Allow merchants to close/dismiss pending return requests without notifying the customer, particularly for stores using third-party returns apps where duplicate requests are created in the Shopify admin.
Hi @user3632
I’m Vineet from Identixweb, a Shopify Development Agency.
I agree this would be a useful admin feature, especially for stores using a third-party returns app alongside Shopify’s native return requests.
Right now, the admin flow is mainly built around approving or declining a return request. I have gone through Shopify’s Help Center and it says when you decline a return request, the customer receives an email with the decline message, so it is not really an internal cleanup action.
For apps, Shopify’s Admin API does support return request decline, and newer API versions include a notifyCustomer option for approve/decline actions. But that still requires an app/API workflow, not a simple merchant-facing button in the admin.
So I think the request makes sense: Shopify should add a silent dismiss / close duplicate return request option in admin for internal cleanup. This would help avoid confusing customers when duplicate returns are created by external return tools.
Hi @user3632
This is a real operational gap, especially for stores using third party returns apps alongside Shopify’s native returns flow.
Right now Shopify treats return requests as customer facing objects, so closing or declining them is tied to customer notifications by design. That’s what creates friction when duplicates come in from external returns systems.
Most merchants in this situation handle it by letting the third party app be the source of truth for return status, and simply archiving or marking the Shopify return as resolved internally rather than actively closing it. Another workaround is using tags or notes to suppress internal processing while avoiding customer triggered status changes.
A more flexible “internal close without notification” state would definitely reduce duplicate handling overhead, especially at scale.