Key takeaways
- Flows run automatically on shopper behaviour, so they keep earning without new campaigns.
- Start with five: welcome, browse abandonment, abandoned cart or checkout, post-purchase and customer winback.
- For Tech-shoppen.dk, 100% of attributed email revenue in one 30-day period — DKK 10,476 — came from flows.
- Timing and segmentation matter more than design: send the right message to the right shopper at the right moment.
Why flows matter more than campaigns
Campaigns are the emails you send to your list on a schedule. Flows are automated sequences that start when a shopper does something — subscribes, views a product, starts checkout or places an order. Because they reach people at the moment they’re most interested, flows tend to convert far better than broadcasts.
For Tech-shoppen.dk, a Danish electronics store with more than 13,000 active profiles, every attributed krone in one 30-day period — DKK 10,476 — came from flows, not campaigns. That’s the power of getting these five right.
1. Welcome series
Triggered when: someone joins your email list.
Your welcome series is a first impression, so don’t treat every subscriber the same. For one Shopify brand, I split new subscribers by whether they had ordered before: existing customers got a thank-you, while new subscribers got a 10% first-order offer. Three days later, everyone received a follow-up inviting them to the brand’s social channels.
Result: the series generated $1.25K in placed orders for that store (see the case study).
Add an SMS welcome too: a coupon on sign-up, then a reminder three days later only to people who haven’t used it.
2. Browse abandonment
Triggered when: a known subscriber views a product but doesn’t add it to their cart.
A short, friendly nudge works best. For elandr, the flow waits two hours after a product view, then sends “Did you see something you liked?” with the product they looked at.
For the Shopify brand above, the browse abandonment email reached a 62.5% open rate and a 25% placed-order rate — a quarter of recipients went on to buy.
3. Abandoned cart or checkout
Triggered when: a shopper adds to cart or starts checkout and leaves.
These shoppers were seconds from buying, so this is often a store’s highest-earning flow. My usual structure for elandr: a first reminder three hours after checkout starts (“It looks like you left something behind…”), then a second email two days later (“Your cart is about to expire”).
Ariana Munroe on a Klaviyo and WooCommerce project: “Joseph excelled in integrating Klaviyo with WooCommerce, boosting our email marketing and abandoned cart recovery.”
Exclude anyone who has placed an order since the flow started, so buyers never get a “you forgot something” email.
4. Post-purchase follow-up
Triggered when: someone places an order.
The sale isn’t the end of the relationship. A post-purchase flow thanks the customer, sets expectations for delivery and suggests what to do or buy next. For elandr, I split it by order count, so first-time buyers and repeat customers receive different messages — a welcome to the brand for one, loyalty for the other.
5. Customer winback
Triggered when: a past customer hasn’t ordered for a long time.
Pick the timing from your product’s natural buying cycle. elandr’s winback waits 182 days after an order, sends “It’s been a while…”, then follows up 15 days later with “We’ve missed you.” Customers who order again leave the flow automatically.
Getting the details right
- Use flow filters so people only get emails that still apply — for example, exclude anyone who has purchased.
- Don’t over-discount. Lead with the product and reminders; save discounts for the steps that need them.
- Segment new versus returning customers, VIP or club members, and engaged versus inactive subscribers.
- Measure placed-order revenue per recipient, not only opens and clicks.
- Review monthly and test one change at a time: timing, subject line or offer.
Campaigns still matter once your flows are running. For Eleven Eleven, a Napa Valley wine brand, segmented club and non-club campaigns reached open rates of up to 78% and brought in $4,733 of attributed revenue in 30 days.
Need these set up?
I build Klaviyo flows for Shopify, WooCommerce and Squarespace stores, including SMS and segmented campaigns. Klaviyo and Shopify email setup starts from $150, depending on how many flows and emails you need. See my e-commerce work or book a free call.
Frequently asked questions
Which Klaviyo flow should I set up first?
Start with abandoned cart or checkout and the welcome series — they usually recover the most revenue fastest. Then add browse abandonment, post-purchase and winback.
How long should I wait before sending an abandoned cart email?
A few hours works well for the first reminder — I often use three hours — followed by a second email a day or two later.
Do these flows work with WooCommerce and Squarespace?
Yes. Once your store data flows into Klaviyo, the same flows work on Shopify, WooCommerce and other supported platforms.
Should every flow include a discount?
No. Reminders and product content often convert on their own. Use discounts where they make the difference, such as a first-order offer in the welcome series.
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Written by Joseph Ajibomode, Marketing Automation & AI Agents ExpertNovember 2, 2026 · 3 min read