FlowRelay FlowRelay Docs Shopify Flow
Website → Start setup →
All docs pages

START

USE CASES

SET UP

OPERATE

RECOVER

AGENT ACCESS

REFERENCE

Getting Started

First endpoint guide

Use this guide to prove one outside event can reach Shopify Flow before production traffic depends on it.

Next step Read Send your first test event.

Steps

Complete these in order.

  1. 01Start with one sender and one workflow. The basic path is external system -> FlowRelay endpoint -> Shopify Flow trigger -> FlowRelay receipt, then a separate Shopify Flow result check.
  2. 02Before starting, make sure FlowRelay is installed, the sender owner is available, you can edit a safe Shopify Flow workflow, and you have a synthetic JSON test event that does not contain customer data.
  3. 03Create one endpoint in FlowRelay and name it for the sender and workflow, such as Warehouse status to Flow.
  4. 04Choose the trigger variant. Use Generic when Shopify Flow only needs a custom external event; use Order, Customer, or Product when Flow needs a native Shopify reference; use Inventory, Fulfillment, Return/refund, or Company/B2B for those operational lanes.
  5. 05Choose authentication. Prefer HMAC-SHA256 when the sender can sign the request body; use static-header authentication when it cannot.
  6. 06Add the matching FlowRelay trigger to a safe Shopify Flow workflow and enable it before sending the test event.
  7. 07Send one synthetic event from the sender or in-app test path, then open the FlowRelay receipt.
  8. 08Treat Delivered as proof that FlowRelay handed the trigger to Shopify Flow, not proof that downstream Shopify Flow actions completed.
  9. 09If the receipt says no_workflow, enable the matching FlowRelay trigger in Shopify Flow, confirm the variant matches the endpoint, then preview replay while the event is retained or ask the sender to resend a fresh test event.

What you need #

You need a Shopify store with FlowRelay installed, access to create a Shopify Flow workflow or a teammate who can, a sender system owner who can configure URL and authentication, and one safe synthetic JSON event. Do not use real customer, order, token, endpoint secret, HMAC, or session data for the first proof.

Choose Generic or a native reference trigger #

Generic is the fastest first proof when Shopify Flow only needs to react to a custom event. Choose Order, Customer, or Product when Shopify Flow should receive a native Shopify resource reference from the sender payload. Choose Inventory, Fulfillment, Return/refund, or Company/B2B when the workflow belongs in that FlowRelay event lane and the sender can provide the required related resource context.

Workflow needBest starting pointWhat to verify
Start a workflow from any external event.GenericThe sender can send valid JSON and Shopify Flow can branch on the fields you mapped.
Operate on an existing Shopify order, customer, or product.Order, Customer, or ProductThe sender provides the Shopify ID or GID at the mapped payload path.
Handle inventory, fulfillment, return/refund, or company/B2B work.The matching operational laneThe payload contains the related resource context FlowRelay needs for that trigger.

Read the first receipt #

A receipt should answer what FlowRelay accepted, which endpoint configuration was active, whether authentication and validation passed, whether Shopify Flow readiness existed, and whether FlowRelay handed the trigger to Shopify Flow. It is not a Shopify Flow run log and it cannot prove that downstream Flow branches, emails, tags, inventory changes, or app actions completed.

If you see no_workflow #

no_workflow means FlowRelay accepted the event but did not find a matching enabled Shopify Flow trigger for that endpoint and variant. Fix the Shopify Flow workflow first: add or enable the matching FlowRelay trigger, confirm the trigger variant matches the endpoint, and save the workflow. Then preview replay if the event is still retained, or send a fresh synthetic event from the sender.

First endpoint done criteria #

The first endpoint is ready for cautious production traffic when one synthetic event is accepted, the receipt shows Delivered, the merchant separately confirms any downstream Shopify Flow behavior they care about, the sender owner knows where the endpoint URL and auth material live, and support knows to use receipt IDs or diagnostics shares instead of raw payloads.

Handoff boundary

Delivered means FlowRelay handed the trigger to Shopify Flow. It does not mean downstream Shopify Flow branches, app calls, fulfillment changes, emails, or later systems completed.