Klaviyo is where most Shopify brands run their email and SMS. It plugs into your store, watches what shoppers do, and lets you send the right message to the right person without you lifting a finger every time. The hard part is not the tool. It is knowing which few things to set up first so the account starts earning instead of sitting there half-built.
~30%
of ecommerce email revenue a healthy program earns from owned channels like email and SMS
This guide walks the setup in order: connect the store, get your sending in good standing, grow the list the right way, and turn on the three flows that do most of the work. By the end you will have an account that makes money while you sleep, not a blank dashboard.
Connect your store first
Start by connecting Shopify to Klaviyo. The official integration syncs your customers, their orders, and the live events you need: viewed product, added to cart, started checkout, placed order. Those events are the fuel for every automation you will build, so nothing else matters until this sync is running.
Once it is connected, give it a few minutes and confirm real data is flowing. Open a profile or two and check that recent orders and on-site activity show up. If the events are missing, your flows will have nothing to trigger on.
Get your sending in good standing
Before you send anything at volume, set up the basics that keep you out of spam. Authenticate your sending domain so inbox providers trust you, and send from your own domain, not a free Gmail or Yahoo address. This is a one-time job that protects every send after it.
Authenticate your domain before your first real campaign. Skipping it is the most common reason a brand-new account lands in spam and never recovers its early reputation.
Grow your list the right way
A signup form is how you turn anonymous traffic into people you can reach again. A simple popup offering a reason to subscribe (a discount, early access, or a useful guide) is the workhorse. Keep it to an email and maybe a name. Every extra field costs you signups.
Collect consent properly. Only email people who actually opted in, and never buy or scrape a list. A small list of people who asked to hear from you will always beat a big list of strangers, because the strangers tank your reputation and drag every future send down with them.
Turn on the three flows that matter first
Flows are automations that fire on their own when someone does something. You do not need a dozen of them to start. Three cover the moments that earn the most, and you can build the rest later.
- 1.Welcome series. Fires the second someone subscribes, when their attention is highest. Deliver whatever you promised at signup, introduce the brand, and earn the first order before the excitement fades.
- 2.Abandoned cart. Fires when a shopper reaches checkout and leaves without paying. A few well-timed reminders win back a real slice of that money, month after month, with no extra effort once it is live.
- 3.Post-purchase. Fires after someone buys. Thank them, set expectations on shipping, and start the relationship that turns a first-time buyer into a repeat customer.
Set those three live before you worry about anything fancier. They run for every customer, forever, and they are where the early revenue comes from.
Send your first campaign
A campaign is a one-time send to a chosen group, unlike a flow that runs on its own. For the first one, do not blast your whole list. Send to your most engaged subscribers (people who opened or clicked recently) so your early sends land well and build a good reputation.
Keep it simple: one clear message, one main link, a subject line that says what is inside. You are not trying to win an award. You are teaching inbox providers that people want your email.
Benchmarks to aim for
30-40%
open rate on a healthy, engaged list
1-3%
click rate on a typical promotional campaign
<0.1%
spam complaint rate you want to stay under
Numbers vary by industry, so treat these as a starting line, not gospel. The trend matters more than any single send. Watch your rates over a few weeks and adjust who you send to and how often.
Common mistakes when starting out
- Sending to your whole list on day one. Start with engaged subscribers and earn the right to reach the rest.
- Skipping domain authentication. It is the fastest way to land in spam before you have sent a single good email.
- Building ten flows before any are live. Ship the welcome, cart, and post-purchase flows first, then expand.
- Buying or importing a cold list. It poisons your sender reputation and hurts every send that follows.
Set up Klaviyo for a Shopify store
- 1
Connect Shopify to Klaviyo
Install the official Klaviyo integration and confirm that customers, orders, and on-site events (viewed product, added to cart, started checkout, placed order) are syncing.
- 2
Authenticate your sending domain
Set up domain authentication and send from your own branded domain so inbox providers trust your mail from the first campaign.
- 3
Add a signup form
Publish a simple popup or embedded form offering a clear reason to subscribe, asking only for an email and maybe a name.
- 4
Build the welcome series
Create a flow triggered on subscription that delivers the signup promise, introduces the brand, and asks for the first order.
- 5
Build the abandoned cart flow
Create a flow triggered by Checkout Started that sends a short sequence of reminders and exits anyone who completes a purchase.
- 6
Build the post-purchase flow
Create a flow triggered by Placed Order that thanks the buyer, sets shipping expectations, and nurtures the next purchase.
- 7
Send a campaign to engaged subscribers
Send your first campaign to recently active subscribers with one clear message and link, then watch open, click, and complaint rates.
Frequently asked
Is Klaviyo good for beginners?
+
Yes. The Shopify integration handles the technical sync for you, and pre-built flow and form templates let a beginner get a welcome series, abandoned cart, and first campaign live without writing code. Start with those essentials and expand once they are running.
What should I set up first in Klaviyo?
+
Connect your Shopify store, authenticate your sending domain, add a signup form, then turn on three flows: a welcome series, an abandoned cart flow, and a post-purchase flow. Those cover the highest-earning moments before you build anything more advanced.
How long does it take to set up Klaviyo?
+
The store connection and domain authentication take well under an hour. Building your first signup form and the three core flows can be done in an afternoon with templates. The ongoing work is tuning copy, timing, and segments as you learn what your list responds to.