How it works

Follow these 4 simple steps to start adding free products to first-time customer orders automatically

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Order Created
App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This trigger captures new orders the instant they're placed, enabling immediate evaluation of whether the customer qualifies for a first-time buyer reward before order fulfillment begins.

When an order is created in Shopify, this trigger activates the workflow and captures order details including {{shopify_order.id}} and {{shopify_order.customer.id}}. The workflow runs for every new order placed in your store, then determines eligibility through subsequent steps.

Retrieve Customer
App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: Fetches the complete customer profile including order history, which is essential for determining if this is their first purchase and whether they qualify for the new customer reward.

This step retrieves the full customer record from Shopify using {{shopify_order.customer.id}} from the order. It returns customer information as {{shopify_customer}} including {{shopify_customer.orders_count}}, which is the total number of orders this customer has placed. This order count is the key metric for determining first-time customer status.

Filter (First Order Check)
App connector: Filter • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: Acts as the decision gate that ensures only first-time customers receive the free product, preventing the reward from being applied to every order from returning customers and maintaining the promotion as an acquisition incentive.

This filter checks if {{shopify_customer.orders_count}} equals "1". If true (this is their first and only order), the workflow proceeds to add the free product. If false (they have placed orders before), the workflow stops here without adding anything. The order count is 1 rather than 0 because the current order has already been counted in the customer's total when this check runs.

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Add Free Line Item to Order
App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 3 minutes
Why this matters: Adds your configured welcome gift to the order at no cost, creating an immediate positive experience that encourages customers to return and builds brand loyalty from their first interaction.

This step adds a product line item to the order using {{shopify_order.id}}. Configuration: You must set up two things during template setup:

(1) Product—select which product should be added as the free gift (this should be a product that exists in your Shopify catalog), and
(2) Variant—select which variant of that product to add (for single-variant products, just click Next). The line item is added with quantity "1", a "Percentage" discount type, and discount_amount "100" (making it 100% off/free). The allow_duplicates parameter is true, meaning the product will be added even if the customer already ordered it. The notify_customer parameter is false, so no additional email is sent (the standard order confirmation will include the free item). An order note "Add free product" is included for internal tracking.

Important: The free product must be in stock and active in your catalog. If inventory is zero or the product is unpublished, the addition will fail.

Make it your own

Customize this workflow even further:

Add minimum order value requirement
Insert a filter before the free product addition that checks {{shopify_order.total_price}} exceeds a threshold (like $50), rewarding first-time customers who meet a spending minimum rather than all first orders regardless of value.
Vary free products by order value tiers
Add conditional paths that check order total and add different free products based on spending level—$25+ gets Sample A, $50+ gets Sample B, $100+ gets Premium Sample C—creating tiered welcome rewards.
Send custom thank you email
Add an email step after the free product addition that sends a personalized welcome message explaining the gift and encouraging the customer to follow your brand on social media or join your loyalty program.
Tag first-time customers
Add a customer tagging step after the free product is added that applies a "First-Time-Customer" tag, enabling segmented marketing campaigns or additional loyalty rewards for this cohort.

Frequently asked questions

What if the free product is out of stock?
The line item addition will fail if the product variant has zero inventory or is unavailable. Consider enabling "Continue selling when out of stock" for your free gift products, or create a workflow that monitors inventory and sends alerts when your welcome gift stock is low.
Will this work for orders placed before activating the workflow?
No, this workflow only triggers for orders created after you turn it on. It won't retroactively add free products to historical first orders. To reward existing first-time customers, you'd need to identify them through a customer export and manually send gifts or create a one-time promotional workflow.
Can I exclude certain products or collections from eligibility?
Yes, add a filter after the customer check that examines {{shopify_order.line_items}} and checks if the order contains specific products, tags, or collections. If certain items are present (like already-discounted products), you can stop the workflow from adding the free gift.
What is a template?
Templates are pre-made workflows by our team of experts. Instead of building a workflow from scratch, these have all the steps needed to complete the task.
Can I personalize a template?
Yes! Every step can be customized to meet your exact requirements. Additionally, you can even add more steps and make it more sophisticated.
Are templates free?
Yes! Our entire library containing hundreds of templates are free to use and customize to your exact needs.

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