How to set up a Fixed sequence automated flow

Use the Fixed sequence Automate template to offer a unique product series, where you set a sequence of variants for customers to progress through. The series automatically ends after a customer receives all the products in the series.

This guide explains how to set up a Fixed sequence automated flow to create a one-time sequence, allowing you to promote an exclusive series to your customers.

How it works

Use the Fixed sequence automated flow to design a tailored shopping journey and create a sequence of unique products for customers to receive with each order. Once a customer completes the sequence, it automatically ends, letting you create a predictable and automated shopping flow.

After orders enter the flow, the Conditional Branch node routes customers through the correct product progression based on the product in their processed order.

For example, if you have a three-sequence automated flow, you need four branches, three for each product in the sequence, and one for orders that do not contain any selected products.

Each branch is assigned a Subscription node, which defines the action to be executed on the customer’s next order. Use the Subscription node to swap the existing product to the next item in the sequence.

In the three-sequence example above, Branch A corresponds to the first product in the sequence. When configuring the Subscription node for Branch A, you must select the product assigned to Branch B as the next item in the sequence. This ensures the customer progresses smoothly to the next product after receiving the previous one.

Example

A coffee company offers a limited-edition coffee subscription, available only in January, in which customers receive a curated selection of rare coffee blends from different countries monthly for six months.

When the customer completes the six-month series, the shopping flow ends and the coffee blends are unavailable for purchase on the storefront, ensuring a unique, exclusive experience for customers.

Editing Automate flows

You can edit an Automate flow at any time. Once a flow has been activated at least once, saving changes creates a new version of the flow. This lets you update the flow without rebuilding it from scratch.

To learn how flow versions behave and how analytics are affected, see How to edit Automate flows using flow versioning.

Step 1 - Create your products in Shopify and add subscription plans

Make sure all products in the sequence exist in Shopify and are added to Recharge before building the Fixed sequence automated flow:

1. Review your existing products in your Shopify admin, or add a new product.
2. Navigate to your Recharge merchant admin and select Products from the Products menu.
3. Confirm that you have assigned subscription plans to the products, or add a subscription plan if necessary.

Step 2 - Create the automated flow

Create the Fixed sequence automated flow in your Recharge merchant portal:

1. From the merchant portal, click Products and select Automate.
2. Select Create from template under Fixed sequence, and click Get started!
3. Select Manage settings to add a title and a description.

You can now access the flow canvas and build the automated flow. This flow uses a standard template designed by Recharge. By default, you cannot change the Smart loop node.

Step 3 – Configure trigger conditions

Trigger conditions determine which orders can enter the flow. Recharge recommends configuring trigger conditions so the sequence starts only when a customer purchases the first product in your series.

To configure trigger conditions:

1. On the flow canvas, click the Trigger node.

2. Click Add to create a trigger condition.

3. Select Processed charge line item.

4. Choose the appropriate operator (for example, Equals).

5. Select the first product in your sequence.

6. Click Apply, then Save.

Only orders that meet these conditions will enter the flow.

Step 4 - Configure the Conditional Branch node

 After setting trigger conditions, use the Conditional Branch node to define how customers progress through each product in the sequence.

Use the Conditional Branch node to create multiple branches within the automation. This node assigns customers to specific branches, customizing the action based on the products customers received in their previous order.

The default template has three branches: Branch 1, Branch 2, and Else:

• Branch 1: Targets orders that contain the initial product that starts the automated looping flow. Use the Line item condition to determine if the customer’s order contains a specific product. If the customer is subscribed to the specified product, they enter this branch, and the flow is automatically applied.
• Branch 2: Targets orders that contain the next product in the sequence.
• Else: If the customer’s order does not contain the specified products, the Else branch is executed, and the flow is not applied.

You can use the default template and only configure Branch 1 and Branch 2 or add additional branches to include more products in your sequence:

1. Select the Conditional Branch node on the flow canvas.
2. Click on the pencil icon next to Branch 1 to edit the branch.
3. Add a Branch name.
4. Select Processed charge line item from the object dropdown menu.
5. Select Variant from the attribute dropdown menu.
6. Select Equals, Doesn’t equal, or Only equals from the operator dropdown menu.
7. Click + Add product to select the product that Recharge needs to look for when processing the order. This is the product that starts the sequence. Search for the product, select it, and click Apply.
8. Repeat these steps for Branch 2, selecting the next product in the sequence as the order condition.
9. Click +Add branch and repeat the steps to add additional branches, or click Apply to save your configuration.

