The 9 Klaviyo Flows Every Shopify Brand Needs (And What They Actually Do)

Most Shopify brands have one, maybe two automated flows running in Klaviyo. A basic welcome email. Maybe an abandoned cart reminder. Then they wonder why email contributes 5% of revenue instead of 30%.

The difference between brands that treat email as an afterthought and brands that turn it into their most profitable channel comes down to systems. Specifically, 9 automated flows that work around the clock — capturing revenue at every stage of the customer journey.

These are the exact flows we build for every client. They're listed in priority order based on revenue impact.

1. Welcome Series (4-5 Emails)

What it does: Converts new subscribers into first-time buyers.

When it triggers: Someone joins your list via popup, landing page, or checkout opt-in.

Why it matters: This is consistently the highest-revenue flow. For one client, the Welcome Series alone generated over $171K in 12 months. Email #1 — sent immediately after signup — drives the majority of that revenue. First impressions compound.

The approach: Lead with your hero product and a clear benefit. Follow with brand story and social proof. Handle objections with reviews. Close with urgency. Every email should have one job: get the click.

Target: 3-5% placed order rate.

2. Abandoned Checkout (4 Emails)

What it does: Recovers lost sales from people who started checkout but didn't finish.

When it triggers: Customer begins checkout but doesn't complete within 4 hours.

Why it matters: These are your highest-intent prospects. They entered their email, maybe their payment details, then left. The revenue is sitting right there. A well-built checkout recovery sequence can recover 2-4% of abandoned carts.

The approach: Start with a simple reminder including cart contents. Add social proof and urgency at 24 hours. Offer an incentive at 48 hours if margins allow. Final push at 72 hours with scarcity.

Target: 2-4% conversion rate.

3. Browse Abandonment (2-3 Emails)

What it does: Re-engages people who viewed products but didn't add to cart.

When it triggers: Visitor views a product page but doesn't add to cart within 2 hours.

Why it matters: These visitors showed interest but weren't ready to commit. Without this flow, they disappear forever. With it, you get another shot at the conversion.

The approach: Show the product they viewed with reviews. Follow up with related products and social proof. Gentle incentive only if warranted by margins — you don't want to train customers to expect discounts.

Target: 1-2% conversion rate.

4. Post-Purchase (3-4 Emails)

What it does: Turns one-time buyers into repeat customers.

When it triggers: Customer completes their first purchase.

Why it matters: The second purchase is where profitability begins. Customer acquisition costs are already paid — every repeat order is higher-margin revenue. This flow builds the relationship that drives lifetime value.

The approach: Confirm the order and set expectations. Share usage tips and care guides. Cross-sell complementary products. Request a review and invite to your loyalty program.

Target: Repeat purchase within 60 days.

5. Cart Abandonment (2-3 Emails)

What it does: Captures people who added to cart but didn't start checkout.

When it triggers: Customer adds a product to cart but doesn't begin checkout within 1 hour.

Why it matters: This catches people earlier in the funnel than checkout abandonment. Together, these two flows cover the full purchase intent spectrum.

The approach: Cart reminder with product image. Urgency plus reviews at 24 hours. Incentive at 48 hours for high cart values.

Target: 1.5-3% conversion rate.

6. Customer Winback (2-3 Emails)

What it does: Re-activates customers who haven't purchased in 90-180 days.

When it triggers: No purchase or engagement activity in the defined window.

Why it matters: Reactivating a lapsed customer costs 5-7x less than acquiring a new one. These people already know your brand and have purchased before — they just need a reason to come back.

The approach: Start with "we miss you" and highlight what's new. Offer an exclusive return incentive. Final attempt with feedback request. Segment by previous purchase value to calibrate the offer.

Target: 5-10% re-engagement rate.

7. Cross-Sell / Replenishment (2-3 Emails)

What it does: Increases lifetime value through relevant product recommendations.

When it triggers: Based on purchase history and product consumption cycle timing.

Why it matters: This is the most profitable revenue you can generate — incremental orders from existing customers with zero acquisition cost.

The approach: Product-specific triggers based on replenishment cycles. Complementary recommendations based on purchase history. Bundle offers for multi-product buyers.

Target: AOV increase over time.

8. Back-in-Stock (1-2 Emails + SMS)

What it does: Notifies subscribers when a product they wanted returns to inventory.

When it triggers: Product comes back in stock after an out-of-stock period, and the subscriber opted in for the notification.

Why it matters: Highest per-email conversion rate of any flow. These subscribers already told you they want the product. The intent doesn't get higher than this.

The approach: Immediate notification with urgency about limited quantity. Follow-up reminder at 24 hours. SMS for subscribers who opted in — highest urgency channel for limited stock.

Target: High open rate, high conversion.

9. Sunset Flow (2-3 Emails)

What it does: Cleans unengaged subscribers before they damage your deliverability.

When it triggers: No opens or clicks in 90+ days.

Why it matters: This flow doesn't generate direct revenue. It protects everything else. One bad send to a large unengaged segment can tank your sender reputation and push your emails to spam — destroying months of work across all other flows.

The approach: Re-engagement attempt with a hook. Final value offer. Last chance warning. Non-responders get suppressed. Your engaged subscribers thank you with better inbox placement.

Target: List hygiene maintenance. Deliverability protection.

The Compounding Effect

No single flow is magic. The power is in having all 9 working together as a system. The Welcome Series converts new subscribers. Abandoned flows recover lost revenue. Post-purchase and cross-sell flows build lifetime value. Winback re-activates lapsed customers. And Sunset protects the foundation that makes everything else work.

This is the exact system that took one brand from $0 email revenue to $246K in 12 months.

The question isn't whether these flows work. It's how much revenue you're leaving on the table without them.