7 Klaviyo Flows Every Shopify Store Needs (With Examples)

Most Shopify stores have one or two Klaviyo flows running. Maybe a basic abandoned cart email. Maybe a welcome discount. That’s leaving serious money on the table. Across our 500+ e-commerce clients, stores with all 7 core flows active generate 35-45% of total revenue from email. Stores with only 1-2 flows? They’re stuck at 10-15%.

The difference isn’t magic. It’s infrastructure. Here are the 7 flows you need, how to set them up, and what to expect from each.

Key Takeaways

• These 7 flows collectively should generate 25-40% of your store’s total revenue
• Welcome Series and Abandoned Cart alone typically account for 60% of all flow revenue
• Each flow targets a different stage of the customer journey — skip one and you have a gap customers fall through
• Timing and number of emails per flow matters more than most brands realize
• Every flow should be reviewed and optimized quarterly based on performance data

1. Welcome Series Flow

The single most important flow you’ll ever build. New subscribers have the highest engagement rates you’ll ever see — 50-80% open rates are normal. Waste this window and you’ve lost your best shot at a first conversion.

Trigger

Profile created (someone joins your list via popup, landing page, footer form, or checkout opt-in).

Recommended Sequence (4-6 Emails)

Email	Timing	Content
1	Immediately	Deliver the promised incentive (discount code), introduce your brand story
2	Day 2	Social proof — reviews, UGC, press mentions, bestsellers
3	Day 4	Educational content — what makes your product different, how it’s made
4	Day 6	Incentive reminder (if unused) or product recommendation
5	Day 8	Customer story / testimonial deep dive
6	Day 10	Final nudge — urgency on expiring discount

Content Tips

• Use Klaviyo’s Conditional Splits to check if the subscriber has already purchased before sending emails 4-6. If they have, move them to a post-purchase path instead.
• Personalize email 1 based on the signup source. Someone who signed up via a quiz gets different content than someone from a generic popup.
• Include your bestselling products with Klaviyo’s Dynamic Product Blocks — they auto-populate based on your catalog.

Expected Metrics

• Open rates: 45-65%
• Click rates: 8-15%
• Flow conversion rate: 8-15%
• Revenue per recipient: $2.50-$6.00

2. Abandoned Cart Flow

The flow everyone knows about but few optimize properly. The average cart abandonment rate across e-commerce is 70.19% (Baymard Institute). Even recovering an extra 5% of those carts has a massive revenue impact.

Trigger

Checkout Started (not Added to Cart — that’s a different flow). The profile started checkout but didn’t complete the purchase within your set time window.

Recommended Sequence (3-4 Emails)

Email	Timing	Content
1	1 hour after abandonment	Reminder with cart contents, no discount
2	12 hours	Social proof + urgency (limited stock, popular item)
3	24 hours	Incentive offer (5-10% discount or free shipping)
4	48 hours	Final reminder — discount expires soon

Content Tips

• Use Klaviyo’s Dynamic Cart Content block to automatically show the exact products left in the cart with images, prices, and a direct checkout link.
• Add a Conditional Split after email 1: if the cart value is above $150, route to a higher-touch sequence with a stronger incentive. Low-value carts get a simpler flow.
• Don’t lead with a discount. Email 1 should be a pure reminder. 35-45% of abandoned cart recoveries happen on the first email alone, no incentive needed.

Expected Metrics

• Open rates: 40-55%
• Click rates: 8-12%
• Recovery rate: 8-15% of abandoned carts
• Revenue per recipient: $3.00-$8.00

3. Browse Abandonment Flow

This flow targets people who viewed products but didn’t add anything to cart. It’s the top-of-funnel automation most stores ignore entirely. Our clients who add browse abandonment see an average 5-12% lift in total flow revenue.

Trigger

Viewed Product event, with a filter: has NOT started checkout and has NOT placed an order within 24 hours of the browse event.

Recommended Sequence (2-3 Emails)

Email	Timing	Content
1	2-4 hours	”Still thinking about it?” with the viewed product
2	24 hours	Related products + social proof for the browsed category
3	48 hours	Category bestsellers or educational content about the product type

Content Tips

• Use Klaviyo’s Catalog Lookup feature to pull in the browsed product dynamically, including the current price and product image.
• Be careful with frequency. Use Smart Sending (set to 16-24 hours) to avoid overlapping with other flows.
• Don’t discount in this flow. These are cold leads — train them on value, not price drops.
• Add a Profile Filter to exclude anyone who’s been sent an abandoned cart email in the last 48 hours.

Expected Metrics

• Open rates: 35-50%
• Click rates: 4-8%
• Conversion rate: 2-5%
• Revenue per recipient: $0.80-$2.50

4. Post-Purchase Flow

The most underrated flow in e-commerce. A customer just bought from you. They’re at peak excitement and trust. This is when you build loyalty, drive reviews, encourage repeat purchases, and create brand advocates.

Trigger

Placed Order (or Fulfilled Order if you want to time emails around delivery).

Recommended Sequence (4-5 Emails)

Email	Timing	Content
1	Immediately	Order confirmation + what to expect (skip if Shopify sends this)
2	Day 3-5 (post-delivery)	Product tips, how-to guides, care instructions
3	Day 7-10	Review request (integrate with Junip, Judge.me, Stamped, or Klaviyo Reviews)
4	Day 14-21	Cross-sell related products based on what they bought
5	Day 30-45	Replenishment reminder (if consumable) or new arrivals

Content Tips

• Use a Conditional Split based on order count. First-time buyers get a warmer, brand-building sequence. Repeat customers get a faster path to cross-sell.
• Split by product category purchased. Someone who bought skincare gets different post-purchase content than someone who bought apparel.
• The review request email (email 3) is critical for social proof. Integrate Klaviyo with your review platform to trigger the ask at the right moment. Aim for a 5-10% review submission rate.
• Use Klaviyo’s Product Recommendation Engine in the cross-sell email to dynamically suggest products based on purchase history.

