Shopify Flow gives you a solid start for automating tasks across your store, but its built-in actions only reach so far. Many businesses hit a wall when they want to connect Flow with apps or services that aren’t on Shopify’s shortlist. That’s when creative solutions unlock real value.
Opening up your automations to more tools makes a huge difference in how efficiently you work. Instead of juggling spreadsheets or moving data by hand, you set up seamless connections that keep things moving in the background.
With the right approach, you can sidestep technical headaches and let Flow work harder for you. Let’s explore how to break past the default limits and bring all your favorite apps into your Shopify ecosystem.
Topics:
Step-by-step guide: Extend Shopify Flow to any third-party app
Time needed: 10 minutes
Let’s walk through exactly how to extend its capabilities using MESA. You can visualize this functionality in the following sequence of workflows:
Shopify Flow -> MESA -> 3rd party app
Follow these step-by-step instructions to extend Flow to more connectors:
Set up your workflow by choosing the Shopify Flow app
When creating your workflow in MESA, search “Flow” to narrow the list of connectors.
Choose a Shopify Flow trigger step
Add the trigger step, Respond to Flow Action. If you know what kind of data is coming from Flow into MESA, there are other triggers that can make selecting data variables a little easier in subsequent steps.
Add an action step
In this example, the data sent from Flow will be passed to Google Sheets. However, the possibilities are endless. Unify your data by easily connecting Flow to any app or system used by your enterprise.
Turn On your MESA workflow
Be sure to click the “Save” button and turn your automation to “On”.
Copy the Key for this workflow
From the MESA workflow, click the Dashboard tab. Then, on the right-hand side column, scroll to the Actions card and click the Copy key link. You’ll need this to extend your Flow in Shopify.
From Shopify Flow, add the Send to MESA action
Now we have to extend the workflow in Flow to connect to MESA and send the data we want. Add an action, then choose the MESA connector > Send to MESA action.
Paste the MESA workflow Key value
This was the Key value copied from the MESA. This tells Flow to connect to a specific workflow within MESA.
Add payload variables
Payload Variables are the specific pieces of data from your Shopify order that you want to send to MESA and ultimately to your connected app (Google Sheets in this example). Think of this as choosing which order details you want to track and analyze outside of Shopify.
Save and turn on your Flow
Save your workflow configuration changes and turn On your workflow. In our example here, every time an order is created, it passes order details to MESA and saves it to Google Sheets.
How to connect any app to Shopify Flow
Time needed: 5 minutes
Let’s walk through exactly how to extend other apps into Shopify Flow. You can visualize this functionality in the following sequence of workflows:
3rd party -> MESA -> Flow
Follow these step-by-step instructions:
1. Start a Flow automation from your app
In MESA, start a new workflow from any third-party app connector. For this example, when a new row is added to a Google Sheet.
2. Add the Shopify Flow connector to your workflow
Next, add an action to your workflow and locate the Shopify Flow app connector.
3. Choose the action to trigger your Flow in Shopify
MESA supports many Shopify Flow actions depending on the type of data that you intend to send. This makes it easier to handle data between steps in Flow.
4. Turn on your MESA workflow
Be sure to click the “Save” button and turn your automation to “On”.
5. In Flow, choose the MESA action as the trigger
Add the trigger step, MESA Action.
6. Build your Flow actions
Add subsequent steps as needed. Then, turn on your Flow.
For more technical details about the Shopify Flow triggers and actions, read our Shopify Flow documentation.
Related:
Best pre-made Shopify Flow templates to complete more tasks
Every business runs into needs that Shopify Flow alone won’t handle. Maybe you want to react to competitor price changes or double-check addresses before shipping orders. Those jobs call for more flexibility than Flow’s out-of-the-box setup allows.
Extending Flow means you keep the easy visual builder and reliable triggers, but now you can connect with any app or service you choose. It’s like turning Flow into the nerve center of your operations, able to move data and kick off actions wherever you need. You get more control and the freedom to design Shopify Flow workflows that fit your business, not the other way around.
With the right approach, you unlock new automation superpowers. Your workflows respond to events from anywhere, process data just how you want, and trigger actions across your full tech stack. This is how you move from “making do” to building the business systems you’ve always wanted.
Frequently asked questions
Can I extend Shopify Flow without coding knowledge?
You can. MESA offers ready-made actions and templates for Shopify flow automations so you can set up smart workflows with clicks instead of code. The visual builder helps you put together even complex flows with confidence.
How many external services can I connect to Shopify Flow?
Connect as many as you need. There’s no hard cap. As you add more, organize your workflows for clarity, and you’ll have a powerful network of automations across every tool you use.
Will extending Shopify Flow slow down my store?
These workflows run in the background, away from your storefront. Your customers won’t notice a thing, even if your automations are doing a lot behind the scenes.
What you should do now
Whenever you’re ready…here are 4 ways MESA can help you get more done:
Sign up for MESA. The best way to get started is sign up for MESA today. Every plan includes the first 7-days free so you can be assured your workflow is running properly.
Browse pre-made templates. Our customizable workflow templates are a great way to get started more quickly.
Talk to our automation experts. If you need help personalizing any workflow template, guidance how to make any automation or, simply want us to make your workflow, we can help.
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Let’s get started.
Unlock Shopify Flow’s full potential to enhance efficiency.
