Set Up Questions to Qualify Products for Return

Overview

Return workflows is a feature that allows you to manage return requests more effectively. The workflow tool accommodates scenarios that fall outside of a typical return policy. Under workflows, you get two templates you can choose from and set up based on your requirement. In this tutorial, we will discuss the Ask a question template. Returns workflows for setting up questions asked during the return initiation process can be configured in the AfterShip Returns admin > Return policy > Eligibility rules or AfterShip Return Settings > Return workflows.

What you’ll learn

In this tutorial, we will show you:

• Questions setup
• Conditions, questions, and actions
• Saving and launching workflows
• Supported platforms
• FAQs
• Key takeaways

Questions setup

You can set up workflows for questions asked during the return submission process in two ways.

1. Go to Return Policy > Eligibility rules > Ask a question > Manage in the AfterShip Returns admin

or,

1. Go to Return Policy > Workflows in the AfterShip Returns admin settings

1. All the existing workflows will be listed on the dashboard.

• The list can be filtered to show only workflows based on the selected Actions.
• Each workflow is displayed with the active and draft status, highlighted in green and gray, respectively
• The view can be filtered to show only draft or only active workflows by selecting the Status filter option
• Workflows can be enabled/disabled, edited and deleted by selecting the {...} icon
• Workflows must be disabled before they can be edited.
• Workflows can be prioritized by dragging and dropping the priority element in the far left column

3. Click the Create workflow button in the top right corner to create a new workflow or use predefined templates.
4. To create a workflow where returns are qualified based on a question answered by the merchant, select Prevent returns for worn items predefined workflow template. Click Create.

• If you are creating a workflow from scratch, configure the Conditions and select Ask a question under Actions to set up customer questions and responses for automated RMA processing.

5. Once inside the template editor, you can define each workflow component, including conditions, questions, and action.
6. Workflows cannot be published until all the components are duly filled as required.

Conditions, questions, and actions

1. Conditions

The Conditions component represents the eligibility criteria for the workflows. The following conditions are currently available in AfterShip Returns.

• To add a new condition, click the Add condition button.
• Press the Enter button on your keyboard after entering a value to separate them.
• To delete a condition, simply select the trash bin icon to the right of each condition.

Merchants can select between

1. TRUE if All conditions are met. This setting is an AND statement that will trigger the corresponding action when all conditions are met.
2. TRUE if Any condition is met. This setting is an OR statement that will trigger the corresponding action when any defined conditions are met

2. Question

The question component enables the setting up of the question that will be asked to the customer during the return submission process if the previous conditions are met. The question type is a simple objective question with two responses, with an option to pick one response. Based on the response selected by the customer, an alternate action will be triggered. The question component is only available for the Ask a Question template.

1. Configuration options include:

• Messaging for the question shown to the customer before they can request a return
• Messaging for the primary button
• Messaging for the secondary button

2. Click Localize to manage the question being asked to the customer in multiple languages

• On the multi-language editor, pick the language from the dropdown or add a new language to which to you'd like to translate the question
• Select the workflow from the top bar for which you'd like to add translation
• Manually add the text for the question and the options in the language you opt for
• Click Auto-translate to automatically translate the pre-input text into the selected language

3. Action

The Action component represents the outcome for returns that have met all the previous criteria. Currently, only the following outcome for Ask a question template is available in AfterShip Returns.

Mark item as non-returnable: The item will be marked as non-returnable if the primary button (option) is selected by the customer

The customer can continue with the return process if the secondary button (option) is selected by the customer.

Now, it’s entirely up to how you wish to frame the question and responses based on your return policy so as to elicit a particular response.

Saving and launching workflows

• Once a workflow is created, it can either be saved as a draft or enabled (published).

a. Select the Save draft option in the right-hand corner to save a workflow without making it live. This will save the workflow in the draft state.

b. To publish the workflow, select the Enable option from the header. This will save the workflow in the active state and will immediately activate it.

FAQs

1. Is there any limit to how many questions I can create?

No, there is no limit to the number of questions and workflows that can be created.

2. How do these workflows interact with the existing eligibility rules?

The eligibility rules hold the primary position. This means all the product types and tags added to your allowlist will override the workflow outcome and automatically be accepted for return.

3. What if I have duplicate workflows?

Workflows are prioritized based on their position on the priority list dashboard. The higher the workflow on the list, the higher the priority.

Key takeaways

1. Return workflows streamline and automate complex return scenarios for better control and efficiency.
2. Merchants can create workflows using templates or from scratch in AfterShip Returns admin > Return workflows.
3. Each workflow includes Conditions, Questions, and Actions to define automation logic.
4. Up to 50 conditions can be added using AND/OR logic to determine when actions are triggered.
5. The Ask a question template enables merchants to display questions to customers during return initiation.
6. Responses from customers can determine whether an item is non-returnable or eligible for return.
7. Workflows can be saved, published, or prioritized according to business requirements.
8. Localization support allows merchants to present questions in multiple languages for global customers.
9. Eligibility rules override workflows, ensuring high-priority return policies take precedence.

For any further questions or help, please contact our chat support team or reach out to us at support+returns@aftership.com.

Updated on: 06/11/2025