Managing customers

This page was printed on Jan 19, 2022. For the current version, visit https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/customers/manage-customers.

When a new customer places an order with your store, their name and information are automatically added to your customer list. You can send email messages to customers from your Shopify admin using your customers' profile information. Depending on the circumstances, you can also manually add, edit, or delete a customer profile. If you want to send discounts or email messages to a specific set of customers, then you can create a customer group.

A customer profile is created when an a customer interacts with your business. For example, a profile is created when a customer does any of the following:

  • signs up for your mailing list or a customer account
  • places an order
  • starts an order, but abandons their checkout
  • is added to your customer list manually

Add customer profiles

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers.

  2. Click Add customer.

  3. Enter the customer's information.

  4. Optional: If the customer has agreed to receive marketing emails, and you have entered an email address, then in the Customer overview section, check Customer agreed to receive marketing emails.

  5. In the the Tax exemptions section, do either of the following:

    • If you charge the customer sales tax, then in the Tax exemptions section, check Collect tax.
    • If the customer is located in Canada and is exempt from sales tax, then from the Browse or search exemptions list, select the all the tax exemptions that apply to this customer.

  6. Click Save.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store, and then tap Customers.

  2. Tap the + button.

  3. Enter the customer's information.

  4. If you charge the customer sales tax, then enable Collects Tax.

  5. If the customer is located in Canada and is exempt from sales tax, then do the following:

    1. In the Tax exemptions section, tap Manage.
    2. Tap the all the tax exemptions that apply to this customer.
    3. Tap Add customer.

  6. Tap Save.

  7. Optional: If the customer has agreed to receive marketing emails, and you have entered an email address, then do the following:

    1. In the Email Marketing section, tap Edit status.
    2. Tap Customer agreed to receive email marketing.
    3. Tap Save.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store, and then tap Customers.

  2. Tap the + button.

  3. Enter the customer's information.

  4. If you charge the customer sales tax, then enable Collects Tax.

  5. If the customer is located in Canada and is exempt from sales tax, then do the following:

    1. Tap the pencil icon to edit the customer profile.
    2. In the Tax exemptions section, tap Manage.
    3. Tap the all the tax exemptions that apply to this customer.
    4. Tap the check mark.

  6. Optional: If the customer has agreed to receive marketing emails, and you have entered an email address, then do the following:

    1. In the Email Marketing section, tap Edit status.
    2. Tap Customer has agreed to receive email marketing.
    3. Tap the check mark.

  7. Tap the check mark.

Send an email message to a customer

You can send an email message to a customer directly from your Shopify admin or from the Shopify app.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers.

  2. Click the customer name.

  3. In the Customer overview section, click the customer's email address.

  4. Edit the subject line for the email, or leave it as the default. The code shop.name automatically enters your store's name into subject line of the email message.

  5. In the Custom message box, enter your message.

  6. To receive a copy of the message for your records, under Send bcc to, check the appropriate email addresses.

  7. When you are finished, click Review Email.

  8. Do either of the following:

    • Click Send notification.
    • If you want to revise the message, then click Back.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store > Customers.

  2. Tap the customer name.

  3. In the Customer Overview section, tap Email. You are redirected to the default email app on your device.

  4. To receive a copy of the message for your records, in the Cc box, enter your email address.

  5. Edit the subject line and body of the email.

  6. Review the email message, and then send it.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store > Customers.

  2. Tap the customer name.

  3. In the Customer Overview section, tap Email.

  4. To receive a copy of the message for your records, in the Cc box, enter your email address.

  5. Edit the subject line and body of the email.

  6. Review the email message, and then send it.

Edit customer profiles

If a customer profile already exists in Shopify, then you can edit the profile from the Customers page.

Before you update a customer profile, verify whether another staff member is currently making changes to the same profile so that your changes don't conflict.

You can add a note to a customer profile to keep track of special information about the customer. Only staff members of your store can see these notes. These notes aren't visible to customers.

Using tags can help you to organize your customer profile list. You can use tags to label your customers using descriptive terms or to sort them into categories. For example, if you have business customers, then you can tag those customers as B2B. You can search and filter your customer profile list using tags.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers.

  2. Click the customer name.

  3. To add a note to the customer profile, in the Customer Note box, enter the appropriate information about the customer, and then click Save.

  4. In the Customer overview section, click Edit, and then make the appropriate changes to the following information:

    • first name
    • last name
    • email address
    • phone number

  5. To edit the address, in the DEFAULT ADDRESS section, do one of the following:

    • To edit the current address, click Manage, and then click Edit address.
    • To change which address is the default address, click Manage, and then click Make default next to the appropriate address.
    • To add a new address to the profile, click Add new address.

