Table of Contents

E-Commerce Integration: Shopify

Susan Swier Updated by Susan Swier

Prerequisites for integrating respond.io with Shopify using Zapier

Shopify uses email as the required Zapier identifier for contacts. To send information between respond.io and Shopify, you’ll need to:

  • ensure you have Contacts’ email addresses in respond.io. To automatically collect Contacts’ emails in respond.io, consider using Workflows.
  • ensure customers check out with an email address. To do this, go to Shopify Settings > Checkout and accounts > Customer contact method > select email.
screenshot of Shopify settings page

Automatically sync Contact information in Shopify and respond.io

Check if you have the necessary Contact identifiers and settings for your Zaps to work.

Understanding Contact Syncing Logic

There are four tasks that you can automate in order to sync contacts.

Sending data from respond.io to Shopify

Sending data from Shopify to respond.io

Create a customer in Shopify when a new Contact is added in respond.io

When a new Contact is added in respond.io, the Zapier template will automatically search for that contact in Shopify using the email as the identifier. These are the expected outcomes.

Trigger Event

Conditions

Outcomes

New Contact is added in respond.io

Customer exists in Shopify

Zap will stop

New Contact is added in respond.io

Customer does not exist in Shopify

Create a new Shopify customer

New Contact is added in respond.io

Contact does not have an email in respond.io

Zap will stop

Method

  • Use a Zapier template

How-to

Use this template:

Template Configuration

Respond.io Trigger - New Contact

First, follow the steps to set up a respond.io Zapier integration here and set up your respond.io trigger.

Test the trigger and continue to the next step.

Filter Action

Filters by Zapier and multi-step Zaps are only available on Zapier’s Starter plan and above.
Create a Custom Field in respond.io and name it Contact Note.

Only continue if…

  • Contact Email exists in respond.io. This is because Shopify uses email as a required identifier for Zapier.
  • Select +And to add Contact Note in respond.io does not contain #shopify. This is necessary to prevent a Zap loop due to Zapier’s limitations on contact syncing.
Shopify filter action

Formatter Action

Last name is required by Shopify to complete a Zap. This action will fill in the last name field if respond.io Contacts do not have a last name on record. Most of the configuration is already done by the template. Simply fill in “Unknown” or any other default value you want to use.

Shopify Formatter Action

Shopify Action - Find Customer

Select your Shopify account and continue to set up the action. Map the name and email fields to identify the Contact > choose Yes for the step to be considered a success when nothing is found > tick create Shopify Customer if it doesn’t exist yet.

Shopify Find Customer action

Map the fields to be filled in for the newly created customer.

  • Fill in email and last name (mandatory fields).
  • Fill in the Note field with #respond to prevent Zap loops (this is case sensitive).
  • Choose any other fields you want to add.
  • If you have Custom Fields in respond.io that match certain Shopify fields, consider mapping those as well.
Add Shopify Customer field mapping

Update a customer’s information in Shopify when it is updated in respond.io

When a Contact is updated in respond.io, the Zapier template will automatically search for that contact in Shopify using the email as the identifier. These are the expected outcomes.

Trigger Event

Conditions

Outcomes

Contact is updated in respond.io

Customer exists in Shopify

Customer information is updated in Shopify

Contact is updated in respond.io

Customer does not exist in Shopify

New Customer is created in Shopify

Contact is updated in respond.io

Contact in respond.io does not have an email

Zap will stop

Method

  • Use a Zapier template

How-to

Use this template:

Template Configuration

Respond.io Trigger - Contact Updated

First, follow the steps to set up a respond.io Zapier integration here and set up your respond.io trigger.

Test the trigger and continue to the next step.

Filter Action

Filters by Zapier and multi-step Zaps are only available on Zapier’s Starter plan and above.

Only continue if…

  • Contact Email exists in respond.io. This is because Shopify uses email as a required identifier for Zapier.
Zapier filter for update in Shopify

Formatter Action

Last name is required by Shopify to complete a Zap. This action will fill in the last name field if respond.io Contacts do not have a last name on record. Most of the configuration is already done by the template. Simply fill in “Unknown” or any other default value you want to use.

Zapier Formatter step

Shopify Action - Find Customer in Shopify

Select your Shopify account and continue to set up the action. Map the name and email fields to identify the Contact > choose Yes for the step to be considered a success when nothing is found > tick create Shopify Customer if it doesn’t exist yet.

screenshot of find customer in Shopify step

Map the fields to be filled in for the newly created customer.

  • Fill in email and last name (mandatory fields).
  • Fill in the Note field with #respond to prevent Zap loops (this is case sensitive).
  • Choose any other fields you want to add.
  • If you have Custom Fields in respond.io that match certain Shopify fields, consider mapping those as well.
Screenshot of mapping Shopify customer fields

Shopify Action - Update Customer in Shopify

Map the fields you want to fill in to update customer in Shopify.

  • Choose Shopify Customer ID as the customer identifier.
  • Fill in Last Name with the Output value from the Formatter step.
  • Choose any other fields to be updated.
screenshot of update customer in Shopify step

Create or update a Contact in respond.io when a new customer is added in Shopify

When a new customer is added in Shopify, the Zapier template will automatically search for that contact in respond.io using email as the identifier. These are the expected outcomes.

