Recover a failed handoff

# Recover a failed handoff

Canonical: https://docs.flowrelay.app/use-cases/recover-failed-handoff/
Markdown: https://docs.flowrelay.app/use-cases/recover-failed-handoff.md

Use this path when an event arrived but needs investigation before anyone retries or escalates it.

## Why receipts come first
The receipt is the evidence record. It tells a human or authorized agent what FlowRelay can prove without exposing private request material.


## Replay is not automatic
Replay can trigger downstream Shopify Flow actions. Treat it as an explicit recovery action with preview, authority, and audit.


## When to escalate
Escalate when the receipt or grant says the action is outside the current operator's authority, or when diagnostics are needed for support.


## Typical path
A typical path starts from the scenario, then moves into setup and verification.
1. Open Event history and filter to the endpoint, time window, or outcome you need to investigate.
2. Open the receipt and read the stable error code, readiness facts, retention state, and handoff status.
3. Use the error-code guide to decide whether the sender, endpoint, Shopify Flow workflow, or FlowRelay setup needs attention.
4. Preview replay only when the retained request is still available and the operator understands downstream side effects.
5. Share diagnostics instead of raw payloads when a partner or support team needs evidence.

## 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
- [Event history](https://docs.flowrelay.app/operate/event-history.md)
- [Error codes](https://docs.flowrelay.app/recover/error-codes.md)
- [Replay an event](https://docs.flowrelay.app/recover/replay.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.