Hi, some of my products are made-to-order woodwork and can be subject to delays in busy periods.
I’d like to set up something which can tell customers how many active woodwork orders are currently in the queue/unfulfilled, so they can anticipate delays - to avoid unhappy customers and take the stress of my partner somewhat.
I’m thinking something like this:
customer orders a woodwork product (by Type)
count orders matching this criteria: unfulfilled and contains a woodwork product
output that number in an email “we have X current woodwork orders in the queue”
But for step 2, I can’t see how I can count orders matching criteria - is this possible with Flow?
Or alternatively, I could have multiple flows where one records woodwork orders as they come in and one lowers the count when the orders are fulfilled; then either display this field on the listings/checkout or output it in an email when ordered.
But for this one, I’m not sure where I’d effectively “store” that count - I don’t think there are “global” metafields in Shopify. Is this possible with Flow, or would I need to use another integration of some sort?
Thank you for reaching out! I’d be happy to assist you with implementing a solution to manage and display the number of active woodwork orders in the queue.
With over 8 years of experience, I’m confident in delivering an efficient and tailored solution for your needs. To achieve this, I’d need access to your store to review the setup and implement the exact solution for you.
Feel free to reach out to me via email, and we can discuss the next steps. I look forward to helping you achieve the best possible outcome!
You’re on the right track. Flow is great for tagging and automating steps, but it can’t really “count” orders or store a running tally on its own. There isn’t a global metafield that keeps track of how many unfulfilled orders match a certain product type or tag.
Two common workarounds:
Order tagging + external storage
You can tag woodwork orders in Flow when they’re created, and then use a connector (like Zapier, Alloy, or even a custom app) to push those order events into a database or Google Sheet. That sheet can keep the live count, which you could then pull into emails or even display on your site.
Branded tracking/queue display apps
If the goal is more about keeping customers updated on order progress, you might look into something like ParcelPanel Order Tracking. It won’t count unfulfilled orders by type, but it does let you show customers the real-time status of their own orders in a branded way. For made-to-order items, some merchants pair that with custom messaging so customers know lead times or queue length when they check their status.
If you want the exact “we have X woodwork orders in the queue” logic, you’d probably need a small custom app/script to handle the counting. Flow can handle the tagging/triggering part, but not the tally or storage.
If this gave you something useful, feel free to mark it as a solution so others can find it too.
Shopify Flow can’t natively count orders against a live condition the way you’re describing. It’s designed more for automation (trigger → condition → action) rather than for maintaining global counters. That’s why you’re not seeing an option to “store” or “query” a dynamic order count.
The most reliable approaches are:
Custom App or Integration – You’d need either a lightweight private app or a third-party tool that queries the Orders API in real time. This can fetch all unfulfilled orders tagged as “woodwork” and return the current count, which you could then push into email notifications or display on product pages.
Metafield Workaround – Flow could update a product or shop-level metafield (via Admin API call) every time a woodwork order is placed/fulfilled. But since Flow itself doesn’t support “global counters,” you’d still need a custom function or app action to write and update those values.
Customer-Facing Queue Display – If the goal is just transparency, you can surface a notice like “Lead time may vary depending on order volume” and integrate a live counter via app or embedded script that pulls from the API. That avoids manually updating text.
You’d need either a lightweight private app or a third-party tool that queries the Orders API in real time. This can fetch all unfulfilled orders tagged as “woodwork” and return the current count, which you could then push into email notifications or display on product pages.
If you don’t mind using third-party apps, you can take advantage of the Execute GraphQL request action from the Flow Companion app. This action allows you to query any data available through Shopify’s official GraphQL API. It also uses the latest version of the API, so all the necessary fields will be available to you.
