Klaviyo flows for an Australian Shopify store, and the Spam Act rules behind them

A flow is a set of emails or texts that Klaviyo sends automatically when someone does something, such as joining your list or leaving items in a cart. Klaviyo's getting started guide recommends setting four live first, in this order: welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase and winback. Browse abandonment is the usual next addition for a Shopify store.

These flows rely on a working Shopify and Klaviyo connection, with orders, checkouts and product views syncing. Test the connection first, because everything below depends on it. Our Launch package includes Klaviyo or Shopify Email welcome and abandoned-cart flows, and the Partner plan covers flow and campaign builds in Klaviyo on an ongoing basis.

Klaviyo's welcome guide suggests three emails over about a week: the first straight away, the second after 3 days and the third 4 days after that. It is a starting point. A store with a considered purchase, such as furniture, might spread them further apart.

• Email 1, straight away: thank them, deliver the offer if you have one, and say what to expect from you.
• Email 2, a few days later: tell the brand story and show your best sellers or a size or fit guide.
• Email 3, a few days after that: answer the common objections, such as delivery times, returns and Afterpay, and remind them of the offer if it expires.
• Split the flow by sign-up source, so someone who joined at checkout does not get the same emails as someone who joined from a pop-up.
• Exit people from the flow once they place an order.

If you offer a discount, think about how often you give it. A permanent first-order code teaches shoppers to wait. Link to your delivery and returns details from the emails. Our returns policy guide and shipping guide will help you write them.

Klaviyo's help centre says most prebuilt abandoned cart flows trigger on the Started Checkout metric, though some integrations track Added to Cart instead. Check which one your account uses, because it changes who enters the flow. A community answer from Klaviyo says the Shopify integration uses Added to Cart.

1. Step 1

   Turn off duplicate emails

   Shopify can send its own abandoned checkout emails. In Shopify admin, check the automations under Apps, then Messaging, and turn off any that overlap, so customers do not get two reminders.

2. Step 2

   Set a sensible first delay

   Send the first email after a short wait, such as one to four hours, so you catch people who were interrupted without crowding people who are still deciding. Test the timing.

3. Step 3

   Show the cart

   Include product images, names, sizes and a clear button back to the checkout.

4. Step 4

   Address the real reasons

   Common reasons for leaving are unexpected shipping costs, uncertainty about delivery and no preferred payment method. Mention your delivery times, your free shipping threshold and that you take Afterpay or Zip. See Afterpay and Zip on Shopify.

5. Step 5

   Hold back the discount

   Offer an incentive in the last email only, or not at all, so you do not train customers to abandon on purpose.

6. Step 6

   Exit on purchase

   Remove people from the flow once they order.

This flow starts on the Viewed Product metric, and Klaviyo recommends a delay of at least an hour. Klaviyo's default template removes shoppers who go on to start checkout, because they receive the cart emails instead. Keep that rule, or you will email the same person twice for the same product.

• Use one or two emails, not a long sequence. Browsing is a weaker signal than adding to cart.
• Show the product they viewed, with a related item or two.
• Add a frequency cap, so a customer who browses daily is not emailed daily.
• This flow only works for people Klaviyo can identify, such as those who have clicked a link in one of your emails or signed in, so volumes will be smaller than abandoned cart.

Klaviyo describes a post-purchase flow as triggered after a customer places an order. Shopify sends the order confirmation and shipping notifications itself, so this flow is about everything after that: the follow-up that makes the customer more likely to order again.

• A thank-you a day or two after delivery, with care or usage tips for the product.
• A review request timed after the customer has had the product long enough to form a view. Only ask for real reviews, and never offer rewards for positive ones.
• A cross-sell for items that go with what they bought, not a random best seller list.
• Different paths for first-time and repeat customers.
• A clear way to reach support, so a problem reaches you before it becomes a bad review.

A winback flow targets customers who bought before and have gone quiet. We could not find Klaviyo guidance on a standard timing, and the number depends on what you sell. Look at how long your customers normally take to reorder. Set the flow to start a little after that point. A coffee roaster might start at six weeks. A furniture store might wait a year.

• Email 1: a simple check-in with new arrivals or a best-seller update.
• Email 2: a stronger reason to return, such as a small offer or a restock.
• Email 3: a last message that asks whether they still want to hear from you.
• Anyone who does not open or click after the flow should move to a suppressed segment, so you are not paying to email people who have stopped engaging and risking your sender reputation.

In Australia, commercial emails and text messages are covered by the Spam Act 2003, which the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforces. The rules are consent, identification and unsubscribe. They apply to marketing messages sent to people in Australia, and they apply to every flow in this guide.

• Record where and when each person gave consent, and how. Klaviyo stores consent details on a profile, so make sure your sign-up forms and Shopify checkout settings feed them in.
• Do not buy or rent email lists. You cannot show consent for people who never gave it to you.
• Make sure the unsubscribe link works and takes effect. ACMA has taken action over late processing of unsubscribe requests, treating messages sent after the 5 business days as sent without consent.
• Include your business name and a way to contact you in the footer of every email.
• Keep text messages to the same standard: clear sender, consent and a way to opt out. Check Klaviyo's current SMS availability and sender rules for Australia before you plan an SMS program.
• Order and shipping confirmations are transactional, not marketing, but if you add promotions to them, those parts may count as commercial. Ask a lawyer if you are unsure.

1. Step 1

   Check the integration

   Confirm orders, checkouts and viewed products are syncing from Shopify to Klaviyo.

2. Step 2

   Set up sign-up forms with clear consent wording

   Say what people are signing up for, and link to your privacy policy.

3. Step 3

   Build the four core flows, then browse abandonment

   Use Klaviyo's templates as a starting point and rewrite them in your own voice.

4. Step 4

   Add exit conditions

   Make sure people leave each flow when they buy, so no one is emailed about something they already have.

5. Step 5

   Test every email

   Send tests to Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail on a phone, and click every link.

6. Step 6

   Turn on and watch for two weeks

   Check delivery, unsubscribes and complaints daily at first.

If you want flows built and maintained for you, see the Partner plan or our Shopify apps and integrations service. For the checkout side of the funnel, see our conversion rate optimisation service.