How to Set Up a Klaviyo Abandoned Cart Flow That Actually Converts

TL;DR: A Klaviyo abandoned cart flow is the single highest-revenue automation for Shopify stores, generating an average of $3.65 per recipient. Set it up with 3 emails spaced over 72 hours, use conditional splits for high-value carts, and disable Shopify's default cart emails first. This guide covers the exact setup, timing, and email strategy to maximize recovery.

Nearly 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before checkout. For a Shopify store doing $50,000 per month, that could mean $35,000 in potential revenue left sitting in carts every single month. The abandoned cart flow is your best shot at recovering a meaningful chunk of that lost revenue, and Klaviyo makes it one of the easiest flows to build.

But "easy to build" and "built to convert" are two different things. Across the Shopify stores we manage at CartStrings, we consistently see abandoned cart flows generating 5-15% of total email-attributed revenue. The difference between a flow that recovers 2% of abandoned carts and one that recovers 8% comes down to structure, timing, and smart personalization.

Here is exactly how to set up a Klaviyo abandoned cart flow that does more than just remind people they forgot something.

What Is a Klaviyo Abandoned Cart Flow?

A Klaviyo abandoned cart flow is an automated email sequence triggered when a shopper starts checkout on your Shopify store but does not complete the purchase. It sends a series of timed emails designed to bring the customer back to finish their order.

In Klaviyo, this flow is triggered by the Checkout Started metric, which fires when a customer enters their email address during checkout and then leaves without placing an order. This is different from the "Added to Cart" event, which captures earlier-stage browsers who never even reached checkout.

The reason this flow matters so much comes down to the data. According to Klaviyo's benchmark report, abandoned cart flows drive the highest revenue per recipient ($3.65) of any automated flow type. Top-performing stores achieve $28.89 revenue per recipient, nearly 8x the platform average. No other email automation comes close to that kind of return.

Setting Up Your Klaviyo Abandoned Cart Flow Step by Step

Before you build anything in Klaviyo, disable Shopify's built-in abandoned checkout emails. Go to Settings > Notifications in your Shopify admin and uncheck the abandoned checkout email. Running both Shopify and Klaviyo abandoned cart emails simultaneously means customers get duplicate messages, which hurts your brand and your email deliverability.

Once that is handled, here is the setup process in Klaviyo:

1. Create the Flow

Go to Flows > Create Flow > Build Your Own. Name it something clear like "Abandoned Cart Flow" or "Checkout Abandonment Series." You can also start from Klaviyo's pre-built abandoned cart template in the Flow Library, which gives you a solid starting framework.

2. Set the Trigger

Select Checkout Started as your trigger metric. This is the most reliable trigger for Shopify stores because it only fires after the customer has entered their email, which means you have a valid contact to email.

3. Add a Flow Filter

Add a flow filter: "Placed Order zero times since starting this flow." This filter prevents emails from going out to people who already completed their purchase after the trigger fired. Without this filter, you will email customers who bought within your delay window, which is a fast way to annoy people and generate complaints.

4. Build Your Email Sequence

Add your email actions with time delays between them. A three-email sequence is the standard for high-performing stores. Industry data shows that three-email sequences generated $24.9 million compared to $3.8 million from single emails, a 6.5x revenue difference. We will cover exact timing in the next section.

5. Configure Each Email

Each email should dynamically pull in the abandoned cart items. In Klaviyo's email editor, use the Dynamic Product Block to display the specific items the customer left behind. Include the product image, name, price, and a direct link back to checkout.

How Many Emails Should Your Abandoned Cart Flow Include?

Three emails sent over 3 to 4 days is the optimal sequence length for most Shopify stores. The first email captures high-intent buyers, the second re-engages hesitant shoppers, and the third creates urgency or offers a final incentive.

Here is how each email should work:

Email 1: The Reminder. This is your highest-converting email. Keep it simple: show the abandoned items, use a clear "Complete Your Purchase" call to action, and skip the discount. Most recoveries happen here because these shoppers were already close to buying.

Email 2: The Nudge. This email should address common objections. Highlight your return policy, shipping details, customer reviews, or social proof. If you have strong product reviews, pull a few into the email. The goal is to reduce friction without immediately resorting to a discount.

Email 3: The Closer. If the first two emails did not convert, this is where you can introduce a small incentive. A 10% discount or free shipping offer works well for most stores. Frame it with urgency: "Your cart is about to expire" or "Last chance to save 10%."

Going beyond three emails is rarely worth it. Sending more messages past the 72-hour mark tends to generate more unsubscribes than conversions.

Optimal Timing for Each Email in the Sequence

Timing can make or break your abandoned cart flow. Send too early and the customer might still be comparing prices. Send too late and they have already moved on or bought from a competitor.

Based on Klaviyo's recommendations and what we see perform well across client accounts, here is the timing that works:

Email 1: Send 1 to 4 hours after cart abandonment. Klaviyo's default template uses a 4-hour delay, but many stores see better results in the 1 to 2 hour range. The product is still fresh in the customer's mind, and you catch them before they find it elsewhere.

Email 2: Send 20 to 24 hours after the first email. This catches the customer at roughly the same time of day they were originally shopping, which often means they are in a similar browsing mindset.

Email 3: Send 48 to 72 hours after the second email. Any longer and you are outside the window where the purchase intent still exists.

One important detail: Klaviyo lets you add Smart Send Time settings to avoid emails going out during odd hours. Configure your flow to only send between 8 AM and 9 PM in the recipient's timezone. An abandoned cart email that arrives at 3 AM looks spammy and gets buried.

