The Mechanic app is a powerful automation app for Shopify that lets you implement workflows that go beyond what the native Shopify Flow Builder can do. This includes, in particular, automatically sending custom emails, time-triggered tasks (so-called Scheduled Tasks), and writing metafields.
The Mechanic app is a developer-oriented solution. Creating tasks and email templates requires technical understanding and is not comparable to the simple configuration of a standard app. To implement the use cases described here, you should have the relevant knowledge or get support.
Interaction with Pickware
Mechanic — like Shopify Flow — works independently of Pickware directly in your Shopify environment. If a Mechanic task changes an order or a product in Shopify (for example, by setting a tag), this change is then automatically transferred to Pickware, where it can be processed further — for example, for filtering in pick profiles.
Typical use cases
The following use cases have already been successfully implemented in combination with Pickware:
Automatic email sending
Shopify cannot natively send freely configurable emails. Mechanic allows you to implement this — for example, to inform customers about a possible partial delivery. In such a scenario, the shop automatically detects at the time of order receipt whether an item is out of stock and sends the customer an email with options to choose from (e.g. wait for a complete delivery or receive a partial delivery). Depending on the customer's choice, a corresponding tag is set on the order, which can in turn be used in Pickware to control order processing.
Time-triggered tasks (Scheduled Tasks)
With scheduled tasks, you can regularly check orders against specific criteria and process them automatically. A typical example is controlling orders with a requested delivery date: a scheduled task checks all open orders daily, calculates the number of days until the requested delivery date, and automatically sets a tag if a defined threshold is undercut. Using a pick profile in Pickware, these orders can then be specifically released for picking.
Important: A status set via a tag can only be reversed if the tag is removed both in Shopify and in Pickware. Removing it in Shopify alone is not enough.
Writing metafields
Mechanic can write and populate metafields on orders, products, or customers. This is relevant, for example, when certain information needs to be stored in a structured field for downstream processes or integrations.
Setup
The Mechanic app is installed via the Shopify App Store. The actual automations are then created using tasks that are set up in the app. Due to the technical nature of the app, we recommend drawing on relevant experience when implementing more complex automations.
You can find more information about the app and its capabilities directly from the provider: Mechanic in the Shopify App Store