Setting Up Flows

outline flows are the core rules engine within refundid they allow you to define how your returns policy behaves by applying rules at key points in the return journey flows are most commonly used to control what customers can and can’t return which resolutions (refund, credit, exchange) are shown to specific customers when additional requirements apply (such as photos, notes, or extra checks) when a return should be routed differently based on item, reason, or eligibility flows give you flexibility to apply your policy consistently without relying on manual review for every return initial flow when progressing through the onboarding experience, you’ll be prompted to set up an initial flow this initial flow typically covers a basic item exclusion rule , commonly used to exclude products such as sale items final sale items non returnable collections or product types this ensures your most important exclusions are applied from day one, even before you begin building more advanced return logic how flows work flows run automatically during the return experience and evaluate return requests against your rules at a high level, flows can be used to restrict a return entirely (for example, non returnable items) change what the customer sees , such as which resolutions are available add conditions , such as allowing faulty items to get free return shipping flows are designed to be modular, meaning you can start simple and progressively layer on more logic as your returns policy evolves common ways retailers use flows flows are most effective when they reflect how your policy works in real life common use cases include excluding certain products, collections, tags, or vendors restricting returns based on order age (outside your return window) controlling access to specific resolutions (for example, store credit only for sale items) limiting instant products to eligible customers and scenarios adding additional requirements for high risk return reasons applying different logic based on customer history or other risk signals giving customers free return shipping if they have a faulty item key things to consider before building out flows, it helps to clarify what items are non returnable, and how they’re identified in shopify (tags, product types, collections) which resolutions you want to offer by default, and when they should be restricted where you want to use automation vs where you still want manual review whether any return experiences require additional setup (for example, exchanges, instant products, or store credit options) as you add more flows, it’s also important to test changes before applying them broadly to ensure customers are seeing the expected options where to go next to learn more about what’s possible with flows, including examples and advanced configurations, head to the flows docid\ hh zbvcggpkocri2oam71 section of the documentation if you’d like help designing your return rules, refundid can also assist in translating your policy into a flow structure during onboarding or after launch