Trigger Event

Conditions

Outcomes

New customer is added in Shopify

Contact exists in respond.io

Update Contact in respond.io with any new details

New customer is added in Shopify

Contact does not exist in respond.io

Create a new respond.io Contact

New customer is added in Shopify

Contact exists in respond.io without an email

Create a new respond.io Contact

Method

  • Use a Zapier template

How-to

Use this template:

Template Configuration

Shopify Trigger - New Customer in Shopify

Choose your connected Shopify account and test the trigger.

Filter Action

Only continue if…

  • Note in Shopify does not contain #respond. This is necessary to prevent a Zap loop due to Zapier’s limitations on contact syncing.
Filters by Zapier and multi-step Zaps are only available on Zapier’s Starter plan and above.
Zapier filter action

Respond.io Action - Create or Update Contact in respond.io

First, follow the steps to set up a respond.io Zapier integration here.
To prevent a Zap loop, add a Custom Field in respond.io and name it Contact Note.

Map the fields you want to add for the respond.io Contact.

  • Choose Email as the Identifier Type.
  • Fill in the Contact Note field with #shopify (this is case sensitive).
  • Fill the other fields with the information you want from Shopify.
screenshot of create or update contact in respond action

Create or update a Contact in respond.io when a customer is updated in Shopify

When a customer is updated in Shopify, the Zapier template will automatically search for that contact in respond.io using email as the identifier. These are the expected outcomes.

Trigger Event

Conditions

Outcomes

Customer is updated in Shopify

Contact exists in respond.io

Update Contact in respond.io with any new details

Customer is updated in Shopify

Contact does not exist in respond.io

Create a new respond.io Contact

Customer is updated in Shopify

Contact exists in respond.io without an email

Create a new respond.io Contact

Method

  • Use a Zapier template

How-to

Use this template:

Template Configuration

Shopify Trigger - Updated Customer in Shopify

Choose your connected Shopify account and test the trigger.

Respond.io Action - Create or Update Contact

First, follow the steps to set up a respond.io Zapier integration here.

Map the fields you want to add for the respond.io Contact.

  • Select email as the Identifier Type.
  • Fill the other fields with the information you want from Shopify.
screenshot of respond.io create or update contact action

Manage Orders and Carts with respond.io and Shopify

If your customers are respond.io Contacts and you have their email, you can send them instant messages about their Shopify orders and notify agents about customers’ order status. First set up Contact syncing so your customers are more likely to be in both places.

For channels like WhatsApp and SMS, you will also need to have the customer’s phone number.
Check that you have the necessary Contact identifiers and settings for your Zaps to work.

Benefits of Managing Orders and Carts with respond.io and Shopify

  • Keep customers informed about their Shopify orders over their preferred messaging channel
  • Track customer activity and send tailored messages to prompt purchases

Methods

This can only be done if the customer is a respond.io Contact and you have their email. For channels like WhatsApp or SMS, a phone number is also required.

How-to

Use this template to send a message to a customer when they make an order in Shopify:

Use this template to send a customer a receipt for their Shopify order:

Use this template to send customers messages about changes to their order status:

Template Configuration

The configuration is similar for all of these templates.

Shopify Trigger

Select your Shopify account, test the trigger and continue.

Respond.io Action - Send Message

First, follow the steps to set up a respond.io Zapier integration here.

Map the fields accordingly:

  • Identifier Type: Choose email
  • Identifier Value: Choose Shopify customer email
  • Channel Type: Select Last Interacted Channel or Specific Channel.
  • Message Type: Select Text, Attachment, Quick Reply, Custom Payload, or Email.
If the last interacted channel has a messaging window that is closed, the message will not be sent. Use Specific Channel to send template or tagged messages.
screenshot of send message action step

Send abandoned cart messages to prompt customers to complete their Shopify purchase using Zapier

This can only be done if the customer is a respond.io Contact and you have their email. For channels like WhatsApp and SMS, a phone number is also required.

How-to

Use this template to send abandoned cart messages:

Template Configuration

Shopify Trigger - New Abandoned Cart in Shopify

Select your Shopify account and select the age of the cart in hours. Test the trigger and continue.

screenshot of Shopify abandoned cart trigger

Respond.io Action - Send Message

First, follow the steps to set up a respond.io Zapier integration here.

Map the fields accordingly:

  • Identifier Type: Choose email
  • Identifier Value: Choose Shopify customer email
  • Channel Type: Select Last Interacted Channel or Specific Channel
  • Message Type: Select Text, Attachment, Quick Reply, Custom Payload, or Email
If the last interacted channel has a messaging window that is closed, the message will not be sent. Use Specific Channel to send template or tagged messages.
screenshot of send message action

Update respond.io Contacts’ Shopify order statuses using Zapier

You can only do this if you have the Contact’s email in respond.io. These are the expected outcomes.

Trigger Event

Conditions

Outcomes

Shopify order activity

Contact exists in respond.io with an email

Add tags to respond.io Contact

Shopify order activity

Contact does not exist in respond.io

Zap will stop and send an error message

Shopify order activity

Contact exists in respond.io without an email

Zap will stop and send an error message

How-to

Use this template to add tags to respond.io Contacts so agents can see Contacts’ Shopify purchase activity:

Trigger Configuration

Shopify Trigger

Select your Shopify account and the type of order activity you want to trigger the Zap. For this example, we’re using paid, closed, shipped orders. You may set up different Zaps for different order statuses.

Shopify new order trigger configuration

Respond.io Action - Add Tags in respond.io

First, follow the steps to set up a respond.io Zapier integration here.

Choose email as the identifier and fill in the Shopify customer email as the value. You may type in the tags or choose from Shopify fields.

respond.io add tags Zapier action

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