> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.accountcanvas.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Workflows and forms

> How customer submissions, metafield fields, order actions, and notifications work.

Use a form when a customer needs to send a support request, preference, or order-related message. A request form is not an automatic refund, cancellation, fulfillment, or subscription change.

## Configure a workflow

1. Choose an available form or request template.
2. Set a clear heading and explain what the customer is requesting.
3. Add only the questions needed to handle that request.
4. Configure a merchant notification and any supported Shopify field destination.
5. Place order-related forms only where Shopify supplies the matching order context.
6. Save and activate the content, then test with a signed-in customer.

Your plan, installed version, permissions, and the selected location determine which workflows are available. See [plans and limits](/plans-and-limits).

## What happens after submission?

Account Canvas verifies the customer session, the published workflow, and order ownership when an order is involved. It validates the fields, stores an encrypted operational record, and tracks the configured Shopify-write and notification outcomes.

A saved record alone does not prove that an email was delivered or a Shopify change completed. Use the outcome returned by the form and keep its request or submission reference.

## Merchant notifications

When enabled and configured, notifications contain the workflow title and submission reference. They do not include customer-entered answers or customer/order identifiers. Use the authorized app workflow to handle the request; do not ask customers to email sensitive answers.

## Shopify field destinations

A supported published field can write to an allowed customer or order metafield. The owner must be verified and the destination explicitly configured. See [metafields](/metafields).

Missing context, permissions, a disabled feature, or a concurrent change can prevent the write. Do not assume the field was updated because a local record exists.

## Order notes and version differences

The updated order-note workflow uses a separate Account Canvas order field, scoped to the verified order, to avoid overwriting the merchant's shared Shopify order note. This behavior requires the corresponding app release and enabled feature.

Older installations or earlier submissions may have created marked entries in the shared order note. Those legacy entries can require coordinated cleanup with the merchant. Neither form of note automatically changes the order's payment, cancellation, or fulfillment status.

If you are unsure which version your store uses, contact [support](/support) before depending on a downstream process that reads the shared order note.

## Retry safely

If the form says a request is still processing or temporarily rate-limited, follow its retry instructions for the same unchanged request. Avoid repeated clicks, refreshing the form, or creating a second request.

If it says **review or reconciliation is required**, stop retrying and contact support with the request ID. An interrupted response can leave the result uncertain even if a remote action happened.

## Data handling

Submission records normally have a 45-day retention period. A narrowly approved case hold may extend retention within the limits described in the [Privacy Policy](/privacy).

Do not collect passwords, card numbers, government identifiers, health information, or other unnecessary sensitive information. Preview sample data does not establish that a live workflow works.


## Related topics

- [Troubleshooting](/troubleshooting.md)
- [Metafields](/metafields.md)
- [Welcome to Account Canvas](/index.md)
- [Privacy and data](/privacy-and-data.md)
- [Terms of Use](/terms.md)