Shopify Flow can notify a buyer when a variant's inventory crosses a chosen threshold. That is a useful starting point for a small catalog. The buyer still needs to check stock at the relevant location, incoming orders, supplier lead time and the amount to purchase.
This guide covers the threshold workflow and how to evaluate a more connected replenishment process. Check current Shopify features and your plan rather than assuming every store has the same interface or automation options.
Quick answer: low-stock alerts with Shopify Flow
- Check that Shopify Flow is available for your plan, then install it from Shopify's App Store if needed
- Start from Flow's template library — there's a ready-made template called "Get notified by email when product variant inventory is low" — or create a workflow from scratch
- Use the trigger "Product variant inventory quantity changed"
- Add a condition so it fires once at the crossing, not on every subsequent sale: inventory quantity is less than your threshold and prior quantity was at or above it (e.g., quantity < 5 and prior quantity >= 5)
- Add the action: send an internal email, or use Flow's related templates that email a vendor to reorder or hide the product when it hits zero
Test the workflow with a controlled inventory change and inspect its run history. Check location-level availability explicitly: a total across locations can hide a shortage at the store that needs stock. Shopify documents the prior-quantity field, location variables and notification templates in its inventory trigger reference.