  6. To change whether taxes are collected or whether the customer is tax exempt, in the TAXES SETTINGS section, click Manage.

  7. To change whether the customer receives email marketing, in the Email Marketing section, click Edit status.

  8. To apply tags to the customer profile, in the Tags section, do either of the following:

    • To add a tag, click the box, and then select a tag.
    • To remove a tag, click the X next to a tag.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store > Customers.

  2. Tap the customer name.

  3. To add a note to the customer profile, tap the Note box, enter the appropriate information about the customer, and then tap Save.

  4. To change information about the customer, tap Edit, and then make the appropriate changes in the Edit customer dialog.

    1. Change the first name, last name, email address, or phone number.
    2. To edit the address, in the Default address section, tap Edit addresses, and then do any of the following:
      • To edit a current address, tap the address, make the changes, and then tap Save.
      • To add a new address to the profile, tap +, add the new address, and then tap Save.
      • To change which address is the default address, tap Make default address.
    3. To edit tax collection, do any of the following:
      • To change whether taxes are collected, tap Collects Tax.
      • To change whether the customer is tax exempt, in the Tax exemptions section, tap Manage.

  5. Tap Save.

  6. To change whether the customer receives email marketing, in the Email Marketing section, tap EDIT STATUS.

  7. To apply tags to the customer profile, tap the Tags section, and then do either of the following:

    • To add a tag, tap Add tag, and then tap a tag.
    • To remove a tag, tap the X next to a tag.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store > Customers.

  2. Tap the customer name.

  3. To add a note to the customer profile, tap the Note box, enter the appropriate information about the customer, and then tap the check mark.

  4. To change information about the customer, tap the pencil icon, and then make the appropriate changes in the Edit customer screen.

    1. Change the first name, last name, email address, or phone number.
    2. To edit the address, in the Default address section, tap EDIT ADDRESSES, and then do any of the following:
      • To edit a current address, tap the pencil icon that's next to the address, make the changes, and then tap the check mark.
      • To add a new address to the profile, tap +, add the new address, and then tap the check mark.
      • To change which address is the default address, tap MAKE DEFAULT ADDRESS.
    3. To edit tax collection, do any of the following:
      • To change whether taxes are collected, tap Collects Tax.
      • To change whether the customer is tax exempt, in the Tax exemptions section, tap Manage.

  5. Tap the check mark.

  6. To change whether the customer receives email marketing, in the Email Marketing section, tap Edit status.

  7. To apply tags to the customer profile, in the Tags section, make the appropriate changes, and then tap the check mark.

    • To add a tag, tap Add tag, and then tap a tag.
    • To remove a tag, tap the X next to a tag.

Edit a customer's subscription payment information

If you sell subscription products and need a customer to update their payment information because of a failed payment, then you can update your customer's profile in the Shopify admin.

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers.

  2. Click the customer name.

  3. In the Payment methods section, click More actions.

  4. If you want your customer to update their payment information themselves, then do the following:

    1. Click Send link to update payment method.
    2. Select the email address that you want to send the email from.
    3. Click Send email.

  5. For some payment methods, if you want to update your customer's payment method manually, then do the following:

    1. Click Replace payment method.
    2. Complete the Replace payment method form.
    3. Click Confirm.

  6. If you want to remove your customer's payment method, then click Delete payment method.

For more information about offering subscriptions, refer to Subscriptions.

Edit customer profiles in bulk

From your Shopify admin, you can use bulk editing to edit information for several customer profiles at the same time.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers.

  2. Select each of the customer profiles that you want to edit.

  3. If you only want to add tags to or remove tags from the selected customer profiles, do the following:

    1. Click More actions.
    2. Click either Add tags or Remove tags.
    3. Add or remove the tags.
    4. Click Save.

  4. To delete the selected customer profiles, click More actions, and then click Delete selected customers. You can only delete customer profiles if they have no order history with your store. Deleting a customer profile can't be undone.

  5. To edit several pieces of information at one time, click Edit customers.

  6. Click Add fields, and then select the information that you want to edit.

  7. Click Save.

Delete customer profiles

You can delete customer profiles if the customer has no order history with your store. Customers with an order history can't be deleted from your store's records. If a customer profile is deleted, but that customer buys from your store in the future, then a new customer profile is created.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers.

