Add the order timeline to Flow please

[CJWalker]

Please add the ability for Flows to add things to the order timeline.

I'm baffled. This has been long requested. And you just released a shiny new version of Flow without it. 

[paul_n]

I think you are asking that Flow adds an event to the order timeline when it does an action that affects the order. Flow does this for some actions but not others. Is there a particular action that you did not see there but want? 

[ugs]

I am trying to create a trigger (in Flow) for SHIPPING LABEL ADJUSTMENTS in the Order Timeline. Is this possible?

[paul_n]

The timeline is a log of events. You shouldn't be able to change a log. I think you mean something else though.

[CJWalker]

Hi Paul_n,

The goal is not to tamper with what’s there. The goal is to give users the ability to make records for later reference. 
It would be easy to limit Flow to only adding, and possibly editing what it has added, not editing what has been created by other apps or the platform itself. 

[paul_n]

There isn't an API to add events or comments to a timeline, therefore Flow (or any 3p) cannot add events to it. The events that do get added there are handled on a case-by-case basis based on what that particular action/API implements. For example, when a payment is captured. I think the fundamental problem is that opening it up would quickly make it unreadable for important events (like if someone added 100 events in quick succession), so a totally new timeline is needed.  All that said, it's something that would be very useful, I agree.

[CJWalker]

You're on the right track, but flows are made by the user, so if the user is cluttering their own timeline, they should be allowed to do that.

A separate timeline might be nice, but it's not necessary. All you need is a mask for the current timeline that only shows Shopify's entries if the user wants that. Other entries would appear collapsed.

Also, a lot of apps out there make changes to orders. They should also be allowed to add to the timeline. Not having something as monumental as an order edit appearing on the timeline is a far worse user experience than the odd extra entry.

If an app is adding too many entries, let us block it, or more likely, users will just uninstall it. That's how it should be. Not a platform limitation like you're suggesting.