Shopify's Campaign Autopilot Is Live for Everyone | Shopify Editions Fall '26
"We actually take the media risk when we buy off-app. And if we don't buy well, that's on us. That's not on the merchant."
Samir Pradhan ran ads at Pinterest and Google. Now he runs merchant marketing at Shopify, a company that says it is not an ads company. For the Fall '26 Edition, Shop Campaigns goes from two countries to 35, and Campaign Autopilot is out of early access and live for every merchant.
Kurt asks the questions a merchant would: what counts as a sale, where the ads show up, whether you should pay to win back a past customer, and how much rope to give an AI media buyer. Plus what Autopilot means for brands that already have an agency, why Samir thinks email is underused, and where Shopify takes marketing automation next.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:30 Shopify is not an ads company
02:17 What Samir owns in the Fall '26 Edition
03:28 Shop Campaigns in 35 countries
04:18 Pay per sale: what counts as a sale
06:17 Where the ads run
06:51 Shopify takes the media risk off-app
07:40 Budgets, CAC, and new vs. returning customers
09:58 Campaign Autopilot goes GA
11:58 Channels: Meta, Shop, Microsoft, Snap, and X
12:28 Guardrails and progressive permissions
15:58 Autopilot and your agency
17:18 Your ad accounts stay yours
18:46 Why email is underused
20:36 What's next, and Sidekick SEO
24:16 Where to find it in your admin
GUEST LINKS
Shopify Fall '26 Edition: https://www.shopify.com/editions/fall2026
Campaign Autopilot: https://www.shopify.com/campaign-autopilot
Shop Campaigns: https://www.shopify.com/shop-campaigns
Samir Pradhan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-pradhan-71978120
SPONSORS
Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more: getswym.com/kurt
Promo Party Pro - Free gifts that drive bigger orders: apps.shopify.com/promo-party-fgwp
Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels: zipify.com/BFCM
WORK WITH KURT
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The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.
