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Shopify low-stock reorder automation

Low-stock reorder automation watches inventory levels in Shopify and drafts a purchase order when a product falls below its reorder point. It uses recent sales and supplier details to suggest a quantity, then waits for a person to approve the order before anything is sent.

An example of how the studio would build it. No live services are connected.

From a low stock level to a drafted purchase order.

  1. Step 01

    Stock level dropped

    An inventory change in Shopify takes a product below the reorder level you set for it.

  2. Step 02

    Sales speed checked

    Read recent sales for that product to estimate how long the current stock will last.

  3. Step 03

    Supplier looked up

    Find the supplier, unit cost, minimum order and lead time in a Google Sheet you keep up to date.

  4. Step 04

    Order drafted

    Prepare a purchase order email in Gmail with a suggested quantity, ready for you to adjust.

  5. Step 05

    Sent on approval

    Send the order to the supplier only after you approve it, then mark the product as on order.

The result

Bestsellers stay in stock.

Nothing goes to a supplier without your approval. A product that is already on order isn’t drafted again until that order is received or cancelled.

Before we connect it.

Where this is useful

Useful for shops that reorder from a handful of regular suppliers and rely on someone noticing when stock runs low. A sensible first version covers your best-selling products and one or two suppliers, with every order sent only after approval.

What we need to connect

  1. 01Shopify inventory levels and order history for the locations you sell from.
  2. 02A Google Sheet listing each product’s supplier, cost, minimum order, lead time and reorder level.
  3. 03The Gmail account that sends orders, an order template and the person who approves them.

What needs careful handling

Stock can dip below the threshold several times in a day, so allowing one open order per product prevents duplicate drafts. Returns, manual adjustments and multiple locations can make levels jump, so the check reads the current figure rather than trusting the event alone. Seasonal peaks and promotions need a person’s judgement, which is why the quantity is only a suggestion.

Questions people ask.

How does it decide how much to order?

It starts from simple rules you agree, such as enough stock to cover the supplier’s lead time plus a buffer, rounded up to their minimum order. You can change the quantity before approving.

Can it send orders to suppliers by itself?

It could, but approval is the sensible default. Once the suggestions have proved reliable for a product, you might choose to let small routine orders go automatically.

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