How Do Conditional Splits Improve Abandoned Cart Recovery?

Conditional splits let you send different messages based on cart value, customer history, or product category. This means high-value carts get a more aggressive recovery strategy while low-value carts get a lighter touch, which keeps your margins healthy.

The most impactful split to add is a cart value threshold. In Klaviyo, add a Conditional Split after your trigger and set the condition to: "$value is at least [your threshold]." A common threshold is $100, but this depends on your average order value.

For the high-value path (above your threshold):

• Send the first email sooner (within 1 hour)
• Include a stronger incentive earlier in the sequence (free shipping on email 2, percentage discount on email 3)
• Consider adding an SMS message alongside the first email for faster recovery

For the low-value path (below your threshold):

• Standard timing (2 to 4 hours for the first email)
• Focus on product benefits and social proof rather than discounts
• Skip the third email if your margins are tight

You can also add a second split based on customer history. Set the condition to "Placed Order at least once over all time" to separate first-time buyers from repeat customers. Repeat customers often just need a simple reminder, while first-time buyers need more trust-building elements like reviews and guarantees.

Writing Abandoned Cart Emails That Convert

The actual content of your emails matters as much as the flow structure. Here are the specific elements that drive conversions in abandoned cart emails.

Subject Lines

Keep subject lines short, specific, and personalized. Use Klaviyo's template tags to include the product name or the customer's first name. Examples that consistently perform well:

• "Still thinking about [Product Name]?"
• "You left something behind, {{ first_name }}"
• "Your cart is waiting (and it won't wait forever)"

Personalized subject lines can improve open rates significantly. Across Klaviyo's platform, abandoned cart emails average a 50.5% open rate, with top performers hitting 65%.

Email Body

Lead with the abandoned product image and details. The customer should see exactly what they left behind within the first scroll. Include the price, a direct "Return to Cart" button, and keep copy minimal. This is not the place for a brand story or a newsletter-length message.

Call to Action

Use one primary CTA button that takes the customer directly back to their cart with items already loaded. "Complete Your Purchase" or "Return to Your Cart" outperforms vague CTAs like "Shop Now" because it speaks to a specific action the customer already started.

Social Proof

In your second or third email, add 1 to 2 customer reviews for the specific product left in the cart. Klaviyo's dynamic blocks let you pull in review data if you are using a review app that integrates with Klaviyo (like Junip, Okendo, or Yotpo).

Do You Need Both an Abandoned Cart and Abandoned Checkout Flow?

Yes, ideally you should run both. The "Abandoned Cart" flow (triggered by Added to Cart) captures shoppers who never made it to checkout, while the "Abandoned Checkout" flow (triggered by Checkout Started) targets people who entered their email but did not complete the purchase. Together, they cover a much larger portion of your lost revenue.

The key distinction: Klaviyo's Added to Cart trigger fires earlier in the shopping journey. Under half of shoppers who add items to their cart will ever start checkout. By only using the Checkout Started trigger, you are missing the chance to re-engage a significant pool of interested buyers.

If you run both flows, add a filter to the Added to Cart flow that excludes anyone who has triggered the Checkout Started event. This prevents overlap. The Added to Cart flow should be gentler (1 to 2 emails, no discount) since these shoppers showed less purchase intent than someone who entered their email at checkout.

If you are not sure where your current email automations stand or whether your flows are set up for maximum recovery, a Klaviyo audit can help identify gaps and quick wins.

Conclusion

Your abandoned cart flow should be the first automation you build in Klaviyo and the last one you stop optimizing. The data backs this up: no other flow type generates more revenue per recipient.

Start with the fundamentals. Disable Shopify's default emails, build a three-email sequence with proven timing, and add a cart value conditional split. Then refine. Test your subject lines, experiment with when to introduce discounts, and review your flow performance monthly in Klaviyo's analytics dashboard.

If you are recovering less than 5% of abandoned carts, there is room to improve. If your flow is doing 8% or higher, you are in strong territory. Either way, the work you put into this single flow will likely generate more revenue than any other email automation in your account. Start building, and reach out if you need a hand getting it dialed in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What triggers a Klaviyo abandoned cart flow?

The most common trigger is the Checkout Started metric, which fires when a shopper enters their email during Shopify checkout but does not complete the purchase. You can also set up a separate flow using the Added to Cart trigger for earlier-stage abandoners.

How long should I wait before sending the first abandoned cart email?

Send the first email 1 to 4 hours after abandonment. Shorter delays (1 to 2 hours) tend to perform better because the product is still fresh in the customer's mind. Always add a "Placed Order zero times since starting this flow" filter to avoid emailing customers who already purchased.

Should I offer a discount in my abandoned cart emails?

Not in the first email. Start with a simple reminder, then add social proof in the second email. Only introduce a discount (typically 10% off or free shipping) in the third email if the first two did not convert. Offering discounts too early trains customers to abandon carts intentionally.

What is a good conversion rate for an abandoned cart flow?

The average conversion rate for abandoned cart flows on Klaviyo is 3.33%. Top-performing stores achieve 7.69% or higher. If you are below 3%, focus on improving your email timing, subject lines, and adding conditional splits for high-value carts.

Do I need to disable Shopify's abandoned cart emails when using Klaviyo?

Yes. Go to Settings, then Notifications in your Shopify admin and uncheck the abandoned checkout email option. Running both Shopify and Klaviyo abandoned cart emails simultaneously causes duplicate messages, which confuses customers and can hurt your sender reputation.