How it works

Follow these 6 simple steps to start receiving email alerts whenever your product inventory drops to out-of-stock levels

Shopify logo icon

Order Created
App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This step monitors your Shopify store for new orders, which is when inventory levels change and products might go out of stock.

This trigger activates automatically whenever a customer places an order in your Shopify store. It captures all the order details including which products were purchased and in what quantities. No configuration is needed - MESA connects directly to your Shopify store's order data and passes the complete order information to the next step for processing.

Retrieve Shop
App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This step gets your shop's domain information, which is needed to create proper admin links in the notification emails.

This step automatically retrieves your shop's basic information including your myshopify domain name. The workflow uses this data to build direct links to your Shopify admin panel in the email notifications. No input is required from you - MESA automatically fetches your shop details and stores them for use in later steps.

Loop
App connector: Loop • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This step processes each individual product in the order separately, since orders often contain multiple different items that each need inventory checking.

The Loop step takes the line items from the order and processes them one at a time. For each product variant in the order, it runs the remaining workflow steps to check inventory levels and send notifications if needed. This ensures that if someone orders 3 different products and 2 go out of stock, you'll get separate notifications for each one.

Retrieve Product Variant
App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This step gets the current inventory quantity for each specific product variant, which is the key data needed to determine if it's out of stock.

This step fetches detailed information about each product variant including its current inventory quantity, SKU, and product ID. It uses the variant ID from the order line item to look up the most current stock levels in your Shopify store. The inventory quantity retrieved here is what gets compared against your out-of-stock threshold in the next step.

Filter
App connector: Filter • Time to complete: 1 minute
Why this matters: This step determines whether the product's inventory has dropped to your defined threshold, preventing unnecessary notifications for products that are still in stock.

The Filter step compares the current inventory quantity against your specified out-of-stock threshold. You'll configure the threshold value during setup - enter "0" if you want notifications only when completely out of stock, or a higher number like "5" if you want early warnings when stock gets low. Only products that meet this condition will trigger email notifications in the final step.

email icon

Send Email
App connector: Email • Time to complete: 1 minute
Why this matters: This step delivers the actual notification with product details and admin links so you can take immediate action on out-of-stock items.

The Send Email step creates and sends the notification message to your specified email address. You'll configure the recipient email address during setup. The email automatically includes the product's SKU, current inventory level, and a direct link to the product in your Shopify admin panel. The message is sent only for products that passed the inventory threshold filter.

Make it your own

Customize this workflow even further:

Set custom inventory thresholds
Configure different warning levels for different product types, such as alerting at 10 units for bestsellers but only at 0 for slow-moving items.
Add Slack notifications
Extend the workflow to post out-of-stock alerts directly to your team's Slack channel alongside email notifications.
Track restock patterns
Store inventory alerts in a Google Sheet to identify which products go out of stock most frequently and optimize your purchasing schedule.
Deploy restocking automation
Connect to your supplier's API to automatically generate purchase orders when key products hit your restock threshold.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for the notification to arrive after a product goes out of stock?
The notification typically arrives within 1-2 minutes of the order being placed that causes the out-of-stock condition. The workflow triggers immediately when Shopify processes the order and checks inventory levels in real-time.
Will I get multiple notifications if the same product goes out of stock from several orders?
No, you'll only receive notifications when the inventory level crosses your threshold. Once a product is already at or below your threshold, subsequent orders won't generate additional notifications until inventory is restocked above the threshold and then drops again.
Can I set different out-of-stock thresholds for different products?
This template uses one threshold for all products, but you can duplicate the workflow and use Shopify's product tags or collections to create separate notification rules for different product categories with their own inventory thresholds.
What is a template?
MESA templates are fully pre-configured workflows built and vetted by Shopify Experts. Unlike competitor templates that provide basic scaffolds requiring extensive setup, MESA templates come with all data variables properly mapped, required fields configured, and steps ready to activate. You can turn them on immediately and start automating.
Can I customize a template?
Absolutely! While our templates work out-of-the-box, every step can be personalized to match your exact business requirements. Add conditional logic, integrate additional apps, or build more sophisticated workflows. MESA's templates provide a solid foundation that you can expand as needed.
Are templates free?
Yes! Our entire library of expert-built, production-ready templates is free to use. Unlike platforms that charge for premium templates or provide only basic scaffolds, MESA gives you access to hundreds of fully-configured, vetted workflows at no additional cost.

Related templates you'll love

Recommended workflows that pair well with this template

Ready to start receiving email alerts whenever your product inventory drops to out-of-stock levels?

Join thousands who've automated their work and saved an average of 3.5 hours every week.

Start with this template — It's free
7-day free trial • 6 min setup • Cancel anytime