Linnworks Launches Spotlight AI to Help Operations Teams Automate with Confidence
Linnworks has introduced Spotlight AI, the first product in its new Commerce Ops Intelligence portfolio. It's built for operations teams that want fewer manual touches, fewer headaches, and a clear path to automation across the order lifecycle. The capability is available platform-wide starting January 20, 2026.
Spotlight AI continuously analyzes day-to-day workflows, flags where manual work persists, and recommends the next high-impact automations to implement. In early testing, customers who acted on its recommendations saved an average of more than 30 hours per month. That's time you can redirect to throughput, quality, and margin.
Why it matters for operations
As order volume grows, manual work often grows with it. Each manual click adds cost, slows cycle time, and increases risk. Spotlight AI tackles that by surfacing precise, measurable automation opportunities-showing what to automate, why it matters, and the projected impact.
It also helps teams reduce blind spots. Instead of periodic audits, the system runs in the background and spots new inefficiencies as processes change.
What Spotlight AI actually does
- Identifies recurring manual actions across listings, inventory, orders, and shipping.
- Quantifies impact in time saved and potential error reduction.
- Prescribes the highest-priority automation rules to implement next.
- Monitors outcomes so you can measure ROI and adjust quickly.
Where to apply it first
- Order routing and prioritization (by channel, SLA, geo, or margin).
- Carrier/service selection based on cost, promise date, and weight.
- Exception handling: failed payments, address issues, and out-of-stocks.
- Auto-tagging risky orders for manual review before fulfillment.
- Purchase order triggers and low-stock alerts to stabilize replenishment.
- SKU mapping, bundling, and listing updates to cut duplicate work.
Voices from Linnworks
"Retailers shouldn't have to choose between growing fast and operating reliably at scale," said Jon Bahl, Chief Executive Officer at Linnworks. "Spotlight AI gives our customers visibility into where manual work is still slowing them down and provides clear, actionable guidance on what to automate next."
"Most businesses don't realize how much manual work still exists in their day-to-day operations, and each manual action introduces a risk," said Diana Nolting, Chief Product Officer at Linnworks. "Spotlight AI was built to surface those blind spots automatically and turn them into practical automation opportunities."
How to roll it out without chaos
- Set baselines for key metrics: manual touches per order, order cycle time, exception rate, and fulfillment SLA hit rate.
- Review Spotlight AI's top recommendations weekly. Pick 1-2 to implement, not 10.
- A/B test rules where possible. Validate with a small order cohort before scaling.
- Document the change, owner, and rollback plan. Keep ops, support, and finance in the loop.
- Revisit results monthly. Keep what works, refine what doesn't, and queue the next set.
Fit in your stack
Spotlight AI sits inside Linnworks, analyzing the workflows that touch your listings, inventory, orders, and shipments. It complements your OMS, WMS, and shipping solutions by reducing manual steps between systems and standardizing routine decisions. If you're new to the concept, this overview of an order management system provides helpful context.
Availability
Spotlight AI is available to all Linnworks customers starting January 20, 2026. For details or a walkthrough, visit linnworks.com.
About Linnworks
Linnworks is a Connected CommerceOps platform that helps online retailers connect, automate, and scale their e-commerce operations from a single source of truth. The platform brings together marketplace connectivity, automation for time-consuming processes, and centralized control across listings, inventory, orders, and shipping.
Level up your team's automation skills
If your operations team is building an automation roadmap, these practical resources can help accelerate the learning curve:
Your membership also unlocks:
