External events into Shopify Flow

# External events into Shopify Flow

Canonical: https://docs.flowrelay.app/getting-started/
Markdown: https://docs.flowrelay.app/getting-started.md

FlowRelay receives events from outside Shopify, checks them, and hands the matching trigger to Shopify Flow.

## What FlowRelay does
FlowRelay is the event front door for Shopify Flow. It gives each outside sender a controlled endpoint, records a receipt, and keeps recovery work tied to safe evidence.


## What Delivered means
Delivered means FlowRelay handed the trigger to Shopify Flow. Shopify Flow branch matching and downstream actions are separate Shopify Flow behavior.


## Where to go next
Most teams start with one test event, then add authentication, connect the Flow trigger, and use receipts to verify what happened.


## Start path
Use this order when you are new to FlowRelay.
1. Start with a concrete use case, such as a supplier update, ERP event, warehouse status, partner alert, or custom app event that should start Shopify Flow.
2. Create an endpoint for that sender and choose the event type Shopify Flow should receive.
3. Choose an authentication mode with the sender owner and keep all generated secret material private.
4. Add the matching FlowRelay trigger to a safe Shopify Flow workflow.
5. Send a synthetic test event, open the FlowRelay receipt, and confirm the handoff boundary.

## Handoff Boundary
Delivered means FlowRelay handed the trigger to Shopify Flow. It does not mean downstream Shopify Flow branches, app calls, fulfillment changes, emails, or later systems completed.

## Related
- [Send your first test event](https://docs.flowrelay.app/getting-started/first-event.md)
- [Create an endpoint](https://docs.flowrelay.app/setup/endpoints.md)
- [Read receipts](https://docs.flowrelay.app/operate/receipts.md)

## Safety Boundary
Do not include raw payloads, endpoint secrets, auth headers, HMAC values, Shopify tokens, Shopify sessions, database URLs, customer data, merchant incidents, or copied private logs in public examples.