How to stop customers getting duplicate emails from overlapping flows in Klaviyo

Overlapping flows send duplicates when two or more share a similar audience or trigger. Map every live flow, decide which one owns each moment, and add filters so a person qualifies for only one at a time.

Have this ready.

• A list of every live flow and campaign schedule
• Examples of customers who received duplicates
• Understanding of your customer journey from first visit to repeat purchase
• Edit access to the flows involved

Steps.

1. 1. List every live flow

   Open Flows and write down each live flow with its trigger, audience and purpose. Include old flows that someone forgot to turn off.

2. 2. Find the overlaps

   Compare triggers side by side. Browse, cart and checkout flows often overlap, and a welcome flow can collide with a post-purchase flow for new buyers.

3. 3. Decide who owns each moment

   For every overlap choose the single flow that should message that person. The closer someone is to buying, the higher priority that flow should have.

4. 4. Add exit conditions

   Use filters and conditions so people who have already purchased or entered a higher priority flow stop receiving earlier stage messages.

5. 5. Add exclusions between flows

   Add a filter that excludes anyone currently in or recently through a competing flow, based on their message activity.

6. 6. Account for campaigns

   Check your campaign calendar too. A promotional send landing on the same day as a flow email feels like duplication to the customer.

7. 7. Review frequency rules

   Set sensible smart sending behaviour so a person is not messaged repeatedly in a short window, then monitor for skipped sends that you did not intend.

Common pitfalls.

• Fixing one flow and leaving the other two that collide with it.
• Adding exclusions so tight that nobody enters the flow any more.
• Ignoring campaigns when auditing for overlap.
• Changing live flows without noting what was edited and why.

Check it worked.

• Each customer moment has one owning flow
• Purchasers exit pre-purchase flows
• Competing flows exclude each other
• Campaign calendar checked against flow timing
• Test profile receives only one email per moment

Klaviyo changes its interface from time to time, so treat the steps as the order of work and match the names to what you see on screen.

Rather have this done for you? See our email flows & automation service or book a free audit.