Klaviyo Flows: Complete Guide

Quick Summary:

Flows are Klaviyo's automated, behavior-triggered email and SMS sequences -- welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase -- running continuously without manual sends.

What Are Klaviyo Flows?

Flows are automated sequences triggered by specific customer behavior -- signing up, abandoning a cart, completing a purchase -- running continuously in the background rather than requiring a manual send each time. This is Klaviyo's core automation engine, and typically the single highest-ROI area of a Klaviyo implementation.

How to Build One

  1. Go to Flows and select a pre-built template or start from scratch.

  2. Set the trigger -- a list join, a behavioral event like Checkout Started, or a custom API event.

  3. Add time delays and message steps (email, SMS, or both).

  4. Add conditional splits if different customers should follow different paths.

  5. Set the flow live, then monitor performance and revenue attribution over time.

A Real-World Example

A customer adds items to their cart but leaves without checking out. Klaviyo's abandoned cart flow triggers automatically: an email reminder after one hour showing the exact items left behind, a second email after 24 hours with a small discount, and an SMS follow-up after 48 hours if the customer hasn't converted and has given SMS consent -- all without anyone manually managing the sequence.

🚫 Common Mistake

Building flows and never revisiting them. Flow performance genuinely degrades over time as products, pricing, and customer expectations change -- a flow that converted well a year ago may need fresh content, updated timing, or different incentives now.

💡 Pro Tip

Start with the three highest-impact flows (welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase) and get them genuinely well-optimized before building a dozen more niche flows -- depth on the highest-traffic flows usually beats breadth across many low-traffic ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

What\'s the difference between a Flow and a Campaign in Klaviyo?

Flows are automated, triggered by specific customer behavior (like abandoning a cart), running continuously; Campaigns are one-time or scheduled sends to a chosen audience at a specific moment.

What are the highest-priority flows to build first?

Welcome series, abandoned cart, and post-purchase are typically the three highest-ROI starting flows for most ecommerce brands, covering the most common and valuable behavioral triggers.

Can a flow branch based on customer behavior mid-sequence?

Yes, conditional split logic lets a flow send different follow-up content based on whether a customer opened a previous email, clicked, or made a purchase.

Can flows be triggered by events beyond the pre-built ones, like a custom API event?

Yes, custom events sent via the API or an integration can trigger flows, not just Klaviyo's default e-commerce events.

Does a flow stop if the customer completes the goal action, like making a purchase?

Yes, flows support goal-based exits, automatically removing a profile from the remaining steps once they've completed the intended action (like purchasing the abandoned item).

Can I A/B test different versions of a flow?

Yes, flow-level A/B testing lets you compare different messaging, timing, or content variations and measure which performs better.

How long should I wait between abandoned cart flow steps?

Common patterns use a first reminder within 1-4 hours, a second within 24 hours, and a final incentive-driven message within 48-72 hours, though optimal timing varies by product and audience.

Can flows update customer properties, not just send messages?

Yes, flow actions can update profile properties, add/remove list membership, or trigger other flows, not exclusively send email/SMS.

What happens if a customer enters a flow they\'re already in?

Re-entry behavior is configurable per flow -- some flows should allow re-entry (like abandoned cart, which can trigger multiple times), while others shouldn't (like a one-time welcome series).

Can I see how much revenue a specific flow has generated?

Yes, flow-level revenue attribution is a core Klaviyo reporting feature, showing exactly how much each automated flow contributes to overall sales.