Auto-approve
Starter plan and upAn auto-approve workflow approves a return request as soon as the customer submits it, without you opening it. Use it for the returns you'd approve anyway, like low-value items or size swaps. Everything else waits for you in Pending review.
What happens when a request matches
- The customer submits a request on your return page.
- Falcon checks your active auto-approve workflows from the top down.
- The first one that matches approves the request and creates the return in Shopify.
- The customer gets the Return request approved email, if it's switched on.
The return's timeline shows the workflow's name as the one who approved it. If no workflow matches, the request stays in Pending review for you.
Return labels
If you buy return labels automatically on approval, an auto-approved request gets its label the same way. The approval email then waits until the label is ready. See Carriers and labels.
Set up an auto-approve workflow
- Go to Settings → Automations.
- Click Create workflow → Auto-approve workflow.
- Enter a Workflow name, like "Size swaps".
- Set any of these conditions:
- Return solution: tick the solutions to approve.
- Shipping method: tick the shipping methods to approve.
- Return reason (every item): tick the reasons to approve. Every item must have one of them.
- Maximum request value: the highest refund plus exchange value to approve.
- Click Save.
- Turn on the workflow's switch. New workflows start as Inactive.
A request must meet every condition you set. Leave a condition empty to allow any value. With no conditions at all, the workflow approves All requests.
Examples
| Goal | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Approve every size swap | Return solution: Replace item. Return reason (every item): Size too small, Size too large. |
| Approve small returns | Maximum request value: 30.00 |
| Approve customers who ship it themselves | Shipping method: Ship on your own |
| Approve store credit refunds | Return solution: Refund to store credit |
| Approve everything | No conditions |
Reasons need every item
The reason condition only matches when every item in the request has one of the reasons you ticked. A request with one "Size too small" item and one "Arrived damaged" item won't match a size-only workflow. That's on purpose, so a damaged item still reaches you.
Several auto-approve workflows
You can have as many as you like. They're checked from the top of the Auto-approve workflow card down, and the first match approves the request. Drag rows to change the order. The order only decides which workflow gets the credit in the timeline and the Successes count, since they all do the same thing.
When approval fails
If Falcon can't create the return in Shopify, the request stays in Pending review for you to approve by hand. The workflow's Errors count goes up, and the return's timeline shows the reason.
What doesn't get auto-approved
- Requests you create yourself from the admin. You choose whether to approve those when you create them. See Create a return.
- Requests that don't match any active workflow.
Plan
Auto-approve is included on Starter, Growth and Pro. On Free, your workflows are saved but don't run.