The email flows we build in Klaviyo, drawn out in full
Fifteen builds, every one linked: what fires each one, how long it waits, and who it lets go.
What the flows actually send
Welcome offers, checkout reminders and the product match that follows someone's first order.
Fifteen builds, and the playbook behind them
None of these run on a date. Each one fires on something your customer just did, and knows when to stop.
Welcome email flow
The first thing a new subscriber gets from you, on an offer that runs out.
Site search flow
Answers the question your search box couldn't.
Category browse flow
Browsed a collection, opened nothing in it.
Browse abandonment flow
Looked at one product properly, then walked off.
Back in stock flow
Sends the moment the thing they wanted lands again.
Price drop flow
Tells the people who were already watching, and nobody else.
Abandoned cart flow
The basket they built and never paid for.
Checkout abandonment flow
They reached the payment step and stopped there.
Birthday flow
The one send a year built on a date they chose to give you.
Post purchase flow
Turns a first order into a second one.
Replenishment email flow
Lands just before the last one runs out.
Cross sell email flow
Sells them the second product, not another of the first.
VIP flow
Rewards your best customers without discounting to them.
Winback email flow
Goes after the customer who stopped buying, before you sunset them.
Sunset flow
Stops you emailing the people who stopped reading.
The eCommerce Email Automation Playbook
The core ten, drawn as decision trees, twelve pages.
The playbook draws the core ten as decision trees, and those ten are nine of the pages here: the cart's basic and advanced versions share a trigger, so we build them together. The other six are the ones that only earn their place in the right catalogue, which is why they are on this page and not in the book. Ten and six, fifteen builds. The delays are starting points either way; we tune them to your buying cycle. Get the Automation Playbook.
What flows own, and what campaigns own
Both matter. A calendar on its own isn't enough.
They run on behaviour
A flow answers what one person just did, the minute they did it. No calendar slot, nobody at the keyboard. It just runs.
They run on a calendar
A campaign says one thing to one segment on a date you picked. Launches and seasons. It stops the day you stop sending.
Most accounts need both, and we build the flows first. They catch the moments a calendar can't see coming. Both sit inside the same email marketing service, and the map that decides which flow owns which moment is lifecycle strategy.
Three accounts, and what the flows carried there
Shadow Foam, Q3 2025: flows carried around 60 percent of attributed email revenue, every month of the quarter. It's all in the case study.
FAQs
What is an email flow?
An automated sequence that fires on something a person did, not on a date you picked. A signup, a search, a product view, an order: each one can start a series that sends itself, checks whether they've bought since, and stops when it should. It's the part of your email programme that keeps working on its own.
How many email flows does an ecommerce store need?
Ten covers most stores, so that's what the playbook documents. But a small catalogue rarely needs replenishment or cross sell in the first month, and a subscription brand wants renewal logic on top. The count follows your catalogue and your buying cycle. We agree it on the first call; we won't sell you a number.
Which email flow should we build first?
Welcome, then abandoned cart, then post purchase. Welcome lands at the only moment someone actively asked to hear from you. Cart catches intent they've already shown. Post purchase decides whether a first order becomes a second. The rest are all worth building, but those three are where an empty account gains most, soonest.
How long does a full flow stack take to build?
The first flows are usually live inside the first month, and the rest follow over the weeks after, in an order we agree with you. Design, copy and the Klaviyo build are all ours, and each flow goes live as soon as it's finished; nobody waits for the set. What slows a build? Usually waiting on brand assets, not the automation.
Are email flows legal under UK GDPR and PECR?
Yes, as long as the person opted in themselves, or they're an existing customer and you're sending them something similar to what they bought. We record consent on the profile with its source and timestamp, keep a one-click unsubscribe in every send, and never run a flow against a bought list. A behaviour trigger like a product view is fine on the same basis: what matters is consent to be emailed, not the thing that set the email off.
Want the whole stack built and documented?
Bring your Klaviyo login to the first call. We'll have a look under the bonnet, tell you which of the ten are missing, and which ones are still chasing people who've already bought.
Book a call with our founder.
We're all about relationships built on trust, mutual respect and a shared vision for success. If that sounds like your vibe, let's make some waves together 🌊
