How to set up Klaviyo abandoned cart flows: a step-by-step tutorial for Shopify stores

Shopping cart abandonments are annoying—but not an unsolvable thief in the night. With roughly 70% of online shoppers leaving carts behind, snagging back some of those sales is smart business. Klaviyo’s abandoned cart flows offer an accessible way for Shopify stores to target these near-customers. But how do you build one from scratch, and what decisions really move the needle? Let’s walk through the setup and clear the fog on timing and discount offers. Fair warning: if your product-market fit sucks, no flow will clutch your wallet from the jaws of failure.

What exactly is an abandoned cart flow in Klaviyo and why use it?

An abandoned cart flow is a series of automated emails triggered when someone adds products to your Shopify store cart but leaves without buying. Klaviyo ties into your Shopify account to detect this behavior and send timely reminders to the shopper.

You want this because a lot of carts get abandoned for trivial reasons—distraction, comparing prices, or buying later. Studies show an average abandonment rate around 70%, so even pulling back a small chunk of those lost sales can pay off. It doesn’t cost you extra ad dollars to email your warm leads; you just have to plan and set it up right.

How do I start setting up an abandoned cart flow in Klaviyo for Shopify?

Here is a straightforward, step-by-step guide to get your first abandoned cart flow running:

1. Connect Shopify with Klaviyo
   Make sure you have the Shopify-Klaviyo integration enabled. This sync allows Klaviyo to track events like “Added to Cart” and “Checkout Started.”

2. Create a new flow

   • Go to Klaviyo’s Flows tab in your dashboard.
   • Click “Create Flow” and select the “Abandoned Cart” flow template — it’s already designed to catch the right trigger event.

3. Configure the trigger
   The default trigger is “Checkout Started but not Completed.” This means it waits until a customer initiates checkout but doesn’t buy. Some brands prefer triggering off “Added to Cart,” but that risks grabbing too many false positives if people just browse. Stick with checkout started for stronger signals.

4. Design your flow emails

   • First email: polite reminder with product details. Include images, product names, and clear CTA to complete the purchase.
   • Second email: consider adding social proof or a FAQ section about shipping/timing to nudge hesitant buyers.
   • Third email: final reminder, possibly sweetened with a discount code if you want (more on that below).

5. Set timing delays between emails

   • Email 1: 1 hour after abandonment
   • Email 2: 24 hours after Email 1
   • Email 3: 48 hours after Email 2

   These are starting points; you might adjust based on your audience’s behavior.

6. Add conditional splits or filters (optional)
   If you want to get fancy, set conditions like “only send second email if email 1 not opened” or “exclude customers who bought recently.” This avoids annoying those already converted.

7. Test the flow
   Send test emails to yourself, check how it looks on mobile and desktop, and verify that the right dynamic products show up.

8. Turn the flow live
   Once happy, enable the flow and watch your email queue.

When should I offer discounts in abandoned cart emails?

Discounts are tempting but risky. Use them thoughtfully.

• Early emails: Don’t offer discounts upfront. Keep focus on reminding and creating urgency (“Your cart is waiting”). Discounts here train customers to never buy without a coupon.

• Final email: If your abandonment rate is brutal and margins allow, offer a small discount or free shipping as the last push. Keep the discount minimal—5-10%—to avoid eroding your brand’s value.

• Experiment: Check your flow analytics to see if discount offers actually increase completed sales or just reduce margin.

Remember, if you rely heavily on discounts to fix abandoned carts, it’s often a clue your product, pricing, or site experience isn’t hitting the mark.

Can abandoned cart flows fix a bad product-market fit?

Nope, and no flow will make a bad product sell itself. If customers consistently abandon carts, it’s a shot at your product messaging, pricing, or user experience. Flows help you recover some sales—not all.

Before obsessing over your email sequences, ask:

• Are customers confused about shipping or returns?
• Is your product image or description unclear?
• Is your pricing competitive?
• Is your checkout process smooth and trustworthy?

Fix these basics first before tweaking flows. Email recovery is the last mile, not the whole journey.

What else should I keep in mind to avoid money leaking through the cracks?

• Avoid sending abandoned cart emails to customers who recently purchased or just received an order confirmation. It’s just annoying.

• Monitor your flow’s unsubscribe and complaint rates. If they spike, something isn’t working.

• Keep your copy honest and simple. No hype or “buy now or die” nonsense.

• Use clear, visible calls-to-action.

• Make sure your discount codes are unique and tracked if you use them.

Quick checklist for setting up a basic Klaviyo abandoned cart flow for Shopify

• Connect Shopify and Klaviyo integrations properly
• Select the “Checkout Started but not Completed” trigger
• Set first email to send ~1 hour after abandonment
• Design emails with product info, clear CTA, mobile friendly
• Plan second and third emails over following 2-3 days
• Reserve discounts for final email only (if at all)
• Test emails on different devices and scenarios
• Turn flow live and monitor key metrics regularly
• Avoid emailing recent buyers or customers who converted
• Check unsubscribe and spam complaint rates
• Review product-market fit and site experience issues

If you want to save time with a ready-to-run abandoned cart and retention system built specifically for Shopify brands in Klaviyo, consider our DTC Retention / The 5-Flow Recovery Engine. It’s designed to plug in quickly and help plug the biggest holes in your revenue funnel without guesswork.

Setting up Klaviyo abandoned cart flows is a matter of getting the basics right: timing, messaging, and not pretending email magic will sell a dud product. Nail that and you’ll start catching more drifting carts, which is more than most stores do.