Automating Shopify Fulfillment Network tasks with Flow

Note

This guide is for merchants who started using the Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) before January 30, 2024. The Shopify Fulfillment Network app has been rebuilt to offer fulfillment solutions in partnership with Flexport. If you use the new SFN app, then refer to the new SFN guide.

Shopify Flow is a free ecommerce automation platform that allows you to automate tasks and processes within your Shopify store and across your apps. You can use Shopify Flow to automate certain tasks between your Shopify Admin and Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN). You can install Flow from the Shopify App Store, or contact SFN to receive access.

Setting up Flow workflows for SFN

You can automate common tasks done in Shopify by creating workflows in Flow that have triggers, conditions, and actions. To optimize how you use Shopify and SFN, you can set up many common workflows using Flow. For example, low inventory notifications or placing an order on hold.

Due to the way that SFN processes orders, some workflows can cause disruptions between Shopify and SFN. Avoid setting up the following workflows in Flow:

• Workflows that delay payment capture for orders in Shopify.
• Workflows that modify orders assigned to SFN after fulfillment delay. For example, adding items to an order.

Create a workflow for low inventory notifications

Low inventory notification workflows help keep your SFN inventory in stock. When your total inventory levels are starting to run low, this workflow lets you receive notifications outside of your Shopify admin. For example, notifications can be sent to Slack or as an email message.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Shopify Flow.

3. Click Open app.

4. Click Create workflow.

5. Click Browse templates.

6. Select Inventory and Merch, and then select Get notified when product variant inventory is low.

7. Click Install.

8. Optional: If you want the inventory notification to apply only for a specific product, then you can add the product as a criteria.

9. To start using your workflow, switch the toggle from Off to On.

Create a workflow to hold high risk or high value orders

Hold order workflows allow you to place an order on hold so that you can review the order before a fulfillment request is sent to SFN. Workflow templates are available that will place an order on hold based on either the order risk level, or the total order value.

For total order value, the default amount is set to 1000 USD. You can adjust this value to an amount that makes sense for your business.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Shopify Flow.

3. Click Open app.

4. Click Create workflow.

5. Click Browse templates.

6. Select All, and then select Hold fulfillment based on risk level or select Hold Fulfillment based on Total Order Value.

7. Click Install.

8. Edit the template as needed.

9. To start using your workflow, switch the toggle from Off to On.

Add an item as a Flow workflow criteria

1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Shopify Flow.

3. Click Open app.

4. Click the workflow that you want to edit.

5. Click Check if, and then click Add criteria.

6. Add the criteria that you want to use for selecting your items.

   • If you want to add a single item, then click Product Variant, and then click sku. In the Sku box for the criteria that you just created, enter the SKU information.
   • If you want to add a product with variants, click Product, and then click title. In the Title box for the criteria that you just created, enter the product title.

7. Click anywhere outside of the input to confirm.

8. Click Apply changes, and then click Apply.