What is a flow?
A flow is a sequence of automated messages and actions. It is triggered when a customer performs a specific action; such as when someone joins your email or text message list, or shops from your store. Learn all about the power of flows, and how brands use flows as tools to drive revenue at each point in the customer journey.
How flows differ from campaigns
Campaigns and flows are both tools for communicating with your customers. Learn how they differ, so that you can feel confident that you're sending the right type of message at the right time.
Flows | Campaigns | |
Usage | Use a flow to automate personalized messages based on individual user actions and behaviors. | Use a campaign to broadcast the same message to your entire audience at a scheduled time. |
Sending Time | Sent automatically when conditions are met | Scheduled for a specific date and time |
Audience | Messages are sent automatically based on user actions | Messages are sent to a preselected group at a scheduled time |
Structure | Structured with multiple steps and triggers | Single message with a clear objective |
Flows and the customer journey
Flows play a crucial role in the customer journey, from onboarding new subscribers to post-purchase messages. By strategically using flows, you can improve customer engagement, retention, and overall satisfaction.
Dive into 5 key flows you can use in your Klaviyo account.
Welcome series flow
State of the customer journey:
Person subscribes to your list.
How to use this flow?
Introduce your brand to subscribers immediately after they sign up for your marketing list.
What’s the benefit?
This is a great opportunity to share a signup incentive offer that encourages new email or text message subscribers to make a purchase.
Note: We recommend having separate welcome flows for email and text message, since subscribers can opt into email and text message separately and each welcome series flow can only be entered once.
Browse abandonment flow
State of the customer journey:
Person views products on your website without adding any products to their cart.
How to use this flow?
Capture potential customers who browsed an item on your site, but did not start or complete their checkout.
What’s the benefit?
Gently remind browsers about the products they like and nudge them to return to your site.
Abandoned cart flow
State of the customer journey:
Person abandons a product in their cart.
How to use this flow?
Send a message or sequence of messages reminding potential customers about the items in their cart.
What’s the benefit?
Life happens. A potential customer could start the checkout process and get distracted, lose internet service, or decide they aren’t ready to buy yet. In any of these scenarios, a simple reminder can encourage them to complete the purchase.
Thank you flow
State of the customer journey:
Person makes their first purchase.
How to use this flow?
Show appreciation for your customers as soon as they make a purchase.
What’s the benefit?
Save time by automating thank you messages from your brand. Additionally, within your message you can:
- Ask for a customer review.
- Share your social media links to build a brand community.
- Promote related products.
Winback flow
State of the customer journey:
Person bought something, but never returned for a follow-up purchase.
How to use this flow?
Re-engage customers who purchased in the past, but have not bought again in a while.
What’s the benefit?
This flow is customizable based on the products a customer has purchased and how many purchases they have made.
Set up flows for your audience
Flows are flexible tools, and there are limitless ways to use them to create personalized experiences. Before diving into all the possibilities, set up these 3 flows that have been proven to drive revenue and retention for brands using Klaviyo.
Create a welcome series flow (email and text message)
Set up a flow to encourage new subscribers to become customers.
To set up this flow:
- Navigate to the Flows tab in your Klaviyo account, and click Create flow.
- On the card for Welcome Series, click Get Started.
- In the Welcome Series Setup modal, select the list you would like your welcome series to be connected to. This should be the main list that new contacts are added to after signing up to hear from your brand.
Learn more on how to create a welcome series for each channel:
Create an abandoned cart flow
An abandoned cart flow sends messages based on a customer's activity in your store. Make sure that you first integrate your ecommerce platform with Klaviyo.
Depending on your integration, you may see several different types of abandoned cart flows that suit different needs. We recommend choosing one of these pre-built flows to start off, then you can customize the flow to your liking.
For step-by-step instructions, bookmark how to create an abandoned cart flow.
Create a customer winback flow
A winback flow is a metric-triggered flow that reminds lapsed shoppers to return to your store.
The metric that triggers this flow is Placed Order (or a similar variation, as terminology varies by ecommerce platform). This flow requires a flow filter to ensure that someone has not purchased since entering the flow, and a time delay to set the messaging in motion after a set number of days have passed since their last purchase.
Use a Klaviyo template to build your flow. Then, customize your message content and the timing of your messages based on your brand and your customer's typical buying cycle.
Learn more about how to determine this buying cycle and best practices for winback flows in our guide to creating a winback flow.
For more guidance, check out our help center article on getting started with flows.