# Campaigns vs flows: when to use each in Klaviyo

> Flows are automated and triggered by behavior. Campaigns are scheduled one-off sends. Knowing which to reach for is the foundation of an email program.

By The Wizel Team · Published 2026-06-04

Every email you send in Klaviyo is one of two things: a flow or a campaign. That is the whole list. And a surprising share of email problems (weak automations, off-brand sends at the wrong moment, people getting the same message twice) come from blurring the two.

Get the difference straight and you do not just run Klaviyo better. You think about your whole program differently, and you know where to put your time.

## The core difference

A flow is automated. It fires when one customer does something: subscribes, abandons a cart, buys, goes quiet for six months. It runs in the background, starting fresh for each person who qualifies. Build it once and it works for every new subscriber or lapsing customer for as long as it is on, with nothing to schedule.

A campaign is manual. You write it, pick a segment, choose a time, and send. It goes to everyone in that segment at once. Want to send again next week? You build another one. Nothing repeats unless you set it up.

## When to use a flow

Flows are for anything that should happen because of what a specific customer did, not because of what is on your calendar. The behavior triggers the message, and the timing is relative to that person.

- Welcome series. Triggers when someone subscribes. Everyone starts at email one, on their own clock.
- Abandoned cart. Triggers when someone adds to cart but does not check out. The reminder shows up about an hour later, on its own.
- Post-purchase. Triggers after an order: a thank you, a how-to-use sequence, or a cross-sell a week on.
- Win-back. Triggers when a customer crosses an inactivity line (say 90 days with no open or order). The re-engagement sequence fires without you thinking about it.
- Replenishment (for consumables). Triggers a set number of days after purchase, right around when they would run out.

The thread tying these together: each message is relevant because of what that person did. Send the wrong one at the wrong point, or send it to everyone at once, and you lose the relevance that makes flows worth building.

## When to use a campaign

Campaigns are for messages driven by time, not by one person's behavior. Something is happening in the business (a launch, a sale, a season, a piece of content) and you want to tell a segment about it.

- Launches and restocks. The product is live now and you want your list to know.
- Sales and promotions. A time-limited offer to your engaged subscribers or a chosen segment.
- Newsletters and content. Brand updates, education, seasonal lookbooks.
- Seasonal moments. Holidays, end-of-season events, anything tied to a date.

Quick test: if the message still makes sense next Tuesday no matter what any one customer did, it is a campaign. If it only makes sense because of something a specific customer just did, it is a flow.

## How they work together

Think of flows and campaigns as two layers. Flows are the always-on engine, running in the background and responding to behavior at every stage of the lifecycle. Campaigns are the calendar on top: time-bound, editorial, sent when the business has something to say.

A good program earns a big share of its revenue from flows, because flows fire at high-intent moments: right after signup, right after an abandoned cart, right when a lapsing customer needed a reason to return. Campaigns drive revenue too, especially around big moments, but they need ongoing effort and a content calendar.

So if you are starting from zero, build flows first.

**4 flows** welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase, and win-back cover almost every store's highest-leverage moments

Get those live, then build a campaign rhythm on top. Do not let the campaign calendar pull you away from the automation layer that makes money while you sleep.

> Build your flows first. They run on their own, hit high-intent moments, and bring in revenue without ongoing effort. Once the core flows are live, layer campaigns on top for launches, sales, and seasonal moments.

## FAQ

### What's the difference between a flow and a campaign in Klaviyo?

A flow is an automated sequence triggered by customer behavior. It runs continuously for anyone who meets the trigger. A campaign is a one-off message you schedule and send to a segment at a set time.

### Should I prioritize flows or campaigns?

Build core flows first: welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase, and win-back. They run on their own and usually bring in most of your automated revenue. Layer campaigns on top for launches, sales, and seasonal moments.

### Can a flow and a campaign send to the same person at once?

Yes, which is why segmentation and timing matter. Use engaged segments and sensible scheduling so someone in an active flow is not buried by campaign sends at the same time.

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Source: Wizel (https://www.wizel.ai/blog/campaigns-vs-flows-klaviyo)
Last updated: 2026-06-07