Shopify lets you edit a product's price at any time, but it has no built-in field for scheduling that change to happen automatically in the future. If a sale should start at midnight or a price should return to normal the moment a promotion ends, you either make the change by hand or use an app. This guide compares the options and shows the app-based approach step by step.
Key takeaways
- Shopify has no native price scheduling field.
- Manual price edits work but depend on someone being online at the right time.
- A scheduling app lets you set the price and the date and time in advance.
- Some apps only schedule prices. Others also schedule publishing, tags and sales channels.
Option 1: Change the price manually
Open the product, edit the price, save, then come back later to change it back. It costs nothing, but it depends on someone being available at both the start and the end time. A price left on sale after the promotion ends is a common and costly mistake.
Option 2: Use a CSV import at the right time
Prepare a CSV of new prices and import it manually when the sale should start, then import the original prices back when it ends. This scales better than editing products one by one, but it is still a manual step that someone has to remember to run.
The catch with both manual options: they depend on a person being online at the exact start and end time, including nights, weekends and different time zones.
Option 3: Schedule the price change with an app
A dedicated app lets you set the new price and the date and time once, then walk away. Here is the general process with Maestro Products Scheduler:
- Install the appGet Maestro Products Scheduler from the Shopify App Store and start the free trial.
- Choose the productsSelect individual products or a batch for the price change.
- Choose the change typePick a price increase, decrease, fixed price, or rounding rule.
- Set the date and timeChoose when the new price should take effect.
- Schedule the reversionAdd a second schedule for the date and time the price should return to normal.
Apps that schedule product prices
A few Shopify apps focus on or include price scheduling. Details below are based on each app's public Shopify App Store listing at the time of writing.
| App | Focus | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Maestro Products Scheduler | Price, publish status, tags, sales channels and content scheduling | $4.99/month, 3-day free trial |
| Simple Product Price Scheduler | Price scheduling only, with product and collection rules | $1.99/month, 7-day free trial |
| Hextom: Bulk Product Edit | General bulk editing with scheduled bulk edit tasks on paid plans | $9.99/month for scheduled tasks, free plan available |
Which option is best?
| Schedule with an app | Manual edit | CSV import | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Someone must be online at start and end time | No | Yes | Yes |
| Works for a batch of products | Yes | Slow | Yes, but manual |
| Automatic reversion possible | Yes | No | No |
| Cost | From $1.99 to $9.99/month depending on the app | Free | Free |
Common price schedules stores use
Flash sales
A price drop that starts and ends at set times.
Seasonal pricing
Higher or lower prices tied to a season.
Planned price increases
A price rise announced in advance, applied automatically.
Bundle and launch pricing
A special price for a launch window, then back to normal.
Frequently asked questions
Can Shopify schedule a price change natively?
No. Shopify lets you edit a price directly, but it has no built-in way to change a price automatically at a future date and time.
Can I schedule a price change for a whole collection?
Yes, if the app you use supports collection-based rules. Maestro Products Scheduler and Simple Product Price Scheduler both support rules beyond single products.
Will the price change back after a sale?
Only if you schedule a second change back to the original price, or use an app with an automatic rollback or revert feature. Check the specific app's listing for how it handles this.