How Shopify Flow enhances SparkLayer for smarter B2B automation
When combined with SparkLayer, Shopify Flow helps automate the operational side of B2B eCommerce without adding friction for customers or complexity for teams.
It allows businesses to move faster, reduce manual work, and scale their wholesale operations on Shopify with confidence.
Together, they allow your team to keep control over pricing, approvals, and fulfilment - while your customers enjoy a streamlined, self-serve buying experience.
We’ll be covering what Shopify Flow does, why it matters for B2B, and how it works alongside SparkLayer to automate real-world workflows.
What is Shopify Flow?
Shopify Flow is an automation tool built into Shopify that allows merchants to create workflows based on events that happen within their eCommerce setup.
When an event occurs, such as an order being created or a customer being updated, Shopify Flow can automatically perform actions based on predefined rules.
This means Shopify Flow can react to activity in your store without requiring any intervention. Instead of relying on manual checks, emails, or spreadsheets, the automation runs in the background.
For B2B businesses, where orders and customers rarely fit a single pattern, this type of automation quickly becomes essential.
Why does Shopify Flow matter for B2B eCommerce?
B2B eCommerce often involves layers of complexity that DTC or online retail doesn’t.
Wholesale customers may have negotiated pricing, different payment terms, approval requirements, or bespoke fulfilment rules. As order volumes grow, managing these differences manually becomes unsustainable.
Shopify Flow helps by maintaining consistency - without taking valuable time away from your team.
Instead of relying on people to remember processes, Shopify Flow applies the same logic every time an order is placed or a customer record is updated. This reduces errors, speeds up internal operations, and removes friction between sales, finance, and fulfilment teams.
How does SparkLayer fit into Shopify Flow?
SparkLayer adds the B2B functionality that Shopify does not natively provide, such as customer-specific pricing, advanced ordering rules, and wholesale account management.
Shopify Flow then acts on the outcomes of that B2B logic to deliver an automated, seamless journey.
SparkLayer defines who the customer is and how they are allowed to buy. Shopify Flow decides what happens next.
Together, they allow B2B workflows to be automated without custom development. Orders placed through SparkLayer can trigger Shopify Flow workflows that tag, route, notify, or segment data across Shopify and connected systems.
Can Shopify Flow automatically manage SparkLayer B2B orders?
One of the simplest but most effective uses of Shopify Flow is order tagging.
When a SparkLayer customer places an order, Flow can detect that the customer is a B2B buyer and automatically apply the correct tags. These tags can then link to actions within fulfilment, reporting, invoicing, or internal notifications.
This process removes the need for teams to manually inspect each order and ensures that every B2B order is handled consistently, regardless of volume.
How can Shopify Flow support B2B approval workflows?
A lot of B2B businesses require internal approval before processing certain orders. This might apply to high-value purchases, customers on credit terms, or new wholesale accounts. With Shopify Flow, these checks can happen automatically.
Relevant orders can be flagged as soon as they are placed, internal teams can be notified instantly, and fulfilment can be paused until approval is granted.
The customer experience remains smooth, while the business maintains control behind the scenes.
How can Shopify Flow incentivise B2B customers?
Payment terms are a core part of B2B eCommerce, but they can often lead to complexity for finance teams.
SparkLayer enables customers to place orders on an invoice or on agreed terms, while Shopify Flow handles the operational follow-up.
A great example is creating pricing tier flows as a customer incentive to purchase more frequently.
Customers who place a specific number of orders, or hit a specific total value, will be added to a new pricing tier once they reach the required threshold.
Once they hit the next threshold amount, they are automatically moved into the next tier - often benefiting from discounted pricing or promotions as a result.
The ability to automate this process ensures that customers are moved through the buyer journey in real-time and reduces the risk of error, forgetfulness, or manual qualification.
SparkLayer and Shopify Flow can identify orders placed on specific payment terms, apply appropriate tags, and trigger processes automatically. This reduces manual finance admin and ensures that payment logic is applied consistently across all wholesale orders.
How does Shopify Flow improve B2B customer management?
B2B customer accounts evolve as order values increase, buying frequency changes, or relationships deepen. Shopify Flow allows customer records to update automatically based on behaviour.
Customers can be tagged after their first SparkLayer order, moved between segments as they grow, or flagged when they become inactive.
This keeps customer data accurate without requiring constant manual maintenance and allows teams to focus on relationships rather than administration.
What role does Shopify Flow play in B2B fulfilment and logistics?
B2B fulfilment often involves different rules from standard eCommerce.
Orders may need to be routed to specific warehouses, handled by third-party logistics providers, or flagged for special packaging or documentation.
Shopify Flow with SparkLayer can automate these decisions as soon as an order is placed. By applying this fulfilment logic consistently, businesses reduce delays, prevent mistakes, and maintain operational oversight even as order volumes increase.
Do you need developers to use Shopify Flow with SparkLayer?
In most cases, no.
Shopify Flow for SparkLayer uses a visual interface that enables teams to build and adjust workflows without writing code. Because SparkLayer can operate with Shopify’s existing structure, Flow workflows can be created using familiar concepts like customers, orders, tags, and metafields.
This means that all operational logic stays accessible to the business, rather than being locked into custom development that is difficult to change later. It also significantly reduces cost and means that any changes can be made immediately.
Why do SparkLayer and Shopify Flow work so well together?
SparkLayer handles the complexity of B2B buying. Shopify Flow handles the complexity of B2B operations.
Together, they allow wholesale businesses to reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and scale efficiently on Shopify. Automation happens in the background, while customers experience a fast, self-serve purchasing journey.
For B2B brands that want flexibility without operational chaos, this combination is difficult to beat.
Discover SparkLayer’s pre-built Shopify Flow automations
Our team have built out several workflows for SparkLayer users to help you get started faster. These include marking orders as paid, adjusting customer tags based on spend thresholds, and sending notifications to Sales Agents when orders are placed.
All of our SparkLayer Shopify Flow workflows are designed to save your team time and money - and keep customers happy and coming back.
Discover the workflows or, if you’re not yet a customer, book a demo to learn more.