Shopify Flow: How to Automate Your Store’s Workflow

Running a Shopify store is rewarding, but it can quickly become overwhelming. From order tracking to inventory checks, marketing emails to customer tags – the list of repetitive tasks never ends. That’s where Shopify Flow steps in. It’s Shopify’s native automation tool, designed to free merchants from manual processes so they can focus on growth.

As a Shopify Plus agency in the UK, WIRO helps brands harness automation tools like Shopify Flow to scale with efficiency, improve customer experience, and stay competitive.

What is Shopify Flow?

Shopify Flow is a next level eCommerce automation platform available to Shopify Plus merchants. It lets you create “workflows” – sequences of automated actions triggered by specific events allowing you to focus on growing your brand.

For example:

• When stock falls below 10 units, Flow can alert your team.
• When a VIP customer makes a purchase, Flow can automatically tag them and notify your CRM.

It removes the need for third-party automation apps in many cases, giving merchants more control.

Why Automation Matters for Shopify Stores

UK eCommerce is fiercely competitive. A recent ONS report revealed that online sales accounted for over 25% of all retail sales in 2025. To keep pace, retailers can’t afford to waste resources on repetitive admin.

Automation helps merchants:

• Save time by removing manual tasks.
• Reduce errors caused by human oversight.
• Scale operations without hiring additional staff.
• Improve customer experiences through faster, personalised responses.

As Amy Highland, Head of Operations at WIRO, puts it:

How Shopify Flow Works

Shopify Flow simplifies your business automation into three core components:

1. Trigger – An event that starts the workflow (e.g., an order is placed).
2. Condition – Criteria that must be met for the workflow to continue (e.g., the order value is over £500).
3. Action – The task that is automatically carried out when conditions are met (e.g., tag the customer as a VIP and email customer service to include a thank you note).

You can build more advanced workflows by combining multiple triggers and conditions. This allows for powerful automation chains freeing up your team’s time while ensuring you make the most of every opportunity, whether it’s recognising loyal customers, engaging with new wholesale accounts, or improving operational efficiency.

Common Workflows You Can Automate with Shopify Flow

Some of the most popular use cases include:

• Inventory management: Low-stock alerts or automatic hiding of out-of-stock products.
• Customer segmentation: Tagging customers based on spend, location, or purchase frequency.
• Order management: Flagging high-risk orders for review.
• Marketing automation: Triggering loyalty rewards, discounts, or personalised emails.
• Internal notifications: Sending team alerts on Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email.

At WIRO, we often design workflows that connect Shopify to wider ecosystems such as CRMs, ERPs, and fulfilment partners.

Benefits of Using Shopify Flow for Merchants

Adopting Shopify Flow provides:

• Efficiency gains – more output with fewer resources.
• Consistency – workflows ensure the same process is followed every time.
• Scalability – automation grows with your store, supporting higher order volumes.
• Personalisation at scale – deliver tailored experiences without extra effort.

For UK merchants, this means reducing overheads while meeting rising customer expectations.

How to Set Up Shopify Flow in Your Store

1. Install Shopify Flow from the Shopify App Store (free for Shopify Plus).
2. Choose a template workflow to start – Shopify provides pre-built ones.
3. Customise triggers, conditions, and actions to suit your business.
4. Test the workflow on sample data.
5. Activate and monitor results, refining where needed.

WIRO typically runs audit sessions with clients to identify bottlenecks before designing Flow automations that solve specific problems.

Real-World Use Cases of Shopify Flow

A UK lifestyle brand we worked with used Flow to automate fraud checks. Instead of manually reviewing orders above £200, Flow flagged them instantly, reducing fulfilment delays by 40%.

Another client in the homeware sector automated back-in-stock notifications. The result? A 25% lift in returning customer revenue within three months.

Read more about Shopify tech stack tools here.

Best Practices for Shopify Flow Automation

• Start small: Automate simple, repetitive tasks first.
• Monitor workflows: Track performance and adjust triggers or actions if needed.
• Avoid over-automation: Keep the human touch where it matters, such as customer service.
• Think integration: Use Flow alongside apps like Klaviyo, LoyaltyLion, or Gorgias for maximum impact.

Limitations and Considerations

While powerful, Shopify Flow isn’t a silver bullet:

• It’s only available to Shopify Plus merchants.
• Complex workflows may still require custom development.
• Human oversight is essential to prevent errors from compounding.

That’s why agencies like WIRO step in bridging gaps between Shopify Flow and more advanced automation needs.

Conclusion

Shopify Flow cuts manual work, reduces errors, and allows brands to scale without losing sight of the customer. At WIRO, we see automation not as a replacement for people, but as a tool to empower teams. Done right, it creates the capacity for merchants to innovate, expand internationally, and deliver standout customer experiences.