Cancellation retention flows give customers another way to solve the problem that made them consider cancelling. A flow can respond to a selected cancellation reason or a phrase in the customer's message, then show helpful copy and an optional Order Editing module.
The customer can still continue with cancellation. Retention flows are alternatives, not blocks.
Turn on Order Cancellations and configure its refund method.
Enable and configure any Order Editing module you plan to offer, such as Shipping Address Edits, Shipping Methods, Product Search, or discount codes.
Create an Active Editing Rule first if the flow should be limited to a specific customer or order segment.
Open App Settings.
Select Editing blocks.
Open Order Cancellations.
Under Related settings, select Smart cancellation retention flows.
The Cancellation retention page lists Draft and Active flows, their audience, and the number of offers they contain. You can search, filter by status or match type, and sort the list.
Select Create retention flow.
Enter a Flow name that explains the problem and response, such as Wrong address: open address edit.
Keep the status as Draft while you configure and review it. Draft flows are not shown to customers.
Under Who sees this flow, choose:
Show to all customers; or
Show to a segment of customers, then select an Active Editing Rule.
Select Add reason or Add message phrase.
Configure what should match.
Add the customer-facing headline, message, and optional module.
Add another offer only when it supports the same cancellation problem.
Select Save flow.
Match type | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
Cancellation reason | Matches one of the reasons shown on the cancellation form. | Show an address-edit option when the customer selects a wrong-address reason. |
Message contains | Matches the phrase anywhere in the customer's cancellation message, without requiring the same capitalization. | Match |
The reason list uses the current customer-facing cancellation reasons and translations. If a reason is hidden from the form, do not rely on customers being able to select it.
A flow can contain up to three message-phrase matches. Keep phrases specific enough to avoid unrelated matches. A short phrase such as size can match more situations than ordered the wrong size.
For each reason or message match, configure:
Setting | What the customer sees |
|---|---|
Headline | The title of the expandable retention option. |
Message | Short supporting copy above the optional module. |
Module (optional) | A real Order Editing action the customer can use without leaving the cancellation journey. |
Open module by default | Starts the retention option expanded so the action is immediately visible. |
Available modules can include discount codes, contact support, product recommendations, shipping-address changes, shipping methods, quantity changes, product-option changes, gift messages, payment-method switching, and supported subscription rescheduling.
The discount-code and product-recommendation modules can also receive a starting value. Use Pre-fill the discount field for a real code the customer may apply, or Add a default search value to start Product Search with a useful query. The customer can still edit that value.
Adding a module to a retention offer can force it to appear in the cancellation journey, but it does not bypass order eligibility, payment, inventory, integration, or Shopify restrictions. Test the action on a representative eligible order.
You can add more than one offer for the same reason. Matching offers appear as separate expandable options, up to the supported customer-facing limit.
This is useful when the customer has two reasonable choices, such as changing the product or reducing its quantity. Avoid stacking several weak alternatives: the cancellation form should remain quick to understand.
The page includes templates for common price, shipping, product, payment, and support situations.
Find Start with a template.
Search or choose a category.
Select a template.
Review every reason, phrase, headline, message, and module it added.
Replace placeholder values such as example discount codes.
Save the flow as Draft and test it before activating.
A template is a starting point. It does not confirm that a discount, shipping method, subscription action, or product is configured for your store.
Open an eligible controlled order inside the editing window.
Open Cancel order as the customer.
Select the matching reason or finish typing the configured message phrase.
Confirm the expected headline and message appear.
Expand the offer and try its module, if one is attached.
Confirm the customer can still return to or continue the cancellation path.
Return to the flow, change it to Active, and select Save flow. Active flows can be shown to matching customers.
Monitor cancellation-retention results in Analytics.
Matching reacts to completed words and reason changes. If you are testing a message phrase, finish the phrase or add a space before assuming it did not match.
Confirm the flow is Active, not Draft.
Confirm the selected reason or completed message contains the configured match.
For a segmented flow, confirm the order matches the selected Active Editing Rule.
Confirm Order Cancellations is available for the order and the customer is still inside the editing window.
Confirm the attached module is configured and the order is eligible for that action.
If several offers match, remember that only a limited number are shown. Make the most useful match more specific and remove unnecessary duplicates.
Retention matching fails open: a loading or matching problem does not trap the customer or prevent cancellation.
