Systems, packs, and playbooks
How commerce systems, industry packs, and individual playbooks differ — when to install each, how uninstall works, and how they map to outcomes.
Arcanum Engine organizes automation in three layers. Understanding the difference helps you install the right scope for your store and uninstall cleanly when priorities change.
Playbooks (single automations)
A playbook is one proven automation template — for example Winback Engine (abandoned checkout alerts) or Inventory Guardian (low-stock alerts). Starter installs email variants; Growth installs Slack, Discord, or Teams variants with optional Klaviyo. Each playbook has its own install wizard, settings page, and results in Results.
- Best when you want one specific workflow without a broader bundle
- Counts toward your plan's active playbook limit (Starter: 3, Growth: 10, Ops: unlimited)
- Configure thresholds, delays, and optional Klaviyo events per playbook
- Uninstall from the playbook settings flow or by removing the parent commerce system
Commerce systems (outcome bundles)
A commerce system installs multiple playbooks together to deliver one business outcome — for example Recover Lost Revenue stacks VIP Recovery, Winback Engine, and Revenue Watch. One click installs the bundle; Engine skips playbooks you already have active.
- Best when the command center recommends a gap you want to close in one step
- Each system install is tracked as a CommerceSystemInstall with linked playbook installs
- Shared playbooks (e.g. Revenue Watch) install once — a second system reuses the existing install
- Pause or resume the whole system from API or staff tools without uninstalling
- Uninstall removes only playbooks tied to that system install — not playbooks you added separately
Industry packs (vertical bundles)
An industry pack groups several commerce systems for a vertical — for example a DTC apparel pack might include Recover Lost Revenue, Inventory Operations, and Customer Experience systems. Pack install runs each system's batch install in sequence.
- Best on Growth when you want a curated starting stack for your industry
- Pack status is derived from installed systems — there is no separate pack record
- Partial means some systems in the pack installed successfully; others need attention
- Uninstall pack removes every system in the pack that is currently installed for your shop
Merchandising Ops
Merchandising Ops keeps your catalog intentional — weekly slow-mover reviews, instant new-product launch checks, and orphan-product fixes before traffic hits uncategorized PDPs.
- Slow Mover Digest — Monday digest of SKUs with inventory but no recent sales
- New Product Launch Checklist — alert when a product is created for collection and launch verification
- Orphan Product Alert — Tuesday digest of active products not in any collection
- Quiz Completion Followup and High-Intent Visitor Alert — storefront follow-up when tracking is enabled
Hollow Reserve on the same store
Appointment-led brands often install Hollow Reserve alongside Engine. Reserve handles booking lifecycle — no-show, post-visit review stages, and Studio rebook automation. Engine defers overlapping lifecycle playbooks (No-Show Recovery, Review Accelerator, Rebook Nudge) when Reserve is co-installed. Commerce playbooks for abandoned checkout, VIP orders, inventory, and digests continue to run normally.
Reserve Engine integration guide
Quick comparison
| Layer | What you get | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Playbook | One automation template | Add a single alert or digest |
| Commerce system | Stacked playbooks for one outcome | Close a command center opportunity |
| Industry pack | Multiple commerce systems | Bootstrap a vertical operating stack |
Installing
- Open Systems library in the app (Commerce systems, Industry packs, or Individual playbooks tabs).
- Confirm Growth plan and Slack, Discord, or Teams webhook — commerce systems require Growth.
- Starter merchants: connect Resend in Settings before installing email playbooks.
- For systems and packs: click Install, review the confirmation (included playbooks and slot usage), then confirm.
- For individual playbooks: open the wizard, configure fields, review team alert preview (email or Slack/Discord/Teams), then install.
- Command center shows a success banner after install; adjust each playbook's settings as needed.
Uninstalling systems and packs
You can uninstall commerce systems and industry packs from the Systems library. Uninstall stops future runs and removes playbook installs tied to that system install. Opportunity links from Command center use ?system= deep links that scroll to the suggested card.
- Commerce system — click Uninstall on an installed or partial system card
- Industry pack — click Uninstall pack to remove all installed systems in that pack
- Individual playbook — click Uninstall on the playbook card in Systems library, or use Uninstall playbook on the settings page
- Shared playbooks stay active if another system or a manual install still depends on them
How this ties to the command center
Opportunities on the command center map to commerce systems and playbooks. Installing from an opportunity marks it complete and improves system coverage on your operating score. Uninstalling lowers coverage until you install again or add equivalent playbooks individually.
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