Plans: Premium, Enterprise | Platforms: All platforms
Overview
AfterShip Agent is an AI assistant in AfterShip Returns that helps you assess the fraud risk of every return request, groups similar requests into review tasks, and recommends next actions. Learn how to review return requests with AfterShip Agent in AfterShip Returns. This guide walks you through finding your review tasks, checking the grouped requests, adjusting the recommended actions, and running them. With review tasks, you process batches of similar low-risk returns at once and focus on the requests that need a closer look.
How the Return Review Task Flow Works
When a customer submits a return request on your returns page, AfterShip Agent works in the background:
Your automation runs first: The request goes through your existing automation and workflows, including RMA auto-approval. AfterShip Agent doesn’t override your automation. Instead, it picks up the requests that still need attention.
The Agent assesses the risk: AfterShip Agent rates every request as Low, Medium, or High risk. It uses signals such as the customer’s return history, order risk flags, and return photos to assign a fraud risk level.
The Agent creates review tasks: AfterShip Agent groups similar low-risk requests into one batch task. Requests in a batch share the same return status, return reason, return outcome, return method, and customer type (new or repeat). Each medium- or high-risk request gets its own task.
The Agent prepares each task: Each task includes a plain-language title and summary, the key factors behind the assessment, and recommended actions where they apply.
Note: Requests in a final state (rejected, expired, or resolved) don’t enter the task flow.
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How to manage and process return review tasks
Step 1: Find Your Return Review Tasks
Go to Homei n your AfterShip Returns admin
Find your pending return review tasks in the AfterShip Agent section.
Tasks are sorted by priority, with the most urgent shown first:
Risk level: Requests flagged as medium or high risk take priority over routine low-risk batches.
Approval status: Among low-risk batches, requests pending approval take priority over approved requests awaiting refunds or exchanges.
Store-related issues: Returns likely caused by store-related issues, such as incorrect or defective items, are prioritized so you can resolve these cases and compensate affected shoppers sooner.
Note: Tasks appear only when return requests meet the grouping criteria. If no requests qualify, no tasks are displayed.
Step 2: Open a Task
Each task gives you enough context to decide without opening every request.
Click a task to open the task view.
Read the Summary to confirm the batch is safe to process together.
A return review task showing the Summary, Grouped requests, and Recommended action sections
Section | What it shows |
Summary | An AI-generated overview of the batch: the number of requests, the shared return reason, the requested outcome, the customer type, and anything unusual, such as a request already handled elsewhere |
Grouped requests | The return requests in the batch. Expand any request to see its full details. |
Recommended action | The actions AfterShip Agent suggests for the whole batch, with editable options where applicable |
View task reasoning
Click View reasoning in the Summary section to see how AfterShip Agent assessed the task.
Section | Description |
Task details | The attributes the returns in the task share: Risk level, Return status, Return reason, Return outcome, Return method, and Customer type |
Agent analysis | The factors behind the recommendation: why the goods are coming back, what the customer is getting, and whether the customer has bought before |
Rate this analysis | Give a thumbs up or thumbs down to help AfterShip Agent improve |
Ask a question about this reasoning | Ask AfterShip Agent follow-up questions about its analysis |
Step 3: Review the Grouped Requests
Remove any request you’d rather handle on its own before you take action.
In Grouped requests, click a request to expand its details.
a. To open a return's RMA detail page from the task, click the image icon next to the item count in the Grouped returns panel.Select a request that doesn’t belong in the batch.
Click Ignore.
Confirm your choice.
AfterShip Agent removes the ignored request from the task and returns it to your regular queue. You can still process the request from its request detail page.
The Grouped requests section with one request expanded and the Ignore option
Note: If a request’s status changes after it joins a task, AfterShip Agent removes the request from the task automatically. For example, this happens when someone approves the request elsewhere, or the request reaches a final state.
Step 4: Review the Recommended Actions
For low-risk tasks, AfterShip Agent recommends a processing chain. You can accept it as is or adjust it.
Batch status | Recommended actions |
Pending approval | Approve the requests, then set when refunds, exchanges, or both are triggered |
Approved | Set when the pending refunds or exchanges are triggered |
The Recommended action section for a pending approval batch
Adjust refund and exchange timing
Where the return method allows it, you can change when AfterShip Returns issues the refund or creates the exchange order.
