Klaviyo Flows: The 7 Automations Every Ecom Brand Needs

Klaviyo flows run in the background and print money while you sleep. Here are the 7 that matter and the metrics that tell you if they're working.

Jakob Sperber

Director

Retention

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Klaviyo flows run in the background and generate revenue on autopilot. For most ecommerce brands, flows account for 40–60% of total email revenue — more than campaigns. Yet most stores have only 1–2 flows running, and they're set up poorly.

Here are the 7 flows that matter, what goes in each one, and the order to build them.

Flows vs Campaigns

Flows trigger automatically based on customer behaviour (added to cart, purchased, browsed a product). They're always-on and highly targeted. Campaigns are manual sends to a list or segment. Both matter, but flows do the heavy lifting.

If most of your email revenue comes from campaigns, your flows are underperforming.

1. Welcome Series

Trigger: New subscriber (popup, footer signup, quiz).
Emails: 4–5 over 7–10 days.

  • Email 1 (immediate): Deliver the incentive. Discount code, guide, free shipping — whatever you promised. One CTA.

  • Email 2 (day 2): Brand story. Why you exist, what makes you different.

  • Email 3 (day 4): Social proof. Reviews, UGC, press mentions.

  • Email 4 (day 6): Handle objections. Ingredients, sizing, returns policy.

  • Email 5 (day 8–10): Urgency. Offer expiring. Suppress anyone who's already purchased.

2. Abandoned Cart

Trigger: Added to cart, started checkout, didn't purchase.
Emails: 3 emails + 1 SMS.

Full breakdown in our abandoned cart guide. Key points: no discount in email 1 (reminder only), social proof in email 2, urgency/incentive in email 3. Never lead with a discount — you'll train customers to abandon on purpose.

3. Post-Purchase

Trigger: Order placed.
Emails: 4 over 21 days.

This flow drives repeat purchases — the cheapest growth lever in ecommerce.

  • Day 1–2: Order confirmation + what to expect. Reduce buyer's remorse.

  • Day 5–7: Education. How to use the product, tips, getting the most out of it.

  • Day 10–14: Cross-sell. Recommend complementary products based on what they bought. The difference between upselling and cross-selling matters here.

  • Day 14–21: Review request. Direct link, make it one click.

4. Winback

Trigger: X days since last purchase (set based on your typical repurchase window).
Emails: 3 emails at escalating intervals.

  • 60 days: Soft. "We miss you" + curated product recommendations.

  • 90 days: Stronger. New arrivals, restocks, or modest incentive.

  • 120 days: Final. Direct ask + offer. If no engagement, suppress to protect deliverability.

Your retention rate data tells you where these triggers should sit.

5. Browse Abandonment

Trigger: Viewed product or category page, didn't add to cart.
Emails: 2 maximum.

  • 2–4 hours: "Still looking at [product]?" Show the product with reviews.

  • 24 hours: Show alternatives in the same category.

Softer touch than cart abandonment. Set frequency caps — nobody wants a browse abandonment email every time they visit your site.

6. Replenishment/Reorder

Trigger: X days after purchase (timed to when the product runs out).
Emails: 2–3.

This only works for consumable products: supplements, skincare, coffee, pet food. Time it to the actual usage cycle — a 30-day supply gets a reorder email at day 25. A 60-day product at day 50.

Include a direct "reorder" link to the same product. Remove friction entirely. This flow connects directly to your repeat purchase rate.

7. VIP/Loyalty

Trigger: Customer reaches a purchase count or spend threshold.
Emails: 1–2.

When a customer hits their 3rd purchase (or $500 lifetime spend, or whatever threshold fits your business), trigger a VIP flow: exclusive access, early launches, a personal thank-you, or a loyalty tier upgrade.

This isn't about discounts. It's about recognition. VIP customers already buy — they don't need incentivising. They need to feel valued. Strong retention is built on relationship, not bribery.

Metrics Per Flow

  • Flow revenue: Total revenue attributed to the flow.

  • Revenue per recipient: Flow revenue / people who entered the flow. Best metric for comparing flow performance.

  • Conversion rate: % of flow entrants who purchased.

Review monthly. If a flow's revenue per recipient is declining, the content needs refreshing or the timing needs adjusting.

Prioritisation: Build These First

You don't need all 7 on day one. The first three generate ~80% of flow revenue:

  1. Welcome Series — converts subscribers while intent is highest

  2. Abandoned Cart — highest immediate revenue recovery

  3. Post-Purchase — builds the repeat purchase behaviour that compounds

Add Winback, Browse Abandonment, Replenishment, and VIP once the core three are running and optimised. Each additional flow adds incremental revenue, but the returns diminish after the first three.

The Bottom Line

Flows are the backbone of ecommerce email. They run without you, they're triggered by real behaviour, and they compound over time. Build the core three first, measure revenue per recipient, and iterate based on data. The brands making 40%+ of their email revenue from flows aren't doing anything magical — they're just doing the basics properly.

Start with a free profit audit.

Find out what's holding your profit back.

We look at your numbers, identify the primary constraint, and tell you exactly what we'd fix. No obligation. You keep the findings regardless.

Start with a free profit audit.

Find out what's holding your profit back.

We look at your numbers, identify the primary constraint, and tell you exactly what we'd fix. No obligation. You keep the findings regardless.

Start with a free profit audit.

Find out what's holding your profit back.

We look at your numbers, identify the primary constraint, and tell you exactly what we'd fix. No obligation. You keep the findings regardless.

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