The five Klaviyo flows to set up first on a Shopify store

Klaviyo can send hundreds of different automated emails. Most Shopify stores only need five to start with. These flows respond to something a customer has just done, so they reach people while the decision is still fresh, and they keep working without anyone pressing send.

Set them up in this order. Each one builds on data the previous one collects.

1. Welcome flow

Sends when: someone joins your email list, usually through a signup form or pop-up.

This is the first conversation with a new subscriber, while their interest is fresh. Use it to explain who you are and why your products are worth choosing.

A useful welcome flow usually has three to four emails over a week or two:

Email 1, straight away: deliver anything you promised on the signup form, such as a discount code or a guide. Keep it short.
Email 2: what makes your products different. Materials, design decisions, guarantees, delivery times. Answer the questions people ask before buying.
Email 3: proof. Reviews, photos from customers, press or partner logos you have permission to use.
Email 4: a reminder of the offer, if there was one, before it expires.

Add a filter so anyone who places an order leaves the flow. Nobody wants a "still thinking about it?" email the day after they bought.

2. Abandoned checkout flow

Sends when: someone starts checkout and leaves without completing the order.

These people have chosen a product and entered at least an email address. Something stopped them, whether that was the delivery cost, a question about sizing, or just an interruption.

Two or three emails are usually enough:

First email, around an hour later: a simple reminder showing the items left in the checkout, with a button straight back to it.
Second email, about a day later: answer the likely objections. Delivery times and costs, returns, warranty, how to get help.
Third email, optional: only add an incentive if your margins allow it. Discounting by default teaches customers to abandon on purpose.

Exclude anyone who has placed an order since the flow started, and anyone who has already received the flow recently.

3. Browse abandonment flow

Sends when: a known subscriber views a product but doesn't add it to their cart.

This is a lighter touch than the checkout flow. The person showed interest but hadn't decided. One or two emails showing the product they looked at, along with related products, is plenty. Keep the tone helpful rather than urgent.

Browse abandonment only sends to people Klaviyo can identify, such as subscribers who have clicked a previous email or logged in. If someone browses before they're identified and has accepted cookies, Klaviyo can hold that activity for up to 14 days and add it to their profile once they are. The flow grows in value as your list grows.

4. Post-purchase flow

Sends when: someone places an order.

Shopify already sends the order confirmation and shipping updates. This flow is for everything around them:

Setting expectations: what happens next, delivery timeframes, how to get help.
Getting the most from the product: setup guides, care instructions, assembly videos.
Asking for a review, once the product has arrived and been used. Timing matters here. Asking before delivery gets ignored.
Suggesting what goes with it, when there's a genuine accessory or refill. Leave this out if there isn't one.

Split first-time buyers from repeat customers. Someone placing their fifth order doesn't need the brand introduction again.

5. Win-back flow

Sends when: a past customer hasn't ordered for longer than your usual repeat-purchase window.

The right timing depends on the product. A consumable might need a reminder after six weeks. A piece of furniture might never need one. Look at how long your repeat customers usually take between orders and set the delay a little beyond that.

Remind them what they bought, show what's new, and give them a reason to come back. If someone doesn't engage with a win-back flow, consider moving them to a less frequent sending schedule. Continuing to email people who never open hurts how inbox providers treat the rest of your emails.

Before you switch anything on

Check the triggers and filters. Place a test order, abandon a test checkout and confirm each flow behaves the way you expect.
Make every email work on a phone. Many people will read them there.
Keep design consistent and simple. A clear headline, a product image and one main button usually beat elaborate layouts.
Read the reporting with care. Klaviyo credits a sale to an email when the person opened or clicked it within a set window, five days by default, even if they'd have bought anyway. Treat attributed revenue as a signal, not a precise measure of what the email added.

What to do after the first five

Once these flows are running, the next improvements usually come from segmentation, such as different welcome messages for different product interests, and from a regular campaign calendar that gives subscribers a reason to keep opening.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use an abandoned cart or abandoned checkout flow?

Klaviyo can trigger on either. Abandoned checkout reaches people who got further and are closer to buying, so many stores start there. If you add an Added to Cart flow later, filter people out of one flow when they enter the other so nobody gets both.

How many emails should each flow have?

Usually two to four. Enough to answer the main questions and remind people, without turning one visit into a week of emails. Let your results guide whether to add or cut messages.

Do these flows work with Shopify's own emails?

Yes. Shopify still sends order confirmations and shipping updates. Klaviyo flows sit around those, covering the welcome, follow-ups and reminders Shopify doesn't send.

Should every flow include a discount?

No. A welcome offer can be useful if you promised one on the signup form. Elsewhere, lead with answers to common questions, and only add an incentive where your margins allow it.

How Kleari can help

I plan and build Klaviyo flows for Shopify stores, including welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase and win-back. That covers the email copy and design, signup forms and segmentation, plus checking every trigger before launch. If your flows are already running, I can review what's there and prioritise what to keep, rebuild or add.

Read more about Klaviyo email marketing, or if a flow has stopped sending, see what to check when a Klaviyo abandoned cart flow isn't sending.