Return method | Refund timing options | Exchange timing options |
Ship with a return label, or ship with a courier the customer chooses | In transit, Delivered, Marked as received | Approved, In transit, Delivered, Marked as received |
Happy Returns | Dropped off, Marked as received | Approved, Dropped off, Marked as received |
Return to store | Marked as received | Approved, Marked as received |
Green return (no need to send back) | Approved | Approved |
Tip: Trigger refunds or exchanges while the return is in transit to give customers a faster experience. If the recommended timing is earlier than your automation settings, AfterShip Agent tells you.
Review follow-up emails
AfterShip Agent may recommend one follow-up email for the batch. The Agent drafts each email from the actual return details and never sends an email without your confirmation.
Recommended when | What it does | |
Send discount email | The return was caused by a store-side issue (wrong item, defective, or not as described), the customers are first-time customers, and the refund goes to the original payment method | Send a personalized apology email with a discount code to win back first-time customers |
Send shop later email | The return wasn’t caused by a store-side issue, and the refund goes to the original payment method | Before AfterShip Returns issues the refund, offers customers a bonus to switch to store credit or shop now |
For a discount email, enter a discount code before you send it. For a shop later email, customers accept the offer from their return status page.
The Send discount email action with the discount code field
The Send shop later email action with the drafted email
Step 5: Run the Actions
AfterShip Agent runs nothing until you confirm.
Click Accept to run the recommended actions, including any edits you made.
Confirm the execution.
Before running, AfterShip Agent re-checks every request in the batch. The Agent skips requests already processed elsewhere (on the request detail page, by automation, or in another task) and requests that no longer qualify. The Agent tells you which requests it skipped and why.
AfterShip Agent then runs the actions for the remaining requests: approvals, refund and exchange timing updates, and any confirmed emails. Each action runs once per request, so you don’t get duplicate refunds, exchanges, or emails.
Review Medium- and High-Risk Tasks
Each medium- or high-risk request gets its own task. AfterShip Agent never batches these requests or runs bulk actions on them.
Open the task.
Read the summary and the key factors behind the risk assessment, such as frequent returns, mismatched return photos, or past fraud-related records.
Open the request detail page to inspect the request.
Approve or reject the request as you normally would.
The only recommended action for these tasks is a manual review. AfterShip Agent doesn’t prepare approvals, refunds, or customer emails for them.
A high-risk review task showing the key factors behind the assessment
Tip: Click Report fraud if the Agent underestimated a request, or Mark as safe if a flagged request is fine. Your feedback helps the Agent improve.
What Happens After You Run the Actions
After completing these steps:
Each request’s status updates and syncs with its request detail page.
The request timeline records the Agent’s risk assessment and every action it ran, with timestamps and the operator.
AfterShip Agent resolves a task and removes it from your To-do list once every request in it is processed or reaches a final state.
FAQs
1. Does AfterShip Agent approve or refund returns automatically?
No. AfterShip Agent only recommends actions. Nothing runs until you accept and confirm.
2. Which return requests appear in review tasks?
Requests that aren’t in a final state (rejected, expired, or resolved). Requests your automation already approved can appear as an approved batch with pending refunds or exchanges.
3. Why don’t I see any return review tasks?
Tasks appear only when there are eligible return requests. If you’ve fully processed every request, or no request currently qualifies, no task appears.
4. Can requests with different risk levels end up in the same task?
No. AfterShip Agent batches low-risk requests only. Each medium- or high-risk request gets its own task.
5. What happens if someone processes a request in a task at the same time?
AfterShip Agent re-checks every request right before running actions. The Agent skips any request already processed elsewhere and shows you which requests it skipped and why. Actions never run twice on the same request.
6. Can I still review requests one by one?
Yes. You can ignore any request in a batch and handle it individually. Every request detail page still shows the Agent’s risk assessment.
Key Takeaways
AfterShip Agent rates return request risk, groups similar low-risk requests, and recommends next actions
You can adjust refund and exchange timing before you run a low-risk batch
Return review tasks are available on Premium and Enterprise plans for all platforms
Customers receive follow-up emails only after you confirm them
No task appears when no request qualifies, so an empty to-do list is expected
Need help?
For any further questions or help, please contact our chat support team or reach out to us at [email protected] .