Reviewed November 11, 2026

Shopify Flow: The Five Automations to Build First

Shopify Flow is the automation app Shopify builds and gives away. It is free on the Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus plans, and it used to be Plus-only, which is why most stores still think they cannot use it. Every workflow has three parts: a trigger, a condition, and an action. The automations to build first, in order, are tagging, low-stock alerts, fraud holds, VIP routing, and win-back. Tags come first because the other four workflows can branch on them. Low-stock alerts and fraud holds come next because each one catches a problem while there is still time to act. VIP routing and win-back come last because they depend on the customer data the first three put in place. The template library has hundreds of examples in 13 categories, and Sidekick can draft a workflow from a plain-English description. Nearly half of the Flows created in the first quarter of 2026 were built that way.

What it is, and what it costs

Shopify Flow is the ecommerce automation app Shopify builds and gives away. It is a free app on the Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus plans, and you install it from the Shopify App Store. It was previously available only to Shopify Plus merchants, which is why most stores still think they cannot use it, but it is now accessible on all plans except Shopify Starter. Most features are available across all plans, with three gates: Grow, Advanced, and Plus stores can use the Send HTTP Request action, Plus stores can use tasks created by custom partner apps, and each store gets Flow usage limits that follow the API limits of its plan. Flow is only available in English. In the stores that use it well, it is usually installed and barely used at first: a couple of templates someone switched on once, while staff still tag orders and check stock by hand. The fix is to build the five workflows that pay off first, and to build them in the order that makes each one useful to the next.

The five workflows, in order

Tags come first, because the other four workflows can branch on them. Flow has add and remove tag actions for customers, orders, draft orders, and products. For customers, start from the templates Shopify lists for its Add customer tags action: organize customers by lifetime spend tiers, organize customers by order count tiers, and track and reward customers based on lifetime spend. For orders, tag first-time buyers when the customer order count is 1, tag VIP customers when the amount spent is above your threshold, and tag by category purchased when a line item's product type matches. Low-stock alerts come second. The trigger is a variant's inventory quantity changing, the condition checks whether stock just crossed your threshold, and the action messages whoever reorders. Store a reorder point on each product or variant in a metafield and compare stock against it, using a code step if the condition editor cannot reference the metafield directly, so a fast seller and a slow seller do not share the same trigger level. Add a condition that the product is not already tagged flow-low-stock, and add that tag in the action, so the alert fires once, not every time the quantity changes. Fraud holds come third. The order risk analyzed trigger fires after Shopify's fraud analysis finishes, which makes it the right starting point rather than order created. For high-risk orders, tag, hold fulfillment, and notify the team. For medium-risk, high-value orders, tag and notify a reviewer. VIP routing and win-back come last, because they depend on the customer data the first three put in place.

Templates, Sidekick, and the gotchas

Shopify's template library provides hundreds of examples that demonstrate how to use Flow, sorted into 13 categories, from B2B and Customer through Risk and Connector apps. Templates ship with placeholder data, such as tags and email recipients, that you need to edit before activating, and many need a connector app installed. Sidekick can draft a workflow from a plain-English description: open Flow, click the Sidekick icon, describe the automation, and Sidekick drafts the trigger, conditions, and actions for you to review. Shopify reported that nearly half of the Flows created in the first quarter of 2026 were built this way. The gotchas are small and specific. Flow treats orders and draft orders separately, so a workflow built on order triggers does not act on draft orders. Conditions on tags have a ceiling: workflows that contain conditions involving tags might not work if there are more than 250 tags associated with the order, product, or customer. And test every workflow with test orders before it goes live, because a workflow that tags the wrong customers is worse than no workflow at all.

Frequently asked questions

Is Shopify Flow free?

Yes. It is a free app available on the Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus plans, and you install it from the Shopify App Store. It was previously available only to Shopify Plus merchants, but it is now accessible on all plans except Shopify Starter. Most features are available across all plans, with three gates: Grow, Advanced, and Plus stores can use the Send HTTP Request action, Plus stores can use tasks created by custom partner apps, and each store gets Flow usage limits that follow the API limits of its plan. Flow is only available in English.

What is a workflow in Shopify Flow?

Three parts: a trigger, a condition, and an action. The trigger is the event that starts it, such as an order being created or a variant's inventory quantity changing. The condition is the test, such as stock falling below a threshold or the order's risk level being high. The action is what happens, such as sending an email, adding a tag, or holding fulfillment. Flow also has Get data steps that pull lists of orders, products, or customers on a schedule, and a code step for logic the visual editor cannot express. If the trigger and the action both live in Shopify, use Flow. If most steps happen elsewhere, use a general automation tool and let Flow hand off.

What are the limits of Shopify Flow?

Conditions on tags have a ceiling: workflows that contain conditions involving tags might not work if there are more than 250 tags associated with the order, product, or customer. Flow treats orders and draft orders separately, so a workflow built on order triggers does not act on draft orders. Templates ship with placeholder data, such as tags and email recipients, that you need to edit before activating, and many need a connector app installed. And Flow does not generate purchase orders or move stock on its own; it alerts and tags, and a person still acts.

Which automations should I build first?

In order: tagging, low-stock alerts, fraud holds, VIP routing, and win-back. Tags come first because the other four workflows can branch on them. Low-stock alerts and fraud holds come next because each one catches a problem while there is still time to act. VIP routing and win-back come last because they depend on the customer data the first three put in place. Start with a template and expand once you are comfortable, and test every workflow with test orders before it goes live.