As your order volume grows, so does the pressure on your fulfillment process. You’re tagging high-priority orders, coordinating with your team, managing multiple locations, and trying to keep it all organized without slowing down.
That’s why order automation is often the first place smart Shopify stores start.
In Part 1 of our What You Should Automate in Shopify series, we’re looking at real Workflows (including 25+ examples) that help you manage and fulfill orders faster, with fewer errors — and without needing to babysit your inbox or dashboard.
Automations to help you organize orders
The moment a new order hits your store, you want to know what it is, where it’s going, and what it needs. With the right Shopify Workflow app, these Workflows help you tag, route, and structure orders so nothing slips through the cracks.
Tag high-value or special orders
Not all orders are equal. Automating tags helps you quickly identify orders that need special handling and keeps your team focused.
Examples:
- Tag orders over $300 as “High Value”
- Add “Wholesale” or “VIP” tags based on customer status
- Tag subscription orders for separate Workflows
- Flag rush orders or gift-wrapped items
Tags are simple, but when used consistently, they unlock smarter Workflows across fulfillment, customer service, and reporting.
Route orders based on content
Order routing logic can be automated based on what’s inside the cart, how it’s being shipped, or where it’s headed.
Examples:
- If an order contains Product A, route it to Warehouse A
- If shipping method is “Local Pickup,” tag and alert your store team
- If order is international, assign to your third-party fulfillment partner
You can also use product tags, collections, or vendor fields to automate routing logic without touching each product individually.
Add notes or metafields for fulfillment teams
Automation can add extra detail to each order — giving your warehouse or fulfillment partner exactly what they need without extra input from your staff.
Examples:
- Add “Fragile item” to order notes for certain SKUs
- Use metafields to flag custom packaging needs
- Include “Do not combine with other orders” for preorders or bundles
The right message at the right time can prevent mistakes and improve the handoff between systems.
Automations to keep your team in sync
Good fulfillment depends on communication, and automation helps make that happen faster, without creating noise.
Send internal Slack or email notifications
When something important happens, your team should know. Automation makes sure alerts go out instantly — without someone needing to check the dashboard.
Examples:
- Notify warehouse when a same-day order is received
- Alert customer service when a high-risk order comes in
- Send a Slack message to your team when a product is "low stock"
You can tailor messages to the channel, the team, or the urgency, keeping the right people in the loop.
Create internal tickets or tasks
If your team uses task systems like Trello, Airtable, or Notion, automation can create and assign tasks automatically.
Examples:
- Add a Trello card when an order is placed
- Track price changes in an Airtable
- Send a slack message with a summary of yesterday's sales for review
This makes handoffs between teams faster and prevents things from getting lost in the shuffle.
Escalate issues automatically
When something goes wrong, you want to act fast. Automation can detect problems and trigger the right internal response.
Examples:
- Flag high-risk orders for manual review
- Cancel unpaid orders after inactivity
- Tag and pause orders if fraud indicators are triggered
The sooner you know, the faster you can resolve it and protect both your customers and your bottom line.
Automations to track fulfillment progress
Once an order is placed, your store still needs to follow through. These Workflows help you monitor what’s happening after the sale and spot gaps before they become problems.
Flag unfulfilled orders after a delay
Use automation to surface any order that hasn’t moved after a set number of hours or days.
Examples:
- Send email if order is unfulfilled after 1 week
- Receive an email notification if the pending order count hits a set threshold
- Add a tag to delayed orders
These Workflows help you catch delays and take action before customers start asking questions.
Send fulfillment data to external systems
Automation can push fulfillment data to the tools your team already uses.
Examples:
- Maintain a list of order fulfillment quantities in Google Sheets
- Post fulfillment summaries to Slack for your operations team
The right reporting keeps everyone informed and saves time spent chasing data manually.
Conclusion: Shopify order automation reduces friction where it matters most
Order volume is a good problem to have, but only if your systems can keep up. The more steps you can automate across fulfillment, routing, and team communication, the more time you’ll free up to focus on growth.
You don’t need to build a giant system from the start. Begin with one Workflow — tag a specific order type, send one notification, route one product — and go from there.
If you’re looking for a Shopify Workflow app that can handle everything from tagging to routing to internal alerts, Arigato Automation gives you the flexibility to build powerful, real-time Workflows, without having to write code!