Using the workflow editor in Shopify Flow

The workflow editor is a tool that lets you customize and edit the functionality of your workflows in Shopify Flow. The workflow editor is a drag-and-drop canvas that lets you add, organize, and design your workflows by adding steps of different types in a vertical, top-to-bottom format.

Caution

Any existing workflows created before December 10, 2025 retain the legacy left-to-right format. In January 2026, all workflows will be updated to the top-to-bottom format. If you want to update your existing left-to-right workflows to use the vertical format before January 2026, then you can automatically rearrange the workflow on the canvas to be top-to-bottom. This action can't be undone.

The first step that you can add to a workflow using the workflow editor is always a trigger step. After you add the workflow trigger, you can use the + icons to add condition or action steps that happen next in the workflow sequence. Arrows connect the different steps on the workflow editor canvas and indicate which steps lead directly to other steps based on the conditions or actions that are taken.

All steps must connect to at least 1 other step in the workflow to function. You can add steps outside of the workflow anywhere on the workflow editor canvas, but the steps won't be involved with the workflow unless they're connected to another step by an arrow. Each step can have only 1 preceding step, so converging multiple branches of the workflow back into a single step path isn't supported.

You can configure the details of condition and action steps by using the configuration panel on the left side of the workflow editor. The configuration panel displays only when a step is selected.

Tip

You can add a note to your workflow in the workflow editor. Notes let you record information about your workflow using your own words.

Open a workflow in the workflow editor

In Shopify Flow, you can access the workflow editor by creating a new workflow or you can click any existing workflow and then click Edit.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Apps > Flow.

2. In the Workflows section, do any of the following actions:

   • To open the workflow editor for a new empty workflow, click Create workflow.
   • To open the workflow editor for an existing workflow, click the workflow, and then click Edit.

Adding a step to a workflow

In the workflow editor, you can add a step to the workflow canvas in any of the following ways:

• Hover over any existing step and click the + icon to select a condition or action step to add as the next connection in the workflow.
  • Condition steps have 2 + icons: one for the True path when the condition is met, and one for the False path when the condition isn't met.
  • The For each loop (iterate) action step also has 2 + icons: one for Repeat for each item that lets you define steps that happen for every item in the list, and one for the After last item that let you define steps that happen after the last item in the list is returned.
• Click an empty space anywhere on the workflow canvas. If there's no existing trigger on the canvas, then the configuration panel displays trigger step options. If there is an existing trigger on the canvas, then the configuration panel displays action step options.

Connecting steps in a workflow

All steps must connect to at least 1 other step in the workflow to function. The workflow editor indicates which steps connect to each other using directional arrows. Workflows, by default, flow vertically from top to bottom on the canvas.

When you add a step to the workflow from another step using the + icon, the new step automatically connects to the preceding step. You can also manually create a connection between steps by clicking and holding + on the first step and dragging the end of the arrow to the second step. Each step can have only 1 preceding step connection, so converging multiple branches of the workflow back into a single step path isn't supported.

You can remove a connection between steps by hovering over the arrow that you want to remove, and then clicking the icon.

Arranging steps on the workflow canvas

You can use the drag-and-drop canvas of the workflow editor to manually organize how your workflow displays. This makes it easier for you to keep track of your workflow as you build it. Steps connect to each other in a top-to-bottom format by default, but you can drag and drop steps anywhere on the canvas without breaking the arrow connections between steps.

You can move multiple steps at one time by holding Shift on your keyboard and then clicking the steps that you want to select as a group. Click and drag any step in the grey group box to move the included steps in bulk.

You can automatically reset your workflow layout with default spacing between steps to make your workflow easier to review. Click the icon, and then click Arrange workflow to confirm the reset.

Caution

If you automatically reset an existing workflow that uses the legacy left-to-right format, then the workflow layout updates to be top-to-bottom. This action can't be undone.

Deleting a step from a workflow

In the workflow editor, you can delete a step from the workflow by hovering over the step that you want to delete, and then clicking the icon next to the step. Deleting a step can't be undone.

You can delete multiple steps at one time by holding Shift on your keyboard and then clicking the steps that you want to select as a group. Click the icon above the grey group box to delete the steps in bulk.

If you delete a step that has other steps connected to it, then those steps remain on the workflow canvas, but disconnect from any preceding steps. You need to manually reconnect the disconnected steps to continue to use those steps in the workflow.

Using the workflow editor display toolbar

At the bottom of the workflow editor, you can click any of the following icons in the display toolbar:

• Use or to zoom out or in to the workflow.
• Use to center your workflow in the middle of the visible canvas, at the zoom level that displays the entire workflow.
• Use to launch the Shopify Flow Help Center documentation in a new browser tab.
• Use to arrange the layout of your workflow.

Using the step configuration panel in the workflow editor

When you select a step, the configuration panel displays on the left side of the workflow editor. The configuration panel contains the step details and is where you can customize the functionality of specific steps, such as setting variables, assigning logical operators, or adding custom action information depending on what you want the step to do.

The options that display in the configuration panel are directly related to the type of step that you select.

Adding or editing a step's description

You can edit the description of any condition or action step from the configuration panel. Click Add description or Edit description and enter a description of the step in your own words. This can help you and your staff members interpret what the workflow is doing based on your own description. You can delete all text in the description field to reset the step's description.

Reviewing a step for missing configuration content

If a step is missing data or configuration details that impact its ability to function, then a Review banner displays on the top of the step. Click the step to open the configuration panel and add the missing data to remove the Review banner. Unless a field is indicated as being optional, it must be filled in for the step to be considered completely configured.

Steps also display a Review banner when they aren't connected to any other steps. You must connect the step to another step in the workflow before you can continue configuring the step's details.

If a Review banner isn't resolved before attempting to activate the workflow, then the step displays as an error and the workflow won't activate. You must resolve all configuration errors in a workflow before the workflow can activate.

Using the 'Add a variable' dialog

In the step configuration panel, some fields have an Add a variable option to add a variable to the configuration content. The datasets that are displayed in the Add a variable dialog depend on the data returned by any prior step in the workflow. For example, by default, the Add a variable dialog displays with the following options:

• A search bar to search for variables by name or description.
• The default variable datasets returned by the workflow's trigger, which typically include the following options:
  • shop variables, which are global to your store.
  • At least 1 other type, based on the workflow trigger.

However, if you add steps to the workflow that return additional data, such as Get data actions or Run code, then additional variable datasets display in the dialog for you to select for any step that comes later in the workflow branch, because the extra data is now available at that point in the workflow. The most recent returned data displays first.

You can navigate to specific variables by clicking through the different variable options. Some variables have nested options, and have a > to indicate that there are sub-options in that variable API path. When you've reached the end of a variable API path, the variable has no > option and displays a variable content type badge, such as String, Boolean, DateTime, or Int, to indicate what kind of information is returned by the variable.

Tip

To learn more about any particular element of a variable, hover over the variable and click the icon to open the relevant Shopify Dev Docs article.