Relay.app is a relatively new addition to the SAAS app automation tool landscape. Like Zapier and Make, it allows you to set up step-by-step automations (called "Workflows") with a host of integrated apps. It also supports using webhooks from Shopify to trigger workflows.

Unlike other tools, it allows you to add human-controlled steps into your workflows. You can notify a team member of an action they need to provide and link them to a handy interface for approving something, adding data to something, etc. This kind of "Selective Automation" makes Relay.app a perfect complement to Even Better Admin Buttons, a Shopify app that lets you add customized buttons to Shopify admin pages to perform common store tasks selectively.

Here's how to set up a Relay.app Workflow to be triggered by an Admin Button:

1. In Relay.app, I've set up a basic workflow to receive a webhook and then send a request for approval. Let's add the "Incoming Webhook" trigger, which will be sent by Admin Buttons.

2. Click "Configure automatically". We'll send Relay.app a test from your Button. Relay.app will use this test to configure the workflow inputs for you to use in later steps.

3. Copy the trigger URL.

4. In the Admin Buttons app, create a new button with Title and Target of your choosing.
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Then, paste the URL into the "Webhook URL" field. You can also add key-value pairs that will be sent along with your Shopify data to Relay.app to be used in your workflow. Save the button and you'll see a "Test Webhook" button. Click it to send sample data to Relay.app to continue building your workflow.

5. Now back in your Relay.app workflow, click save after the configuration is created.

6. Relay.app sets up all the values from the Shopify order, product or customer sample data that you sent and additional info from Admin Buttons about the button click.

7. Now you can reference values from your Admin Button clicks to define more steps in your Relay.app workflow. Add data to your workflow steps by clicking the [+] buttons and navigating to "Webhook call" to either Shopify Order data or Admin Button data and the specific item you want to add.

Your inputs will look something like this:

8. To test the webhook, return to the new button in Admin Buttons and click the "Test Webhook" button again. Admin Buttons will send a generic test order to Relay.app and you can see the triggered action by clicking View Runs:

You should see your test as the most recent run.

When you've published your Admin Button and activated your Workflow, your Shopify data will be passed through wherever you need it, in this case asking for approval of a custom order by sending a Relay.app alert to the manager in charge.

9. Finally, save your Button settings in Admin Buttons. And if you haven't already, add the App block for Admin Buttons to your Order page.

Let us know what you automate in Relay.app with an Even Better Admin Button!