SHOPIFY
Shopify automation services for store operations
Our Shopify automation services build workflows that take repeat operations work off your team: order routing, stock alerts, shipping updates, return rules and reports. We build them in your store with Shopify Flow, Shopify Functions and fewer apps, with people approving the decisions.
Relay Modules from $750 · Fixed scope · Anything failing acceptance fixed free for 60 days
Quick answer
Shopify automation services set up workflows that do repeat operations work: tagging and routing orders, low-stock alerts, shipping updates to customers, return rules and daily reports. Ecom Relays builds them in your store with Shopify Flow, Shopify Functions and the apps you already pay for, as fixed-scope Relay Modules from $750. People still approve refunds, prices and purchases.
Which Shopify automation services should a store start with?
Start with the repeat work that eats hours every day and follows a clear rule: order exceptions, stock alerts and shipping updates. Leave anything that needs judgment with a person. Here is how we map it.
| Area | Workflow type | Tool | What stays a human decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risky orders | High-risk orders held and tagged for review | Shopify Flow | Releasing or canceling the order |
| Stock | Low-stock alerts with a suggested reorder quantity | Flow, plus Stock Flow for multichannel stock | Placing the purchase order |
| Wholesale and B2B | Orders tagged and routed to the right team or location | Shopify Flow | Credit terms and exceptions |
| Shipping updates | Customers told about delays before they ask | WISMO Breaker | Any message that promises a date or a refund |
| Returns | Return reasons tagged, exchange offered first | Returns Relay | Refunds above your limit |
| Discounts, shipping and payment logic | Rules that used to live in Scripts | Shopify Functions or a public app | The rules themselves |
| Reporting | Daily margin and cash report | Profit and Cash Pulse | What to do about what it shows |
These are examples of workflow types. Exact triggers and actions depend on your plan and apps, and we confirm them in the written spec before building.
Shopify Flow on your plan
Shopify Flow is a free app on Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus, and most of its features work on every plan (Shopify Help Center, checked Oct 20, 2026). Two limits matter:
- Send HTTP Request
, the action that lets Flow talk to outside systems such as a 3PL or a spreadsheet, needs Grow, Advanced or Plus.
- Tasks created by custom partner apps
need Plus.
Usage limits follow the API rate limits of your plan. A Flow workflow is a trigger (an order is created, inventory changes), conditions (the order is over a value, the stock is under a level) and actions (tag it, notify someone, hold it). Most stores already have the triggers they need. What they lack is someone to write the rules down and test them.
After Shopify Scripts: moving rules to Functions
Shopify Scripts could no longer be edited or published from Apr 15, 2026. All Scripts stopped running on Jun 30, 2026. Shopify Functions, which now covers discounts, shipping and payments, is the main replacement, along with public apps. Shopify's Scripts customizations report shows which customizations can move to Functions or to an app (Shopify changelog, posted Apr 9, 2026).
If your Plus store relied on Scripts for tiered discounts, free shipping thresholds, hidden payment methods or B2B pricing, check now that each rule still works. Our process:
- 01List every rule
your Scripts handled, from the Scripts customizations report and your own records.
- 02Check what replaced it
, if anything: a Function, an app, a native setting or nothing.
- 03Rebuild the gaps
with Shopify Functions, or a public app where that is simpler to maintain.
- 04Test with real orders
for every rule, on every path a customer can take.
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Fewer apps, same work
Many Shopify stores pay for apps that duplicate each other, or that do what a Flow workflow or a native setting already does. A monthly app audit finds them.
For each app we record what it costs, what it does, who uses it and whether Flow, a native setting or another app you already pay for covers the same job. We recommend what to remove, and we remove only with your approval, after the replacement is tested. The point is not the subscription saving alone. Fewer apps means fewer things that break when Shopify changes something.
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Where automation should stop
-
Refunds
above your limit need a person.
-
Price changes
below a margin floor need a person.
-
Purchase orders
always need a person.
-
Customer messages that make a promise
, such as a delivery date or a refund, need a person.
-
Every automated action is logged
, so you can see what ran and why.
-
Every workflow has a named owner
on our team, who answers for it.
Automation does the repeat work. People make the decisions. Every module spec we write lists the guardrails before anything is built:
Where AI helps, for example drafting replies to order-status questions, a person reviews before anything sensitive goes out. Our wider approach is on AI orchestration with guardrails.
Relay Modules for Shopify
Relay Modules are fixed-scope automations, built and documented in your own accounts. These six cover most Shopify operations work.
| Code | Module | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| RELAY-01 | Profit and Cash Pulse | Daily owner dashboard: margin by SKU and channel, payouts held and when they land, cash tied up in stock |
| RELAY-02 | Margin Guard | Every fee, ad cost, shipping and landed cost per SKU; alerts when a SKU falls below its floor |
| RELAY-03 | Stock Flow | One inventory count across Amazon FBA, Walmart WFS, Shopify and your 3PL; reorder points, PO drafts, stockout alerts |
| RELAY-06 | WISMO Breaker | Proactive shipping updates, AI-assisted replies to order-status questions, escalation rules |
| RELAY-07 | Returns Relay | Return rules, exchange-first flows, restock, chargeback evidence, reason-code reporting |
| RELAY-09 | Catalog Ready | Clean product data and feeds that meet marketplace, search and AI assistant rules |
A standard module is $750. Advanced, multi-system builds, such as Profit and Cash Pulse or Stock Flow connected to an ERP or 3PL, are $1,500 to $3,500. See all modules on Relay Modules.
