How to Set Up an Abandoned Cart Email Flow in Klaviyo for Shopify

Abandoned cart is the highest-ROI flow on most Shopify stores. Here’s how to build it properly in Klaviyo — not the 3-email blast everyone copies, but a flow that respects intent.

Prerequisites

• Klaviyo connected to Shopify (the native integration, not a manual CSV)
• At least the “Added to Cart” and “Started Checkout” events syncing

Step 1: Create the flow from the right trigger

In Klaviyo, start a flow with trigger “Started Checkout” (not “Added to Cart” — checkout starters are higher intent and you’ll annoy fewer people). Filter to exclude customers who already purchased.

Step 2: Branch on cart value

Add a conditional split: carts over $100 get a different (gentler) message than sub-$100 carts. High-value abandoners rarely need a discount to come back; low-value ones sometimes do.

Step 3: Time the sequence

A proven cadence:

1. 1 hour after abandon — friendly reminder, no discount. “You left something behind.”
2. 24 hours — social proof or reviews of the exact items left in cart.
3. 72 hours — optional incentive (free shipping or modest % off), capped so it doesn’t train people to abandon for discounts.

Step 4: Suppress purchasers mid-flow

At each email, add a flow filter: “Has not placed order since starting this flow.” Otherwise you’ll email people who already bought.

The discount debate

Offering a discount on every abort trains shoppers to abandon on purpose. We recommend no discount on email 1–2, and only a small incentive at 72 hours, capped to first-time abandoners. Measure both variants — for many stores, the non-discounted reminder alone recovers 5–10% of carts.

Verify it’s working

Check the flow’s placed-order rate in Klaviyo analytics after two weeks. A healthy abandoned-cart flow recovers 8–15% of abandoned checkouts. Below that, tighten your subject lines or move email 1 earlier.

Want the full comparison of tools that make this easier? See our Shopify email tool comparison.