How to build a product return and exchange request workflow

Simplify how you handle returns and exchanges

In this guide, you’ll build a full return and exchange workflow in Formaloo: from customer submission to approval, status tracking, and automatic notifications.
You’ll design a clear form for customers, add logic to route requests, and create a dashboard that helps your team stay organized.

📘 Learn more: Create your first form, app, or portal in a flash

Step 1: Create your return or exchange form

From your workspace, click + New → Form, or browse the Template gallery and search for Post purchase evaluation survey template.
You can also use Magic Create, try this prompt:

“Product return and exchange form with fields for order number, reason, product details, and proof of purchase.”

Add essential fields:

• Order number (Short text)
  
  
• Customer name and email
  
  
• Product name or SKU
  
  
• Return reason (Dropdown or multiple choice)
  
  
• Upload photo (for damaged items)
  
  
• Preferred action (Return / Exchange / Refund)
  
  

💡 Tip: Keep it simple, frictionless forms reduce support workload.

📘 Learn more: How to create a form

Step 2: Guide customers with smart logic

Go to Settings → Logic and add conditional paths based on the customer’s selected action.

Examples:

• If @preferred_action = “Exchange” → show field “Replacement product size/color”
  
  
• If @preferred_action = “Refund” → show field “Preferred refund method”
  
  
• If @reason = “Damaged” → require @photo_upload
  
  

💡 Use jump logic to skip irrelevant pages, keeping the form clean and fast to complete.

📘 Learn more: How jump logic works with multi-choice questions

Step 3: Automate customer confirmations

Set up a friendly confirmation email under Settings → Notifications .
Personalize it with variables:

Example:

“Hi @customer_name, we’ve received your return request for @product_name (Order #@order_number). Our support team will get back to you shortly.”

You can also attach a dynamic PDF summary of the request if needed.

📘 Learn more: How to create and send custom email templates

Step 4: Notify your support or logistics team

Create internal notifications for your support or warehouse team:

• Send every new submission to returns@company.com
  
  
• Route specific cases:
  
  
  
  • If @preferred_action = “Exchange” → send to fulfillment@company.com
    
    
  • If @preferred_action = “Refund” → send to finance@company.com
    
    

Include submission summaries so your team can act immediately.

📘 Learn more: How to send and receive conditional email notifications

Step 5: Create a return management dashboard

Once responses start arriving, open Results → Table view to manage all requests.
Add a Status field (Pending / Under review / Approved / Completed).
Then, create:

• A Kanban board to track progress by status
  
  
• Charts to see return reasons or product issues at a glance
  
  

📘 Learn more: How to create a Kanban board

Step 6: Add an internal review fields

Add admin-only fields:

• Reviewer name
  
  
• Approval status
  
  
• Notes or replacement tracking ID
  
  

📘 Learn more: How to lookup the submitted data of another form

Step 7: Automate approval updates

Use On update logic to notify customers when their request status changes.

Examples:

• If @status = “Approved” → send “Your return has been approved” email
  
  
• If @status = “Completed” → send “Your exchange has been shipped” email with tracking link
  
  

📘 Learn more: What is on update logic and how it works

Step 8: Share dashboards with your team

Turn your workflow into a Return Management Portal.
Add pages for:

• All requests (Table view)
  
  
• Pending approvals (Filtered by status)
  
  
• Analytics (Charts by reason or product category)
  
  

Invite your logistics, finance, or support teams with role-based access.

📘 Learn more: How to create a portal and manage users access

Pro tips

• Sync with Google Sheets to share data across your support and finance teams.
  📘 Learn more: How to set up two-way sync between Formaloo and Google Sheets
  
  
• Add AI Smart Content to your ending page to summarize each customer’s request automatically.
  📘 Learn more: Create dynamic ending pages with AI Smart Content
  
  
• Prevent errors: Enable file upload validation for photos or receipts.
  📘 Learn more: Form editor and field types
  
  

Example scenario

A customer selects “Exchange” and uploads a photo of a damaged item.
Logic triggers the “Exchange details” page and routes the request to the fulfillment team.
After internal review, the status is changed to Approved, sending an automated confirmation email with a replacement tracking ID.
Your dashboard updates instantly, showing progress in real time.

📘 Learn more: Build personalized and time-saving flows with logic, automations, and AI

FAQ

1. Can customers track their return progress?
Yes, enable login in your portal and allow users to view their own submissions.
📘 Learn more: How to let users view and edit their own data in your portal

2. Can I issue refund confirmations automatically?
Yes, set up conditional logic to trigger refund confirmation emails once finance updates the status.
📘 Learn more: How to add advanced logic to your form

3. Can I attach PDFs for approved requests?
Absolutely, generate PDFs for internal or customer communication.
📘 Learn more: How to create PDF templates to turn responses into documents

Your return workflow, fully automated

You’ve built a return and exchange system that handles requests, approvals, and notifications automatically, saving hours of manual coordination.
Next, expand it into a Customer Support Portal with FAQs, dashboards, and chat integrations.

📘 Learn more: How to customize your portal with your brand identity

Last updated November 2025

‍