Expected Metrics

• Open rates: 50-70%
• Click rates: 6-12%
• Repeat purchase rate (from this flow): 8-15%
• Review submission rate: 5-10%

5. Win-Back Flow

Customers go silent. It happens. The win-back flow re-engages customers who haven’t purchased in a while. Acquiring a new customer costs 5-7x more than retaining an existing one, so this flow has outsized ROI.

Trigger

Time-based: a customer who placed an order hasn’t placed another order within a defined window. The window depends on your product’s natural purchase cycle:

• Consumables (supplements, coffee, skincare): 45-60 days
• Apparel/accessories: 90-120 days
• Home goods/furniture: 180-365 days

Use Klaviyo’s Predictive Analytics — specifically the “Expected Date of Next Order” metric — to customize this trigger per customer rather than using a blanket timeframe.

Recommended Sequence (3-4 Emails)

Email	Timing	Content
1	At trigger	”We miss you” + what’s new since their last purchase
2	Day 5	Bestsellers + social proof showing what other customers love
3	Day 10	Exclusive win-back offer (10-15% discount or bonus gift)
4	Day 17	Final offer — stronger incentive with clear expiration

Content Tips

• Reference their last purchase by name using Klaviyo’s dynamic tags. “It’s been 90 days since you ordered the Midnight Serum” hits differently than a generic “we miss you.”
• Show new products or collections launched since their last order. Give them a reason to come back beyond a discount.
• Use Klaviyo’s Predicted CLV to split the flow: high-CLV customers get a premium offer (free gift with purchase, exclusive bundle), while lower-CLV customers get a standard percentage discount.

Expected Metrics

• Open rates: 25-40%
• Click rates: 3-7%
• Win-back conversion rate: 3-8%
• Revenue per recipient: $1.50-$4.00

6. VIP/Loyalty Flow

Your top 10% of customers drive 40-60% of your revenue. Treat them accordingly. The VIP flow rewards high-value customers, deepens loyalty, and drives referrals.

Trigger

Segment-based: profile enters your VIP segment. Define VIP using Klaviyo’s data — common criteria:

• Lifetime value above $500 (adjust to your store’s average)
• 3+ orders placed
• Placed an order in the last 90 days

Recommended Sequence (3-4 Emails)

Email	Timing	Content
1	Immediately	Welcome to VIP status — exclusive perks, what it means
2	Day 3	Early access to a new product or collection
3	Day 7	Exclusive VIP-only offer or bundle
4	Day 14	Referral program invitation with enhanced VIP rewards

Content Tips

• Make VIP status feel genuinely exclusive. Mention them by name. Reference their order history. Use language like “You’re one of our top 200 customers.”
• Offer real perks: early access, exclusive products, free shipping for life, birthday gifts. If the VIP offer is just another 10% coupon, it doesn’t feel VIP.
• Use Klaviyo’s Custom Properties to track VIP tier (Silver, Gold, Platinum) and personalize messaging accordingly.
• Integrate with a loyalty platform like Smile.io or LoyaltyLion for points-based triggers.

Expected Metrics

• Open rates: 45-65%
• Click rates: 10-18%
• Conversion rate: 12-25%
• Revenue per recipient: $5.00-$15.00

7. Sunset Flow

The cleanup flow that protects your deliverability and saves money. Unengaged subscribers hurt your sender reputation, lower your open rates across the board, and cost you money (Klaviyo charges by active profile count). The Sunset flow is your filter.

Trigger

Time since last engagement. A profile who hasn’t opened or clicked any email in 60-90 days enters this flow.

Recommended Sequence (2-3 Emails)

Email	Timing	Content
1	Immediately	”Are you still interested?” — clear, direct, one-click re-engagement
2	Day 5	Last chance — “We’re going to stop emailing you unless you tell us to stay”
3	Day 10	Final email — suppress the profile if no engagement

Content Tips

• Keep these emails extremely simple. Short copy, big CTA button, zero distractions.
• Use a compelling subject line that breaks the pattern: “Should we stop emailing you?” gets 30-40% open rates in sunset flows because it triggers curiosity.
• After the flow, suppress (don’t delete) unengaged profiles. Move them out of your active sending lists. This immediately improves your deliverability and reduces your Klaviyo bill.
• Re-evaluate your sunset window based on your sending frequency. If you email daily, 60 days of no engagement is significant. If you email weekly, extend to 90-120 days.

Expected Metrics

• Open rates: 15-30% (these are disengaged profiles, so lower is expected)
• Re-engagement rate: 5-15% of sunset recipients re-engage
• List reduction: Expect to suppress 15-30% of your total list (this is healthy)

Putting It All Together

Here’s what the full flow ecosystem looks like in terms of revenue contribution:

Flow	% of Total Flow Revenue
Welcome Series	25-35%
Abandoned Cart	25-35%
Browse Abandonment	5-12%
Post-Purchase	8-15%
Win-Back	5-10%
VIP/Loyalty	5-10%
Sunset	0% (protective, not revenue-generating)

When all 7 flows are active and optimized, total flow revenue should account for 50-65% of your total email revenue (the rest comes from campaigns). If your flows are generating less than 40% of email revenue, you have optimization work to do.

Build these flows in order of priority: Welcome Series and Abandoned Cart first, then Post-Purchase and Browse Abandonment, then Win-Back, VIP, and Sunset. Each one you add compounds the revenue impact.

Ready to Implement This?

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