Automation Examples
Automations are actions that are automatically triggered within the return process. They’re a powerful way to streamline operations, reduce manual work, and improve customer experience.
Below are a few practical examples of automations with explanations based on common use cases.
1. Add ‘Coupon’ Tag Based on Customer Answer
You can automatically add a tag to the return order based on the customer’s answer to a return question.
In this example, the automation is triggered when a return is created. The condition is that the answer to the question “What is your desired solution?” equals “I would like to receive a coupon”.
The action is to add the tag Coupon to the return.
2. Add ‘Refund’ Tag Based on Customer Answer
Using the same setup as in Example 1, you can also trigger a tag based on a different answer.
If the customer answers “I would like to receive a refund”, the automation will add a Refund tag to the return.
3. Automatically Create a Coupon
You can also use automations to generate a coupon once a return reaches a specific status.
In this example, the trigger is a status change to Approved. The condition is that the Resolution type (which you can configure on the return question page) equals “In store credit”.
The action is to create a coupon using your preferred integration.
Additionally, you can choose whether or not to reimburse shipping costs—never, always, or only if the entire order is returned (required in the Netherlands). Note: this refers to the original shipping costs, not the return shipping costs.
To close the loop, you can add another action to change the status to Resolved, indicating that the return is fully processed.
*Important note: use ‘Mark as received’ before integration actions.
4. Automatically Create a Refund
This setup is nearly identical to Example 3, but the customer selects “refund” instead.
Make sure you select the correct answer condition so the automation performs the refund action instead of issuing a coupon.
5. Use Notes to Communicate with Customers or Colleagues
In Returnless, you can use the Notes section to leave messages for customers or internal team members.
If you’re leaving a message for the customer, it can be helpful to automatically change the status of the return.
This makes it easy to track returns that are waiting for a response and keeps your dashboard organized.
6. Change Status When Customers Respond to Notes
Customers can also reply to notes. When they do, it’s useful to automatically change the return status to something like Action Required.
This way, you can filter returns by status and immediately see which ones need follow-up.
7. Add Tags Based on Return Reason
Tags can also be added based on the return reason.
This is useful for scenarios like warranty claims or when you want to highlight returns that include damaged items.
8. Send Automatic Notes Based on Return Reason
Automations can also send notes directly to the customer—or leave internal notes for your team.
In the example below, the automation is triggered when a return request is created and the return reason is either “Product is defective” or “Wrong product delivered”.
The action sends a predefined note to the customer asking for more information.
Note templates can be created and managed in your settings.
9. Automatically create a Return in Another Integration (e.g., Picqer)
You can automate the pre-registration of a return in another system, such as Picqer.
Set the trigger to Return Created, and add an action to create a return in the external integration.
This helps streamline warehouse or stock processes by syncing return information across platforms automatically.
*Important note: use ‘Mark as received’ before integration actions.
10. Automatically Change Return Status to ‘In Warehouse’ After Scan
You can automate the status change of a return from New to In Warehouse as soon as the first scan is completed in the warehouse.
This ensures your system accurately reflects the return’s progress.
Additionally, you can use the Returns page to filter by this status, making it easy to track which items have already arrived at the warehouse.
Additional information
*Action: Mark as received
When setting up automations with integration actions such as Create refund, Create coupon, or Create return, make sure to first include the action ‘Mark as received’.
These integration actions require the item(s) to be marked as received in Returnless before they can be executed correctly. By explicitly adding ‘Mark as received’ first, you ensure that the process runs smoothly and the action is successfully triggered.
If this step is missing, the automation may not behave as expected, and you’ll receive a warning in the panel as a reminder.