You should now have at least three branches configured on the template:

• One branch for orders containing the initial product in the sequence
• One branch for orders containing the second product in the sequence
• One branch for orders that do not contain either product

Duplicate a branch

If your branches use similar logic, you can duplicate an existing branch instead of creating a new one from scratch.

To duplicate a branch:

1. Open the Conditional Branch node.

2. Select the branch you want to copy.

3. Click Duplicate branch.

4. Update the condition values as needed.

5. Click Apply.

The duplicated branch appears directly below the original and includes all associated nodes on the canvas.

Step 5 - Configure the Subscription node

The Fixed sequence automated flow needs at least two nodes to execute correctly:

• Subscription node: Automatically swaps the product a customer is subscribed to for their next upcoming order.
• Cancel subscription node: Automatically cancels the subscription when a customer receives the final product in the sequence.

Step 1 - Review the Cancel subscription node

Ensure your trigger conditions are properly configured so that only customers who begin with the first product in the sequence enter the flow. Incorrect entry conditions could result in unintended cancellations.

Update the nodes if necessary:

1. Click the three vertical dots menu and select Delete to remove the Cancel subscription node from a branch.
2. Click Show next to Canvas actions to add the Cancel subscription node to the final branch in the flow.
3. Drag and drop the Cancel subscription node to the final branch.
4. Enter a cancellation reason and click Apply.

Step 2 - Update the Subscription nodes

Update the Subscription node to set the automated actions:

1. Select the Subscription node on the flow canvas.
2. Choose the Swap action to swap to the next product in the sequence.
3. Click +Add product to select the new subscription product.
4. Set the subscription properties, such as the order frequency, product price, quantity, and product and variant title. You can also add one of the following options under Order date:
   • Frequency-based delay: Adds a delay to the next charge date based on the subscription’s set frequency (e.g., every 30 days, every 2 months).
     • Use this when you want the delay to maintain alignment with the customer’s subscription cadence. For example, if a customer is on a monthly subscription, a frequency-based delay of one period will schedule the next charge for one full subscription cycle after the triggering event.
   • Order-based delay: Schedules the next charge to occur a set number of days after the triggering order is placed.
     • Use this when you want to control the delay in absolute time (e.g., 10 days), regardless of the subscription’s billing frequency. This is useful when fulfillment time or product usage needs dictate the timing of the next charge.
   • Date-based delay: Sets the next charge to occur on a specific calendar date.
     • Use this when the next charge must happen on a fixed date, such as the 1st of the month or a seasonal deadline. It’s ideal for aligning charges with events, holidays, or custom billing schedules.
5. Repeat these steps for all but your last branch, which should have the Cancel subscription node assigned. 
6. Click Apply to save your node setup.

Configuring multiple Subscription nodes ensures that customers enter a successful sequence. When customers purchase the first product in the series, the automated flow begins, delivering each product in order. Once they reach the end of the sequence, it automatically ends, and customers don't receive any additional products.

Optional - Select a plan

If the selected product variant has subscription plans, you can choose a subscription or quantity upsell plan instead of setting a custom order frequency. When you select a plan, the plan determines the price, and Recharge disables price overrides. If the selected plan is a quantity upsell plan, Recharge also disables the quantity input.

To select a plan:

1. In the Order frequency dropdown, select Choose a plan.
2. Select a plan from the dropdown.

Optional - Add additional actions to the canvas

Step 6 - Set your products to active in Shopify

Make sure your products are available for purchase:

1. Set the product status to Active for all products available in the sequence.
2. Set the initial product in the sequence to be available on your online store. Make sure to keep all other products set to unavailable on your storefront to prevent customers from entering the sequence midway.

Step 7 - Save and test the automated flow

Click Save in the top-right corner to save your flow.

You can test the automated flow before activating it to ensure it works as intended. See How to test Automate flows for detailed instructions.

Step 8 - Activate the flow

Select Activate in the top right corner to enable the flow.

Once you activate the flow, Recharge evaluates eligible charges against the flow’s trigger conditions and applies the flow when conditions are met.

Considerations

Consider the following when using Automate:

Resources

Getting started

• Getting started with Automate

Additional template set-up instructions

• How to set up a Kit unpacking automated flow
• How to set up a Starter pack to refill swap automated flow
• How to set up an Ongoing sequence automated flow
• How to set up a Trial to subscription automated flow
• How to set up a Welcome offer automated flow
• How to set up a Scheduled quarterly shipments experience