Shopify Flow / New Feature

Workflow steps
can now be copied and pasted

Duplicate carefully configured actions and conditions with Cmd/Ctrl+C → Cmd/Ctrl+V. Settings and condition logic are preserved, and you can paste within the same workflow or into a different one. No more rebuilding everything from scratch.

On this page
  1. What's changing (30-second overview)
  2. How it works: from copy to paste
  3. What you can and can't do
  4. Before vs. after copy & paste support
  5. How to use it (3 steps)
  6. 5 key points for developers
  7. 3 practical use cases
  8. One-line summary for proposals

1What's changing

When building workflows, you often had to recreate steps you had already built elsewhere.
With this update,you can now copy and paste existing action and condition steps.

Before: rebuild from scratch every time

Even for identical steps, you had to re-enter each configuration field one by one in the destination workflow.

Now: duplicate with copy & paste

Duplicates steps with configuration field values intact — including logic for condition steps. After pasting, only minor tweaks are needed before it's ready to use.

2How it works: from copy to paste

① Select a step Action or condition One step at a time ② Copy Cmd / Ctrl + C Keeps settings and condition logic ③ Paste Cmd / Ctrl + V Into the same or a different workflow ④ Ready to use right away Minor tweaks only
What's preserved : the values of the copied step's configuration fields. For condition steps, they are preservedalong with the condition logic. The article explicitly states that pasted steps arrive "ready to use with just minor tweaks."

3What you can / can't do

What you can do

Supported

Copy & paste actions

Duplicated together with the configuration field values.

Supported

Copy & paste conditions

The condition logic is preserved as well.

Supported

Paste into another workflow

You can paste not only within the same workflow, but into other workflows too.

What you can't do (initial release limitations)

Not supported

Copying triggers

Only actions and conditions can be copied. Triggers are not included.

Not supported

Copying multiple steps at once

Only one step can be copied at a time. Multi-select isn't supported "yet."

Not supported

Steps with custom configuration pages

Steps with their own configuration pages, such as Send Marketing Email, can't be copied.

4Before vs. after copy & paste support

ItemBeforeAfter this update
Reusing steps Manual work Rebuild from scratch at the destination Copy & paste Duplicate with Cmd/Ctrl+C → V
Configuration field values Re-enter everything Preserved Carried over as is
Conditional logic Rebuild Preserved Duplicated with logic
Copying between workflows Not possible (rebuild only) Possible Can paste into another workflow
Multiple steps at once — Not supported One step at a time

5How to use it (3 steps)

1

Select a step

In the workflow editor, select the action or condition step you want to copy.

2

Cmd/Ctrl + C

The step is copied along with its settings (and its logic, for conditions).

3

Cmd/Ctrl + V

You can paste within the same workflow, or open another workflow and paste there.

Plan and region requirements arenot statedin the article. The specifics of the "minor edits" needed after pasting are also not stated, so verify the behavior in a real store. The article points to the documentation for details, and to the Shopify Community for questions and feedback.

65 things developers should know

1. Only actions and conditions can be copied

Triggers cannot be copied. This is not a substitute for duplicating an entire workflow — it is strictly a step-level reuse feature.

2. Settings and condition logic are preserved

After pasting, steps are said to work with "minor edits" only. However, the article does not detail what carries over as-is and what needs fixing, so reviewing the settings at the paste destination is a must.

3. Cross-workflow copying is a tool for standardization

You can paste not only within the same workflow but also into other workflows, making it practical to keep shared steps consistent across multiple flows.

4. Steps with custom settings pages are not supported

Steps with their own settings pages, such as Send Marketing Email, cannot be copied. If the steps you want to standardize include these, some manual work remains.

5. The wording suggests the "first release" limitations may loosen over time

The article explicitly says "A few things to note for this first release" and "aren't supported yet", hinting that multi-select and similar features may come later (no commitment is stated). The article also says nothing about whether this can be done via the API — it is described purely as a keyboard operation in the editor.

73 practical use cases

USE CASE 1

Standardizing shared steps scattered across multiple workflows

Challenge
The same actions — order tagging, internal notifications, and so on — exist in multiple workflows with slightly inconsistent settings. Every fix meant opening and editing each workflow by hand.
Approach
Carefully configure the steps in a master workflow, copy them with Cmd/Ctrl+C, and paste them into each workflow to keep them aligned.
Result
Because settings are duplicated along with the step, transcription errors disappear and step contents stay consistent across workflows.
Technical notes
Only one step can be copied at a time, so if there are many target steps, make a work list and go through them in order. Steps with custom configuration pages, such as Send Marketing Email, are not supported.
Condition Condition'
USE CASE 2

Quickly create similar variations of complex conditional branches

Challenge
You want to build similar conditional branches for each customer segment or price range, but assembling multi-condition logic from scratch every time is slow and error-prone.
Approach
Build one base condition step, duplicate it with copy & paste, then edit only the differences such as thresholds and segment names.
Result
Because the condition logic is preserved when duplicated, adding branch variations only requires editing the differences.
Technical notes
Copying works on individual condition and action steps. Bulk duplication of an entire branch structure (multi-select) is not supported, so copy each downstream action separately.
USE CASE 3

Speed up extending and replicating delivered workflows

Challenge
When adding features to a workflow delivered as an agency or partner, re-implementing steps equivalent to the existing, carefully built ones takes significant effort.
Approach
Copy proven steps from an existing workflow, then paste them to extend the same workflow or as the foundation for a new one, and adjust from there.
Result
Since you build only the differences on top of a working configuration, you shorten implementation time and raise configuration quality at the same time.
Technical notes
Triggers cannot be copied, so set up the trigger in the new workflow manually. Preparing a checklist of the minor fixes needed after pasting keeps things safe.

8One-line summary for proposals

"Flow action and condition steps can now be copied and pasted with Cmd/Ctrl+C → V.
They can be duplicated within the same workflow or into another one, with settings and condition logic preserved.
Triggers, multi-select, and steps with custom configuration pages are not included in the initial release."