Create an automatic percentage discount in Shopify
An automatic discount applies when the cart meets the conditions, with no code for the customer to type. This tutorial sets up a 20% automatic discount on everything in the store, running 27 November to 1 December 2026.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 6 minutes read
The worked example
| Title | Black Friday 20% off |
| Type | Automatic, percentage |
| Value | 20% off |
| Applies to | All products |
| Active | 27 November to 1 December 2026 |
| $85.00 cart | $17.00 off, pays $68.00 |
| $62.50 cart | $12.50 off, pays $50.00 |
Download the planner: automatic-percentage-example-orders.csv (94 bytes).
A record of the worked example carts for the 20% automatic discount. It is a record, not an import file: Shopify exports discount codes to CSV but does not import them.
1Open Discounts and start a new discount
From your Shopify admin, go to Discounts, then click Create discount. From the discount type menu, click Amount off products or Amount off orders. An amount off orders discount applies to the whole order; an amount off products discount applies only to the products you choose. This sale covers everything, so use Amount off orders.
2Choose the automatic method
Under Method, select Automatic discount. There is no code for the customer to enter: the discount applies on its own when the cart qualifies. If you also want the discount in your retail locations, select the option to offer it on Point of Sale. Automatic discounts apply only to retail locations with a POS Pro subscription; POS Lite locations do not get them.
3Name the discount
In the Title section, enter a name for the automatic discount, for example Black Friday 20% off. Give it a name that reads clearly on the Discounts page, because the title is how you will find it later among your other discounts.
4Set the value to 20%
In the Discount value section, enter 20 as a percentage. The other choice is a fixed amount, a dollar value off instead of a percent. An amount off discount does not apply to shipping costs, so a customer still pays full shipping.
5It applies to the whole order
For a store-wide sale there is nothing to set here: the Amount off orders discount from step 1 applies to the whole order and has no Applies to section. That section belongs to Amount off products discounts. If the sale should only cover some items, create that type instead and select Specific products or Specific collections, then add the products or collections.
6Set a minimum purchase, if you want one
This sale has no minimum: every cart gets 20% off. If you want one, set a Minimum requirement in the same section. The minimum counts product prices only, and shipping costs and taxes are never included. If the discount applies to specific products or collections, only those items count toward the minimum.
7Set who can use it
In the Eligibility section, select All customers for a public sale. The other choices are Specific customers, Customer segments, and Markets, which limit the discount to the customers or regions you pick.
8Set the dates
In the Active dates section, set the start date to 27 November 2026 and click Set end date to set the end date to 1 December 2026. If you do not set an end date, the discount does not expire and runs until you stop it. If you set the same day for start and end, the discount is valid for one day only. Start and end times follow the time zone set in your Shopify admin.
9Check combinations, then save
In the Combinations section, check the discount classes this discount may combine with, or leave it blank so it does not combine with other discounts. Then click Save. The discount appears on the Discounts page. An automatic discount created in the admin does not apply to the post-purchase page at checkout.
The arithmetic
The discount comes off the order total before tax and shipping.
| Cart | 20% off | Customer pays |
|---|---|---|
| $85.00 | $17.00 | $68.00 |
| $62.50 | $12.50 | $50.00 |
| $40.00 | $8.00 | $32.00 |
An automatic discount and a discount code can both apply to one order only when each one allows the other discount's class in its Combinations section. If the two cannot combine, Shopify applies the best discount for the customer's cart.
Held at the counter
The customer never sees a code, and cannot opt out. An automatic discount applies to every cart that meets its conditions. If the sale should reach only some shoppers, limit eligibility to specific customers, a segment, or a market instead of running it store-wide.
Automatic discounts do not work on the post-purchase page. A discount created in the admin applies in the cart and at checkout, but not to the post-purchase page. A post-purchase offer needs its own setup.
At most 25 active automatic discounts. That total includes app-based automatic discounts. If your store already runs 25, you have to end one before a new automatic discount can go live.
Sources
- Amount off discounts — Shopify's help pages: the automatic discount steps, the POS Pro note, the minimum purchase rules, and the post-purchase page exclusion.
- Combining discounts — Shopify's help pages: the 25 active automatic discount limit, and the rule that the best discount applies when two discounts cannot combine.