> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dema.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Shopify tips & tricks
> Common questions, tips, and workflow guides for getting the most out of the Dema–Shopify integration.
## Discount tracking with compare-at price
### Why `compareAtPrice` alone is not enough
In Shopify, every product variant has a **Compare-at price** field (`compareAtPrice`). When set, Shopify displays it as a strikethrough "original" price alongside the current selling price — giving shoppers a visual discount indicator.
However, Shopify **does not include `compareAtPrice` in the order line item data** exposed through its Orders API. This means that when Dema syncs your orders, the raw order records contain no information about what the compare-at price was at the time of purchase — only the price the customer actually paid.
As a result, simply setting `compareAtPrice` on your product variants is not enough for Dema to calculate discount percentages or attribute revenue to sale pricing. The compare-at price must be explicitly captured at order time.
### The fix: save compare-at price as an order metafield via Shopify Flow
The solution is to use **Shopify Flow** to run an automation every time a new order is placed. The workflow reads the `compareAtPrice` from each line item's variant and saves it as an **order metafield** — a JSON object mapping each SKU to its original price. Dema (and any other downstream tool) can then read this metafield to compute accurate discount percentages.
#### Prerequisites
* Shopify **Basic** plan or higher (Flow is included on all paid plans).
* Admin access to **Apps → Shopify Flow**.
* `compareAtPrice` already set on the product variants you want to track (see [Setting compareAtPrice on variants](#setting-compareatprice-on-variants) below).
#### Setting up the workflow
In your Shopify admin, go to **Apps → Flow**. Click **Create workflow**.
Click **Select a trigger** and choose **Order created**. This fires every time a new order is placed in your store.
Click the **+** button after the trigger, then select **Update order metafield**. Configure the metafield with the following settings:
| Field | Value |
| ------------- | ------------------ |
| **Namespace** | `custom` |
| **Key** | `compare_at_price` |
| **Type** | `JSON` |
In the **Value** field, switch to the Liquid / template editor and paste the following code exactly:
```liquid theme={null}
{% capture lineItems_output %}
{% assign seen_skus = '' %}
{% for lineItems_item in order.lineItems %}
{% if lineItems_item.variant.compareAtPrice > 0 %}
{% unless seen_skus contains lineItems_item.sku %}
, "{{ lineItems_item.sku }}": "{{ lineItems_item.variant.compareAtPrice }}"
{% assign seen_skus = seen_skus | append: lineItems_item.sku | append: ',' %}
{% endunless %}
{% endif %}
{% endfor %}
{% endcapture %}
{
{{ lineItems_output | remove_first: ', ' }}
}
```
This only populates when at least one line item has a `compareAtPrice` set — which typically only happens during sale or promo periods. On regular orders it produces an empty JSON object `{}`.
Click **Save**, then toggle the workflow to **On**. It will run on every new order from this point forward.
This workflow only applies to **new orders** created after it is enabled. Historical orders will not be backfilled with compare-at price data.
#### What you get
Each order will have a metafield at `custom.compare_at_price` containing a JSON object that maps each discounted SKU to its original price at the time of purchase:
```json theme={null}
{
"SKU-001": "89.00",
"SKU-002": "129.00"
}
```
If no items had a compare-at price set, the metafield will be `{}`.
#### How the Liquid code works
| Part | What it does |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `capture lineItems_output` | Stores the loop output as a string so the leading comma can be cleaned up afterwards |
| `assign seen_skus = ''` | Initialises an empty string used to track which SKUs have already been written, preventing duplicate JSON keys if the same variant appears on multiple line items |
| `for lineItems_item in order.lineItems` | Loops through every line item on the order |
| `if lineItems_item.variant.compareAtPrice > 0` | Filters to only items that have a compare-at price set (i.e. they are on sale) |
| `unless seen_skus contains lineItems_item.sku` | Skips the SKU if it has already been written, ensuring each key appears only once in the JSON output |
| `, "{{ lineItems_item.sku }}": "{{ ... }}"` | Writes each matching item as a JSON key-value pair with a leading comma |
| `seen_skus \| append: lineItems_item.sku \| append: ','` | Records the SKU as seen so subsequent duplicates are skipped |
| `remove_first: ', '` | Strips the leading comma so the resulting JSON is valid |
| Outer `{ }` | Wraps everything as a JSON object |
#### Where you can use the metafield
Once the workflow is live, `custom.compare_at_price` is available on every order via `order.metafields.custom.compare_at_price`. You can use it in:
* **Dema reporting** — Dema reads this metafield automatically to compute discount rates and full-price vs. sale revenue splits.
* **Integrations** — pass the original price to any downstream system (ERP, data warehouse, BI tool) that needs to know the pre-discount value.
* **Order confirmation emails** — reference `order.metafields.custom.compare_at_price` in your email templates to show customers how much they saved.
* **Other Shopify Flow workflows** — trigger further automations based on whether an order contained discounted items.
***
### Setting compareAtPrice on variants
Before the Flow workflow can capture compare-at prices, the field must be populated on your product variants. If your catalog already has this set, no action is needed.
#### Single product
1. In your Shopify admin, go to **Products** and open the product.
2. In the **Variants** section, click the variant you want to edit.
3. Under **Pricing**, enter the original price in the **Compare-at price** field.
4. Click **Save**.
#### Bulk edit
1. Go to **Products**, select the products to update, then click **Edit products**.
2. Click **Columns** and enable **Compare-at price**.
3. Fill in the compare-at price for each row, then click **Save**.
#### CSV import
1. Export your catalog: **Products → Export → All products → CSV for Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheet applications**.
2. Populate the `Variant Compare At Price` column for each relevant row.
3. Re-import: **Products → Import → upload your updated CSV → Import products**.