Agent skill

Shopify Admin Return Initiation

by 40RTY-ai in 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills

Create a formal Shopify Return record for an order, specifying line items, quantities, and return reason — the first step in the native returns workflow.

MITAuto-check passedSales & Support

Install Shopify Admin Return Initiation

skills CLI
$ npx skills add 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills --skill shopify-admin-return-initiation -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills shopify-admin-return-initiation --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/customer-support/shopify-admin-return-initiation .claude/skills/shopify-admin-return-initiation && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
shopify-admin-return-initiation
GitHub stars
194
Token cost
~1.8k tokens
SKILL.md length
539 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
116
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Create a formal Shopify Return record for an order, specifying line items, quantities, and return reason — the first step in the native returns workflow.

  • Works in 2 steps: OPERATION: order — query → OPERATION: returnCreate — mutation
  • Tasks that involve Customer support
  • SKILL.md covers Purpose, Prerequisites, Parameters and Safety, plus 6 more sections
  • Calls shopify

What it does

Shopify Admin Return Initiation is an agent skill from 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills. Create a formal Shopify Return record for an order, specifying line items, quantities, and return reason — the first step in the native returns workflow.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.8k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts. Compatibility notes: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI

It sits in Sales & Support, covering Customer support. It works with Shopify. The repository describes itself as: Community-maintained AI agent skills for operating Shopify stores — workflows, optimization, reports and more. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Customer support

Example prompts

  • “/shopify-admin-return-initiation”

Requirements

  • Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI

Workflow steps

2 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. OPERATION: order — query
  2. OPERATION: returnCreate — mutation

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6765cb4. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • shopify

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

  • Compatibility

    Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI

    From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Shopify Admin Return Initiation loads about 1.8k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 46 tokens; SKILL.md has 539 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~46
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.8k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills at commit 6765cb4, republished under its MIT licence (© 40RTY-ai). 539 words, ~1,826 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/shopify-admin-return-initiation/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
shopify-admin-return-initiation
description
Create a formal Shopify Return record for an order, specifying line items, quantities, and return reason — the first step in the native returns workflow.
compatibility
Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI
role
customer-support
toolkit
shopify-admin, shopify-admin-execution
api_version
2025-01
graphql_operations
order:query, returnCreate:mutation
status
stable

Purpose

Initiates a formal Shopify Return on a delivered order — specifying which line items to return, quantities, and reason. This creates the return record in Shopify's native returns system (distinct from simply issuing a refund). Used by support agents when a customer contacts them to return delivered items. The return record enables tracking, warehouse inspection, and exchange/refund resolution downstream. Note: returnCreate requires the order to be in FULFILLED status. For orders that haven't shipped yet, use cancel-and-restock instead. For already-returned items needing a refund, use refund-and-reorder.

Prerequisites

  • shopify auth login --store <domain>
  • API scopes: read_orders, write_returns

Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDefaultDescription
storestringyes—Store domain (e.g., mystore.myshopify.com)
formatstringnohumanOutput format: human or json
dry_runboolnofalsePreview operations without executing mutations
order_idstringyes—GID of the order (e.g., gid://shopify/Order/12345)
return_line_itemsarraynoall fulfilledArray of {fulfillment_line_item_id, quantity, reason, reason_note} to return
return_reasonstringnoOTHERDefault return reason for all items if not specified per-item: SIZE_TOO_SMALL, SIZE_TOO_LARGE, WRONG_ITEM, NOT_AS_DESCRIBED, DEFECTIVE, STYLE, COLOR, UNWANTED, OTHER
notify_customerboolnotrueSend return initiation notification email to customer

Safety

⚠️ Step 2 executes returnCreate which creates a formal return record and — if notify_customer: true — sends an email to the customer. This is appropriate only after verifying with the customer that a return is expected. Run with dry_run: true to preview the return line items and quantities before committing.

Workflow Steps

  1. OPERATION: order — query Inputs: id: <order_id> Expected output: Order name, displayFulfillmentStatus (must be FULFILLED — abort if not), fulfillments with fulfillmentLineItems including id, quantity, discountedTotalSet

  2. OPERATION: returnCreate — mutation Inputs: returnInput.orderId, returnInput.returnLineItems array (each with fulfillmentLineItemId, quantity, reason, customerNote) Expected output: return.id, return.status: OPEN, userErrors

GraphQL Operations

graphql
# order:query — validated against api_version 2025-01
query OrderForReturn($id: ID!) {
  order(id: $id) {
    id
    name
    displayFulfillmentStatus
    displayFinancialStatus
    customer {
      id
      defaultEmailAddress {
        emailAddress
      }
      firstName
      lastName
    }
    fulfillments {
      id
      status
      fulfillmentLineItems(first: 50) {
        edges {
          node {
            id
            quantity
            lineItem {
              title
              variant {
                id
                sku
              }
            }
            discountedTotalSet {
              shopMoney { amount currencyCode }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
graphql
# returnCreate:mutation — validated against api_version 2025-01
mutation ReturnCreate($returnInput: ReturnInput!) {
  returnCreate(returnInput: $returnInput) {
    return {
      id
      status
      order {
        id
        name
      }
    }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Session Tracking

Claude MUST emit the following output at each stage. This is mandatory.

