Timeline
With Timeline, you can view detailed histories and write notes and comments for orders, draft orders, customers, and transfers in Shopify. All notes and comments are internal and won't be visible to your customers. If you use the Shopify app, then you can receive notifications whenever you're mentioned in a Timeline comment.
On this page
- Communicate with Timeline
- Add comments to Timeline
- Edit comments on Timeline
- Delete comments on Timeline
- Use emojis on Timeline
- Mention staff on Timeline
- Reference a page on your Timeline
- Attach files to your Timeline
- Add a profile photo to your comments on the Timeline
- Activate Timeline notifications on mobile devices
Communicate with Timeline
All communication with Timeline is internal to your store. When you comment on something in your Shopify admin, the comment is attached to that order, draft order, customer, or transfer.
You can also notify specific staff members by @mentioning them:
- If you @mention another staff, then that staff gets an email notification with your comment.
- If you @mention another staff who uses the Shopify app, then that staff gets a push notification on their phone with your comment.
- If you don't @mention anyone, then Shopify does not notify anyone about your comment.
Add comments to Timeline
You can add comments to orders, draft orders, customers, and transfers.
Steps:
Desktop
- From your Shopify admin:
- click Orders (or press
G
O
) to display your orders. - click Orders, then click Drafts to display your draft orders.
- click Customers (or press
G
C
) to display your customers. - click Products, then click Transfers (or press
G
P
T
) to display your transfers.
- click Orders (or press
- Click the order, draft order, customer, or transfer that you want to add a comment to.
- In the Timeline section, click to select the box labeled Leave a comment....
- Enter your comment. In the comment text, you can link to staff, orders, customers, or products.
- Click Post to add your comment.
iPhone
- From your Shopify app:
- tap Orders > All orders to display your orders.
- tap Orders > Draft orders to display your draft orders.
- tap ... > Customers to display your customers.
- tap Products > Transfers to display your transfers.
- Tap the order, draft order, customer, or transfer that you want to add a comment to.
- Swipe the screen down to the Timeline section, and then tap the field labeled Leave a comment....
- Enter your comment. In the comment text, you can link to staff, orders, customers, or products.
- Tap the paper airplane icon to post your comment.
Android
- From your Shopify app:
- tap Orders > All orders to display your orders.
- tap Orders > Draft orders to display your draft orders.
- tap ... > Customers to display your customers.
- tap Products > Transfers to display your transfers.
- Tap the order, draft order, customer, or transfer that you want to add a comment to.
- Swipe the screen down to the Timeline section, and then tap the field labeled Leave a comment....
- Enter your comment. In the comment text, you can link to staff, orders, customers, or products.
- Tap the paper airplane icon to post your comment.
Edit comments on Timeline
You can edit your own comments on Timeline if you want to change what you've written. Editing a comment is only possible for 5 minutes after you post your comment.
Steps:
Desktop
- From the Shopify admin, click the order, draft order, customer, or transfer with the comment that you want to edit.
- In the Timeline section, click the ... button beside the comment.
- Tap Edit comment.
- Edit your comment, and then tap Save.
iPhone
- From the Shopify app, tap the order, draft order, customer, or transfer with the comment that you want to edit.
- In the Timeline section, tap the ... button beside the comment.
- Tap Edit comment.
- Edit your comment, and then tap Save.
Android
- From the Shopify app, tap the order, draft order, customer, or transfer with the comment that you want to edit.
- In the Timeline section, tap the ⋮ button beside the comment.
- Tap Edit comment.
- Edit your comment, and then tap Save.
Delete comments on Timeline
Deleting comments can’t be reversed, and won't be included in the Timeline.
Steps:
Desktop
- From the Shopify admin, click the order, draft order, customer, or transfer with the comment that you want to delete.
- In the Timeline section, click the ... button beside the comment.
- If 5 minutes have passed after the comment was posted, then click the X button beside the comment.
- Click Delete comment.
- Click Delete to confirm.
iPhone
- From the Shopify app, tap the order, draft order, customer, or transfer with the comment that you want to delete.
