performing actions based on specific conditions you define.
Think of it as a ‘if this, then that’ system for your e-commerce business. You set a ‘trigger’ (an event that happens), then define ‘conditions’ (rules that must be met), and finally, specify ‘actions’ (what Flow should do).
The beauty of Flow is its visual workflow builder. You can drag and drop elements to construct complex automations without needing any coding knowledge whatsoever.
And here’s the best part: Shopify Flow is available on all Shopify plans, from Basic Shopify all the way up to Shopify Plus, making it accessible to almost every merchant.
Getting started with Flow is straightforward. You can find it under the ‘Apps’ section in your Shopify admin. Once you open it, you’ll see a dashboard where you can create new workflows or manage existing ones.
When I create a new workflow, I always start by identifying the specific problem I want to solve or the task I want to automate.
Then, I think about the trigger – what event in my store will kick off this automation? Is it an order being paid, a customer being created, or inventory levels changing?
Next, I consider the conditions. Do I want this automation to apply to all customers, or only those who spent a certain amount, or purchased a specific product?
Finally, I define the actions. What do I want Flow to do? Add a tag, send an internal notification, or perhaps update a customer profile?
Let me share some of the most impactful marketing automation use cases I’ve implemented using Shopify Flow.
One of my favorite uses is customer segmentation. I automatically tag customers based on their purchase behavior, which then feeds into my email marketing campaigns.
For example, I have a workflow that triggers when an ‘Order is paid’. The condition is ‘Customer’s total spend is greater than $500’. The action is ‘Add customer tag: VIP’.
This ‘VIP’ tag then allows my email marketing app to send exclusive offers or early access to new products only to these high-value customers.
Similarly, I tag customers who make their first purchase with ‘First-Time Buyer’. After their second purchase, Flow automatically removes the ‘First-Time Buyer’ tag and adds ‘Returning Customer’.
This helps me tailor my post-purchase communication, ensuring first-time buyers receive welcome sequences while returning customers get loyalty-focused messages.
Another powerful automation involves inventory management, specifically for marketing purposes. When a popular product goes out of stock, I want to know so I can adjust my ad spend or notify customers.
I have a workflow that triggers when ‘Inventory quantity changes’. The condition is ‘Product variant inventory quantity is less than 5’. The action is ‘Send internal email to marketing team: [Product Name] is low stock!’.
This proactive alert allows my team to either push sales on remaining stock or prepare for a restock announcement, preventing lost sales.
I also use Flow to enhance my loyalty and retention efforts. For instance, when a customer places their fifth order, I want to acknowledge their loyalty.
My workflow triggers on ‘Order paid’. The condition is ‘Customer’s total orders count is equal to 5’. The action is ‘Add customer tag: 5th Order Milestone’.
This tag then triggers an automation in my loyalty app to automatically award bonus points or send a personalized thank-you email with a special discount code.
For product launches, I use Flow to automatically categorize new items. When a ‘Product is created’, I have a condition that checks if the product title contains ‘New Collection’.
If it does, Flow automatically adds the tag ‘New Arrival’ to the product. This tag then populates a ‘New Arrivals’ collection on my storefront and can be used to segment email lists for launch announcements.
I even use Flow to streamline aspects of customer service that impact marketing. For example, after an order is fulfilled, I want to encourage reviews.
My workflow triggers on ‘Order fulfilled’. The condition is ‘Order is not a test order’. The action is ‘Create a task in my project management app: Send review request for Order #[Order Number]’.
This ensures that every eligible customer receives a review request, boosting my social proof and providing valuable feedback.
Let’s walk through a simple, yet effective, workflow example step-by-step: Automatically tagging customers who purchase a specific product.
First, I’d click ‘Create workflow’ in Shopify Flow.
Then, I’d select ‘Order paid’ as my trigger. This means the automation will run every time a customer successfully pays for an order.
Next, I’d add a ‘Condition’ block. I’d choose ‘Order’ and then ‘Line items’. Within line items, I’d specify ‘Product title contains [Specific Product Name]’ (e.g., ‘Luxury Candle Set’).
Finally, I’d add an ‘Action’ block. I’d choose ‘Customer’ and then ‘Add customer tags’. I’d type in ‘Luxury Buyer’ as the tag.
Now, every time someone buys my ‘Luxury Candle Set’, they’ll automatically be tagged as a ‘Luxury Buyer’. I can then use this tag in my email marketing platform to send them targeted promotions for other luxury items.
When building workflows, I always start simple and then iterate. Don’t try to automate everything at once.
Test your workflows thoroughly before setting them live. Use test orders or dummy customers to ensure they behave exactly as you expect.
Give your workflows descriptive names so you can easily understand their purpose at a glance.
Remember that Flow works best when combined with other apps. It’s not an email marketing platform itself, but it’s fantastic at feeding data to your email app, loyalty app, or review app.
Regularly review your active workflows. Business needs change, and you might find opportunities to optimize or create new automations.
While Shopify Flow is incredibly powerful, it’s important to understand its limitations. It’s not a full-fledged CRM, nor does it send emails directly.
Its strength lies in its ability to connect different parts of your Shopify ecosystem and trigger actions based on your store’s data.
What do you think about this article? Have you used Shopify Flow for your marketing automation, or are you planning to start?
For me, Shopify Flow has been a game-changer. It has transformed how I approach marketing, allowing me to be more strategic and less bogged down by manual tasks.
It’s an indispensable tool for any Shopify merchant looking to scale their business efficiently and effectively.
I highly encourage you to explore Shopify Flow in your admin. Start with one simple automation, and I promise you’ll quickly see the immense value it brings to your business.
Embrace automation, and watch your marketing efforts become more powerful and less time-consuming.
