Reverse-create products

Most apps work one direction: import from Shopify, modify, push back. BulkFlow has Reverse-Create — design a product inside BulkFlow with all pack-size variants pre-configured, click Publish, and BulkFlow creates it in Shopify AND mirrors it as a fully-bound bulk pool.

One click. No going back and forth between BulkFlow and Shopify admin.

When to use it

• Seasonal SKUs — Black Friday limited drops, holiday bundles, pop-up collections
• Bulk inventory in new categories — adding bulk products in a category you've never sold before
• Replacing an old product — duplicate a high-performer, change the name, publish

How it works

1. Sidebar → Create Product
2. Fill in:
3. - Title, description, vendor, product type, tags
4. - Base SKU (e.g., WIDGET-2026)
5. - Bulk units (starting inventory, e.g., 5,000)
6. - Pack sizes — add 1+ rows. Each row needs a pack_size (e.g., 50) and a price (e.g., $9.99)
7. - Low stock threshold
8. - Status: Draft (default — Shopify won't show it on storefront until you flip to Active) or Active (immediate live)
9. Click Create and Publish
10. BulkFlow:
11. - Creates the product in Shopify with one variant per pack size
12. - Each variant's SKU is automatically {base_sku}-{pack_size} (e.g., WIDGET-2026-50)
13. - Creates a matching bulk_item in BulkFlow with starting inventory
14. - Binds each pack variant to the bulk pool
15. - Marks is_managed = true so future orders deduct stock automatically

Pro tip: Duplicate from existing

Don't start from scratch. On the Create Product page, use the "Duplicate from existing" dropdown. Pick any of your existing bulk items and the form auto-fills with that item's pack sizes and pricing. Useful for seasonal variants of a regular product.

Defaults that save you from yourself

• Status defaults to Draft — so a typo in price/inventory doesn't accidentally publish a live product to thousands of customers. Explicitly flip to Active when ready.
• Default pack sizes — 50, 250, 500 are pre-filled but easily editable. Common warehouse pack sizes.
• Low-stock threshold defaults to 500 — high enough that you get alerted before running out, low enough to not pester you immediately.

SKU collision handling

If a SKU you specify already exists in Shopify:

• Reverse-Create REFUSES to publish and returns an error
• It does NOT auto-rename to avoid silently creating a variant the merchant doesn't know about
• You'll need to pick a different base_sku or archive the conflicting Shopify variant

After publishing

• The new product is in Shopify under the title you specified
• It appears in BulkFlow's Items page immediately
• Webhooks are already registered — first order paid will deduct correctly
• Edit anything from either side: Shopify admin OR BulkFlow Items page

Common questions

Q: Does this work for products that aren't multi-pack?
A: Yes — set a single pack with pack_size=1 and Reverse-Create makes a normal single-variant product.

Q: Can I edit a product after Reverse-Create?
A: Yes, from either Shopify admin or BulkFlow Items. Changes sync via webhooks.

Q: What about product images?
A: Reverse-Create does NOT upload product images (would require a separate file-upload pipeline). Add images in Shopify admin after publishing.

Q: What if my Shopify catalog already has the product I want?
A: Use the regular Import flow instead — Reverse-Create is for NEW products.

Q: Is there a Reverse-Edit for existing products?
A: Partial — Pro+ can bulk-edit prices/labels/enabled state on pack variants via Shopify Health → Bulk edit. Bigger changes still go through Shopify admin.

Free / Starter merchants

The Create Product page is visible but shows an upgrade prompt instead of the form. You can preview what the workflow looks like, but you can't publish until Pro.