How a module is built
Every module follows the same seven steps, so you know what you are buying.
- 01Written spec:
triggers, actions, guardrails, owner and the acceptance test.
- 02Build
in your store and your accounts, through collaborator access, never your password.
- 03Test with real orders
on every path in the spec.
- 04Acceptance by you
, against the test in the spec.
- 05Documentation and SOP
saved in your workspace.
- 06Timing:
1 to 4 weeks per module.
- 07Care:
anything failing acceptance is fixed free for 60 days. Module Care is included on any monthly plan; otherwise it is 10% of the build cost a year.
Billing is 50% at start and 50% at acceptance. These are fixed published fees, never a percentage of your sales or ad spend. Full terms are on pricing.
Founding offer: 20% off launch fees, add-ons and the Foundation, plus 20% off monthly plans for the first 6 months, for the first 25 clients or until Jan 31, 2027, whichever comes first.
Automation beyond Shopify
Most stock and margin problems cross channels. Stock Flow and Margin Guard work across Amazon, Walmart, Shopify and your 3PL, and our multichannel inventory and 3PL management runs them day to day. Customer-facing automation sits within order and customer operations, and reporting within profit and cash reporting.
If what you need is a new theme, custom code or a move from another platform, that is a build rather than automation: see Shopify migration and store build. Day-to-day running of the store is on Shopify store management.
Proof you can check before you sign
These are written commitments.
- A one-page written spec for every module before we build.
- Anything failing acceptance fixed free for 60 days.
- Workflows built and documented in your store, owned by you.
- Collaborator access only, removed within 24 hours when the work ends.
- Your named ops lead on the proposal before you sign.
See which repeat work is costing you hours
The free Profit Leak Scan includes an operations load section: manual hours, order exceptions, tickets and response times, with a fix list ranked by dollar impact and the module that fixes each item. Written report within 48 hours of working access. No sales call required.
A real person replies within one business hour, 9am to 6pm US Central, Monday to Friday. Get a free Profit Leak Scan · Talk to an ops lead (free) · Learn the basics in our free module on apps, Flow and Functions.
Sources: Shopify Help Center, Shopify Flow, checked Oct 20, 2026 · Shopify changelog, "Shopify Scripts will be deprecated on June 30, 2026," posted Apr 9, 2026 · Shopify pricing, checked Oct 20, 2026. Amazon, Walmart and Shopify are trademarks of their owners; Ecom Relays is not affiliated with them.
How much do Shopify automation services cost?
Relay Modules are $750 for a standard workflow area and $1,500 to $3,500 for advanced multi-system builds. Each is a fixed price for a written scope, billed 50% at start and 50% at acceptance. Module Care is included on any monthly plan, or 10% of the build cost a year without one.
Is Shopify Flow free?
Yes. Shopify Flow is a free app on the Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus plans, and most features work on every plan. The Send HTTP Request action needs Grow or above, and tasks created by custom partner apps need Plus. Usage limits follow your plan's API rate limits.
My Scripts stopped working. Can you fix that?
Yes. Shopify Scripts stopped running on Jun 30, 2026. We list every rule your Scripts handled, check what replaced it and rebuild the gaps with Shopify Functions or a public app. Each rule is tested with real orders before we call it done, as a Relay Module from $750 or inside Ops Desk.
Will automation run my store for me?
No. Automation does the repeat work: tagging, routing, alerts, updates and reports. People approve refunds above your limit, prices below your floor, purchase orders and any message that makes a promise to a customer. Every automated action is logged, and every workflow has a named owner.
Do you use AI?
Where it helps and only with checks. For example, AI can draft replies to order-status questions, with a person reviewing anything that promises a date or a refund. Every AI-assisted action is logged. We do not let AI change prices, issue refunds or place orders on its own.
Who owns the workflows?
You do. Every workflow is built in your store and your accounts, documented in your workspace and handed over in full if we stop working together. Nothing runs on a system of ours that you would lose access to.
What if a workflow breaks later?
Anything that fails acceptance is fixed free for 60 days. After that, Module Care is included on any monthly plan, or 10% of the build cost a year without one. Shopify changes things often, which is why every module has a named owner and a written spec.
Can you automate across Amazon and Walmart too?
Yes. Stock Flow keeps one inventory count across Amazon FBA, Walmart WFS, Shopify and your 3PL, and Margin Guard tracks margin per SKU on every channel. Both are built in your accounts as Relay Modules, or run as part of Ops Desk Growth and Scale.
Sources4 sources
- 01help.shopify.comShopify Help Center, Shopify Flow: free on Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus; Send HTTP Request on Grow and above; custom partner app tasks on Plus; limits follow plan API rate limits; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 02shopify.devShopify changelog, posted Apr 9, 2026; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 03shopify.comShopify plans; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 04help.shopify.comcollaborator access and password rule; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
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