# Make Shopify workflows merchant-configurable without exposing the code

A good workflow separates merchant-facing settings from technical logic. JsWorkflows can expose safe configuration fields while keeping code maintainable.

Canonical URL: https://blog.jsworkflows.com/articles/make-shopify-workflows-merchant-configurable/

Category: Use cases

Custom workflow code is powerful, but merchants should not need to edit code every time they want to change a threshold, tag, email address, CSV URL, or sales channel.

The best workflow design separates business settings from technical logic.

## The pain point

Many automations start with hardcoded values:

- A tag name.
- A minimum order value.
- A Slack channel.
- A notification email.
- A CSV URL.
- A location ID.
- A product type filter.

Hardcoding is fast for a developer, but it creates friction later. The merchant has to open code for a simple business change, or ask the developer to make every small adjustment.

## What should be configurable

Merchant-facing settings are values the store team understands.

Good setup fields include:

- Tags to add or remove.
- Email recipients.
- CSV URLs.
- Minimum order value.
- Product types, vendors, or customer segments.
- Shopify resource IDs selected during setup.
- Dry-run or active mode.

These are business choices.

## What should stay in code

Technical settings should usually stay in code.

- Page size.
- Retry count.
- Batch size.
- Continuation delay.
- GraphQL query structure.
- Throttle handling.
- Low-level error parsing.

These values affect workflow mechanics. Exposing too many of them makes the setup page harder to understand and easier to misuse.

## How JsWorkflows helps

JsWorkflows supports configuration fields that can appear in the workflow setup UI. The workflow code can import those values from `config.js`, while technical constants remain in code.

That gives both sides what they need:

- Merchants can safely change business settings.
- Developers keep control of the implementation.
- The workflow remains readable.
- The setup page becomes part of the workflow documentation.

## Why this matters for adoption

Many merchants are willing to use custom automation, but not if every change requires editing JavaScript.

Merchant-configurable workflows make custom logic feel closer to a productized workflow. The merchant can install or request a workflow, configure the important values, test it, and turn it on.

That is especially important for templates and AI-generated workflows. The code can be advanced, but the setup should still feel approachable.

## Example

For a workflow that sends a daily summary of high-value orders, the setup UI might expose:

- Minimum order value.
- Recipient email.
- Included financial statuses.

The code should keep:

- Shopify query pagination.
- Retry behavior.
- Email formatting helpers.
- Logging and error handling.

This keeps the workflow useful for non-developers without weakening the implementation.

## A practical rule

If the merchant would naturally ask, "Can I change this later?", it probably belongs in setup.

If the value controls reliability, batching, retry behavior, or API details, it should probably stay in code.