Flow library
The 12 flows
Trigger, email count, timing, and the one job. Each card is the shape an AI Overview can lift. The blueprints stay at the 12-flow kit.
5 emails
First purchase welcome
Onboard a first-time buyer from stranger to fan. The foundation flow — sets the tone for the entire relationship.
- Trigger
- Order enhancement · Immediate
- Timing
- Immediate to Day 14
3 emails
Returning customer
Acknowledge and deepen the relationship with repeat buyers. Shorter — they already know you.
- Trigger
- Welcome back · Immediate
- Timing
- Immediate to Day 7
3 emails
Product education
Teach the customer how to get full value from what they bought. The most under-used retention lever in DTC.
- Trigger
- Quick start · On delivery
- Timing
- On delivery to Day 10 after delivery
3 emails
Replenishment reminder
Built for anything a customer uses up. Consumption-cycle timed — sends when the customer is actually running low, not on a generic timer.
- Trigger
- Gentle nudge · Predicted run-out minus 5 days
- Timing
- Predicted run-out minus 5 days to Run-out + 7 days
3 emails
Smart cross-sell
Recommend the one product most similar customers buy next. One recommendation, not a carousel of 8.
- Trigger
- The recommendation · 14 days after delivery
- Timing
- 14 days after delivery to Day 28
4 emails
Win-back
Re-engage customers who missed their predicted reorder window. Escalates from warm to incentivized over 30 days.
- Trigger
- We noticed · Predicted reorder + 14 days
- Timing
- Predicted reorder + 14 days to +7 days
3 emails
Subscription conversion
Nudge one-time consumable buyers toward subscribe-and-save. Only activates for products with a subscription option.
- Trigger
- The convenience pitch · 21 days after order
- Timing
- 21 days after order to Day 35
2 emails
Review request
Ask for a product review after they've had time to use it. Timed to product type — 7 days for consumables, 14 for durables.
- Trigger
- Review ask · 7-14 days after delivery
- Timing
- 7-14 days after delivery to +5 days if no review
3 emails
Referral program
Invite happy customers to refer friends. Only triggers after positive engagement signals — not blasted to everyone.
- Trigger
- Referral invite · After 3+ email opens or review submitted
- Timing
- After 3+ email opens or review submitted to On successful referral
3 emails
VIP recognition
Make high-value repeat customers feel valued. Triggers on 3rd order — the inflection point where loyalty solidifies.
- Trigger
- Personal thank you · Immediate on 3rd order
- Timing
- Immediate on 3rd order to On next product launch or restock
2 emails
Delivery follow-up
Quick check-in after the package arrives. Catches problems early before they become returns or bad reviews.
- Trigger
- Did it arrive? · 48 hours after delivery confirmed
- Timing
- 48 hours after delivery confirmed to Day 5 after delivery
3 emails
Returns recovery
Turn a return or refund into a retained customer. Suppresses all other flows and leads with empathy, not selling.
- Trigger
- We're sorry · On refund/return detected
- Timing
- On refund/return detected to +7 days
3 emails
The VIP Email Flow: Trigger It on Order 3, Not Top 5%
A VIP email flow thanks your best customers. Trigger it on the 3rd order, not a top 5% spend cutoff. Send 3 emails: a thank you right away, perks on day 3, early access at your next launch.
- Trigger
- Placed Order, conditional split: placed order equals 3 over all time
4 emails
The Winback Email Flow: Start From Their Date, Not Day 90
A winback email flow brings back a customer who stopped buying. Start it 14 days after their own reorder date, not a fixed 90 days for everyone. Send 4 emails over 28 days. Save the discount for email 3.
- Trigger
- Placed Order, delayed to the customer's reorder date plus 14 days
3 emails
The Cross-Sell Email Flow: 1 Product, From Your Own Orders
A cross-sell email flow sells a first-time buyer the next product they are most likely to want. Send 3 emails, 14, 21 and 28 days after delivery. Show 1 product per email, picked from past second orders.
- Trigger
- Delivered (fallback: Fulfilled Order plus average shipping time), trigger split on product
3 emails
The Replenishment Email Flow: Count Units, Not Days
A replenishment email flow reminds a customer to reorder before they run out. Send 3 emails: 5 days before the run-out date, on the day, and 7 days after. Work out the run-out date from how many units they bought.
- Trigger
- Placed Order (trigger split on product and Item Count)
2 emails
The Review Request Email: 2 Asks, and the Line the FTC Drew
A review request email asks a customer to review what they bought, 7 to 14 days after delivery. Send 2: one ask, one reminder. Never offer a reward only for good reviews. Since October 2024 that breaks an FTC rule.
- Trigger
- Delivered (fallback: Fulfilled Order plus average shipping time)
2 emails
The Browse Abandonment Flow: 2 Emails, Then Hand Off
The browse abandonment flow emails people who viewed a product and left without adding to cart. Two emails, at 2 and 24 hours, no discount. Its one job is getting them back to the product page.
- Trigger
- Viewed Product
3 emails
The Post-Purchase Flow: 3 Emails, None of Them Selling
The post-purchase flow works the window between order placed and order delivered. Three emails, none of them transactional, none of them selling. Its job is to set up the second order, not to make it. Klaviyo's own data says this is the most engaged your customers ever get.
- Trigger
- Placed Order
3 emails
The Checkout Abandonment Flow: Turn Off Shopify's First
The checkout abandonment flow fires when someone enters their email at checkout and leaves without ordering. It is the highest-intent flow you can build. Before you turn it on, turn off the one Shopify is already sending, or your customers get both.
- Trigger
- Checkout Started
3 emails
The Abandoned Cart Flow: Why You Need Two, Not One
The abandoned cart flow fires when someone adds a product and leaves without starting checkout. It is not the same flow as checkout abandonment, it needs a different trigger, and in most Klaviyo accounts it does not exist at all. Three emails, spread over 3 days.
- Trigger
- Added to Cart, with Started Checkout zero times since starting this flow
3 emails
The Welcome Flow: 3 Emails, and the Setting That Breaks Them
The welcome flow is the email sequence that fires when someone joins your list. Its job is the first order, not the fifth. Three emails over a week is the standard shape. The count matters less than one setting that silently skips your best email.
- Trigger
- Added to list, or subscribed to the signup form