- In the Timeline section, tap the ... button beside the comment.
- Tap Delete comment.
- Tap Delete to confirm.
Android
- From the Shopify app, tap the order, draft order, customer, or transfer with the comment that you want to delete.
- In the Timeline section, tap the ⋮ button beside the comment.
- Tap Delete comment.
- Tap DELETE to confirm.
Use emojis on Timeline
You can use emojis in your conversations.
Steps:
Desktop
- As you write a comment, click the ☺ button in the comment box.
- Click the emoji that you want to add to your comment.
iPhone
- As you write a comment, tap the ☺ button on your device's keyboard.
- Tap the emoji that you want to add to your comment.
Android
- As you write a comment, tap the ☺ button on your device's keyboard.
- Tap the emoji that you want to add to your comment.
Mention staff on Timeline
You can @mention your store's staff in comments. Staff will get email notifications when they're mentioned in a comment. If they use the Shopify app and they have push notifications activated, then they'll also receive an alert on their mobile device.
Steps:
Desktop
- As you write a comment, enter an @ or click the @ icon in the comment box, and then start typing a staff's name.
- Suggested staff who match what you enter display in a list. Click the correct staff member.
- Optional: If Shopify suggests multiple names, then use the
down
andup
arrow keys to select a name, and pressenter
orreturn
to confirm your choice.
iPhone
- As you write a comment, enter an @, and then start writing a staff's name.
- Suggested staff who match what you enter display in a list. Tap the name of the staff member you want to @mention.
Android
- As you write a comment, enter an @, and then start writing a staff's name.
- Suggested staff who match what you enter display in a list. Tap the name of the staff member you want to @mention.
Reference a page on your Timeline
On a desktop device, you can quickly reference other pages in the admin in your Timeline. By creating a reference in a Timeline comment, other staff members can click or tap your comment to access information related to that page. References can include the following page types:
- orders
- draft orders
- customers
- products
- variants
- transfers
- purchase orders
Staff using mobile devices can tap references in comments to view the referenced information, but they can't create linked references from their device.
Steps:
- As you write a comment, click the # icon in the comment box.
- Click the type of page you want to reference.
- Click the name of the specific page you want to reference.
Attach files to your Timeline
You can attach files to add context or more information to your conversations. For example:
- You can attach a photo of an item to record its condition before shipping.
- You can attach copies of your inventory transfer receipts to keep all the information in the same place.
- You can attach a photo of a QR code on a shipping label.
The file is attached as part of your comment.
Steps:
Desktop
- As you write a comment, click the paper clip icon in the comment box.
- Choose the file that you want to attach using the dialog box, and then click Open.
iPhone
- As you write a comment, tap the paper clip icon.
- Select a file from one of the available sources.
- Select one of your recent images.
- Tap Take a photo to take a new photo with your iPhone's camera.
- Tap Choose from library to access all of the images on your iPhone.
- Tap Import file from... to browse your files stored on a cloud-based service.
- Enter a comment to accompany the attachment.
- Tap the paper airplane icon to post your comment.
Android
- As you write a comment, tap the paper clip icon.
- Select a file from one of the available sources:
- Tap Take photo to take a photo with your Android device's camera.
- Tap Choose from file to add a file saved on your Android device.
- Enter a comment to accompany the attachment.
- Tap the paper airplane icon to post your comment.
Add a profile photo to your comments on the Timeline
You can add a custom photo to your profile so that it displays next to your comments.
Steps:
- From your Shopify admin, click your store name in the topbar.
Click Manage account.
Click Upload photo.
In the dialog box, find the image that you want to use, and then click Open.
Click Save to confirm the changes to your profile.
Activate Timeline notifications on mobile devices
You can use the Shopify app to activate Timeline notifications so that you receive an alert on your mobile device whenever another staff @mentions you.
Steps:
iPhone
- From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
- In the App settings section, tap Store notifications.
- In the Push notifications section, activate Timeline mentions.
Android
- From the Shopify app, tap the … button, and then tap Settings.
- In the App settings section, tap Store notifications.
- In the Push notifications section, activate the Timeline mentions option.