New Email Subscribers from Facebook Instagram Shops Not Receiving Shopify Welcome Flow

[arenhc]

I am using Shopify Email. When a customer subscribes to my email list from my integrated Facebook and Instagram Shops, they get added to the subscriber list in Shopify, however, it does not trigger the Welcome Series automation flow. When a customer signs up directly on my website, it does trigger the Welcome flow and works fine.

It may have something to do with this:

https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-flow/reference/triggers/customer-subscribed

The Customer subscribed to email marketing trigger isn't compatible with subscriptions from third-party forms. To set up forms that your customers can use to sign up for emails on your online store, use an email signup form in your theme, or the Shopify Forms app.

If that trigger isn't compatible with Facebook or Instagram, then what trigger and automation can be used to get these customers into a Welcome flow? And is there a way to send the existing subscribers who didn't receive the emails?

I've tried unchecking and rechecking the "Customer agreed to receive marketing emails" box in the Customer accounts, but that didn't seem to trigger the automation.

[rifat_Shop]

To address the issue of new email subscribers from Facebook and Instagram Shops not triggering your Shopify Welcome Series automation flow, here's a detailed guide:

1. Understand the Problem

The "Customer subscribed to email marketing" trigger in Shopify Flow isn't compatible with third-party forms or external platforms (like Facebook and Instagram Shops). As a result, subscribers added from these platforms won't activate the automation flow directly.

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2. Workarounds for Triggering Welcome Emails

Option 1: Use the Shopify Forms App for Your Website

While this won't solve the issue for Facebook/Instagram subscribers directly, it ensures subscribers from your website are added using compatible triggers. For Facebook and Instagram, additional automation is needed.

Option 2: Use Shopify Flow with a Different Trigger

You can create a Shopify Flow to detect new customers added via Facebook/Instagram and send them a Welcome Email:

1. Go to Shopify Flow in your admin panel.
2. Create a new workflow:
   • Trigger: "Customer Created"
   • Condition: Check for the tag or source indicating they subscribed via Facebook/Instagram.
   • Action: Add them to the Welcome flow (or send a one-time email).

Option 3: Third-Party Email Apps

Switch to an app like Klaviyo or Omnisend:

• These apps offer advanced automation and integration capabilities.
• They can trigger Welcome flows based on any new subscribers, regardless of the source.

Option 4: Bulk Send Emails to Existing Subscribers

For subscribers already added who didn't receive the Welcome flow:

1. Export the list of subscribers added via Facebook/Instagram:
   • Go to Customers > Filter by those subscribed after a specific date and export them.
2. Import the list into Shopify Email or your third-party email app.
3. Send a one-time Welcome email manually.

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3. Fix for Future Subscribers

1. Ensure Tagging of Subscribers by Source

   • Check if subscribers from Facebook/Instagram Shops are tagged with a unique identifier like "Facebook-Shop" or "Instagram-Shop."
   • This can be done in Settings > Checkout > Email Marketing Settings.

2. Automation Setup:

   • Use the "Customer Created" or "Customer Updated" trigger in Shopify Flow and filter for those with the specific tag.
   • For apps like Klaviyo, map Facebook and Instagram sources directly to ensure seamless inclusion in the Welcome flow.

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4. Testing the Automation

• Subscribe yourself via Facebook/Instagram Shops to test if the triggers and flows are working.
• Monitor new subscribers in Shopify to confirm they’re being tagged correctly and triggering the Welcome flow.

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5. Contact Shopify Support

If the issue persists and there’s no clear tagging or integration solution, reach out to Shopify Support. They might have updates or specific recommendations for handling email subscribers from external platforms.

Let me know if you’d like step-by-step help implementing any of these options!

[DaisyVo]

Hi @arenhc 

From what I’ve personally experienced with Shopify, the “Customer subscribed to email marketing” trigger only fires when someone signs up for your emails on your actual online store (like a form on your website). Because Facebook and Instagram Shops are considered third-party channels, their subscription data doesn’t start that specific Shopify trigger. So, your welcome series never gets triggered for those subscribers.

To handle this, here’s what you can do:

1. Use Shopify Flow Workarounds

You can set up a different trigger to capture these customers. For example:

• Use the "Customer Created" trigger in Shopify Flow, which activates when a new customer profile is created.
• Combine this with a condition to check if the customer has agreed to marketing emails.
• This should work for Facebook and Instagram subscribers because they are added to the customer list, even if the default trigger doesn’t work.

2. Sync Subscribers via Third-Party Apps

Tools like Klaviyo are often better for email marketing automation and integration with third-party sources. These apps allow you to sync email signups from Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, ensuring all subscribers get included in your Welcome Series.

3. Manually Add Existing Subscribers to the Flow

To address existing subscribers who didn’t receive the Welcome emails:

• Export your email subscriber list from Shopify.
• Filter for those added from Facebook or Instagram (check the “Marketing status” and “Source” fields).
• Import them into your email tool (Shopify Email, Klaviyo, etc.) and manually send a Welcome email or trigger them into the flow.

4. Double-Check Settings

If using Shopify Email:

• Verify that your customers' "Accepts Marketing" status is enabled. Sometimes, even minor toggles like unchecking/rechecking the box won’t update unless saved properly.
• You might need to bulk edit these settings for accuracy

If you need any other assistance, I am willing to help.

Best regards,
Daisy