  2. Click the name of the customer whose profile you want to delete.

  3. Click Delete customer.

  4. To confirm that you want to delete the customer profile, click Delete customer.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store > Customers.

  2. Tap the customer profile that you want to delete.

  3. Tap Edit.

  4. Tap Delete customer.

  5. To confirm that you want to delete the customer profile, tap Delete.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store > Customers.

  2. Tap the customer profile that you want to delete.

  3. Tap the pencil icon.

  4. Tap DELETE CUSTOMER.

  5. To confirm that you want to delete the customer profile, tap DELETE.

Search for customers

You can use the search bar on the Customers page to search for specific customer profiles. You can search for a customer using their name, email address, phone number, or address.

Entering a search term into the Filter customers box limits the customer list to the profiles that match that term. For example, you can enter the name of a city to limit the list to customers who are located in that city.

You can refine your search by clicking More filters, and then filtering the customer list by selecting one or more of the following criteria:

  • Email subscription status
  • Tagged with
  • Customer account status (such as active or disabled)
  • Customer language
  • Amount spent in your store
  • Number of orders placed
  • Date of order
  • Date added as customer
  • Abandoned checkouts
  • Location by country (including both shipping and billing locations)
  • Product subscription status (only available for stores that have subscriptions set up)

You can use the Search customers bar on the Customers screen to search for specific customer profiles. You can search for a customer using their name, email address, phone number, or address.

Tapping the Search customers bar and entering a search term limits the customer list to the profiles that match that term. You can refine your search further by tapping the down arrow, and then selecting one or more of the following filtering criteria from the Filters dialog:

  • Email subscription status
  • Tagged with
  • Customer account status (such as active or disabled)
  • Customer language
  • Amount spent in your store
  • Number of orders placed
  • Date of order
  • Date added as customer
  • Abandoned checkouts
  • Location by country (shows both shipping and billing locations)
  • Product subscription status (only shows for stores that have subscriptions set up)

You can use the Search customers bar on the Customers screen to search for specific customer profiles. You can search for a customer using their name, email address, phone number, or address.

Tapping the Search customers bar and entering a search term limits the customer list to the profiles that match that term. You can refine your search further by tapping the down arrow, and then selecting one or more of the following filtering criteria from the Filters screen:

  • Email subscription status
  • Tagged with
  • Customer account status (such as active or disabled)
  • Customer language
  • Amount spent in your store
  • Number of orders placed
  • Date of order
  • Date added as customer
  • Abandoned checkouts
  • Location by country (shows both shipping and billing locations)
  • Product subscription status (only shows for stores that have subscriptions set up)

Create customer groups

After you perform a search or apply filters, you can save the list of results in your Shopify admin. This creates a new filter tab at the top of your customer list. You can use the filter tabs to sort your customers into groups. Your saved searches are also available in the Shopify app on the Customer screen.

Customer groups can be combined with discounts to offer promotions to specific customer groups.

Customer groups also help you to target specific subscribers when you send marketing emails with Shopify Email, or marketing messages using SMS.

Customer groups are updated automatically, so customers are added and removed from groups depending on the search or filter terms that are used to create the customer group.

Steps:

  1. Perform a search or filter your customer list.

  2. Click Save filters.

  3. In the Save as box, enter a name the customer group.

  4. Click Save filters.

A tab with the name that you entered is added at the top of your customer list.

US military shipping addresses

Military mailing addresses in the US have a unique format that must be entered in a specific way. If the address is entered incorrectly, then the order might not arrive to the intended recipient. There are three different types of US military address:

  • Army/Air Post Office (APO)
  • Fleet Post Office (FPO)
  • Diplomatic Post Office (DPO)

If you receive an order with a US military shipping address, then make sure that the address has been entered correctly before you ship the order. If the shipping address hasn't been entered correctly by the customer, then edit the customer address using the following guidelines:

  • The recipient's name must be entered into the Name boxes, but their rank is optional.
  • For APO addresses, both the PSC and BOX numbers must be in the Address box.
  • For FPO and DPO addresses, both the UNIT and BOX numbers must be in the Address box.
  • The City box must contain only APO, FPO, or DPO. Don't enter the name of the city.
  • United States must be selected in the Country/region box.
  • Armed Forces Americas, Armed Forces Europe, or Armed Forces Pacific must be selected in the State box. These locations might be entered in abbreviated form by your customer as AA (Armed Forces America), AE (Armed Forces Europe), or AP (Armed Forces Pacific).

If you're not sure about some of the address information, then contact the customer who placed the order for further clarification.

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