On start, emit:

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║  SKILL: return-initiation                    ║
║  Store: <store domain>                       ║
║  Started: <YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM UTC>             ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

After each step, emit:

[N/TOTAL] <QUERY|MUTATION>  <OperationName>
          → Params: <brief summary of key inputs>
          → Result: <count or outcome>

If dry_run: true, prefix every mutation step with [DRY RUN] and do not execute it.

On completion, emit:

For format: human (default):

══════════════════════════════════════════════
OUTCOME SUMMARY
  Order:               <name>
  Return ID:           <id>
  Line items included: <count>
  Return status:       <status>
  Customer notified:   <yes/no>
  Errors:              0
  Output:              none
══════════════════════════════════════════════

For format: json, emit:

json
{
  "skill": "return-initiation",
  "store": "<domain>",
  "started_at": "<ISO8601>",
  "completed_at": "<ISO8601>",
  "dry_run": false,
  "steps": [
    { "step": 1, "operation": "OrderForReturn", "type": "query", "params_summary": "order <id>", "result_summary": "<status>", "skipped": false },
    { "step": 2, "operation": "ReturnCreate", "type": "mutation", "params_summary": "<n> line items, reason: <reason>", "result_summary": "return <id>", "skipped": false }
  ],
  "outcome": {
    "order_name": "<name>",
    "return_id": "<id>",
    "return_status": "<status>",
    "line_items_count": "<count>",
    "customer_notified": "<true/false>",
    "errors": 0,
    "output_file": null
  }
}
Show full SKILL.md (211 more words)Show less

Output Format

No CSV output. The session summary reports the return ID and status. Line items included in the return are listed in the step 2 output.

Error Handling

ErrorCauseRecovery
displayFulfillmentStatus not FULFILLEDOrder hasn't shipped yetUse cancel-and-restock for unfulfilled orders
fulfillmentLineItemId not foundLine item ID doesn't belong to this order's fulfillmentsRe-query the order to get correct fulfillment line item IDs
userErrors from returnCreateInvalid quantity or reasonCheck quantity doesn't exceed fulfillmentLineItem.quantity
Return already existsA return was already created for these itemsCheck order returns in Shopify admin

Best Practices

  1. Always run dry_run: true first — confirm the fulfillment line item IDs and quantities before creating the return record.
  2. The return-initiation skill creates the return record only — it does not issue a refund. After inspecting the returned item, use refund-and-reorder to process the monetary refund.
  3. Set reason per line item when items have different return reasons — this improves your returns analytics in Shopify.
  4. For exchanges (not refunds), create the return record here and then use refund-and-reorder with create_replacement: true to generate a replacement draft order.
  5. The return status will be OPEN after creation — it moves to IN_PROGRESS when a return label is generated and CLOSED when the refund is processed.

© 40RTY-ai, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/customer-support/shopify-admin-return-initiation of 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6765cb4

Compare with similar skills

Shopify Admin Return Initiation next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Shopify Admin Return Initiation compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Shopify Admin Return Initiation this skill40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills194—~1.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
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Shopify Debug Bundlejeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace2.8k—~784Automated safety check: PassMIT
Supporthaacked/dotfiles134—~2.9kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Checkout Purchasekeypo-us/keypo-cli182—~880Automated safety check: NotesNone
Afaafadtc/afa-dtc-skills168—~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Shopify Admin Return Initiation

What does Shopify Admin Return Initiation do?

Create a formal Shopify Return record for an order, specifying line items, quantities, and return reason — the first step in the native returns workflow. Shopify Admin Return Initiation is an agent skill from 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills. Create a formal Shopify Return record for an order, specifying line items, quantities, and return reason — the first step in the native returns workflow.

When should I use Shopify Admin Return Initiation?

Shopify Admin Return Initiation fits situations like: tasks that involve Customer support.

How do I install Shopify Admin Return Initiation in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills --skill shopify-admin-return-initiation -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/customer-support/shopify-admin-return-initiation in 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills) into .claude/skills/shopify-admin-return-initiation in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Shopify Admin Return Initiation in Codex?

Run `npx skills add 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills --skill shopify-admin-return-initiation -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/customer-support/shopify-admin-return-initiation in 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills) into .agents/skills/shopify-admin-return-initiation in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Shopify Admin Return Initiation in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills --skill shopify-admin-return-initiation -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/shopify-admin-return-initiation, .gemini/skills/shopify-admin-return-initiation, .github/skills/shopify-admin-return-initiation and .opencode/skills/shopify-admin-return-initiation in your project.

What does Shopify Admin Return Initiation need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Shopify Admin Return Initiation needs the command-line tools its instructions call (shopify). Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI.

Does Shopify Admin Return Initiation access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Shopify Admin Return Initiation safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Shopify Admin Return Initiation use?

Shopify Admin Return Initiation is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Shopify Admin Return Initiation use?

About 1.8k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.3k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Shopify Admin Return Initiation?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Shopify Admin Return Initiation: Shopify Review Triage (github/awesome-copilot, 40k stars), Shopify Debug Bundle (jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace, 2.8k stars), Support (haacked/dotfiles, 134 stars) and Checkout Purchase (keypo-us/keypo-cli, 182 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Shopify Admin Return Initiation?

40RTY-ai (a GitHub organization) maintains it in 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills, which has 194 GitHub stars. The repository holds 116 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 14, 2026.

Source: 40RTY-ai/shopify-admin-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.