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Pipelines and automation

High-risk order automation

Bots flooded a store with hundreds of fake orders. The attacks still come, but a Shopify Flow workflow now cancels, refunds and flags every high-risk order before anyone can ship it.

IThe problem

An ecommerce store was hit by bot attacks that created hundreds of fake orders. Payment failed, but the orders still appeared in the admin next to real customers.

Staff had to clean them up by hand, and any order missed could be fulfilled and shipped to a scammer, leading to disputes and chargebacks.

IIWhat I did

  1. Planned the logic around Shopify’s own risk levels, so nothing happens unless Shopify’s risk analysis says HIGH. Low and medium-risk orders are left alone.
  2. Built the workflow in Shopify Flow, triggered every time Shopify analyzes an order’s risk.
  3. Cleaned up automatically: the order is tagged “High risk cancelled”, cancelled, its payment voided, refunded and the items restocked.
  4. Flagged the customer and alerted the team: the customer is tagged “High risk”, and the team gets an email with the order number.
  5. Tested and launched: tested on real orders, debugged and fitted into the store’s existing order process.

IIIHow it works

One workflow, five steps, running on every order. Nothing is touched unless Shopify itself rates the order HIGH risk.

  1. Order risk analyzedShopify checks every new order.
  2. Risk level is HIGH?Low and medium orders are left alone.
  3. Tag the order“High risk cancelled”, so one filter finds them all.
  4. Cancel, refund, restockPayment voided, items back in stock.
  5. Tag customer, alert team“High risk” customer tag, and an email with the order number.
  • ~500bot orders cancelled automatically
  • 0orders cleaned up by hand
  • 1tag filter to review them all
  • 1–7days to build

IVScreen proof

Orders filtered by the “High risk cancelled” tag: each one cancelled, refunded and tagged automatically
Orders filtered by the “High risk cancelled” tag: each one cancelled, refunded and tagged automatically
The live workflow in Shopify Flow, from risk analysis to the team email. Store name and email hidden.
The live workflow in Shopify Flow, from risk analysis to the team email. Store name and email hidden.

Client names, server addresses and customer data are hidden. Clients stay confidential.

VWhere it ended

The bots still try, but they no longer cost the team time. Around 500 bot orders have been caught and cancelled automatically, with no manual clean-up. Fake orders are cancelled before they can be fulfilled, which helps the store avoid disputes, and every one can be reviewed with a single tag filter.

My role: workflow design, configuration, testing, debugging and launch.

  • Shopify Flow
  • Shopify order risk analysis
  • Order & customer tags
  • Email alerts
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