How to set up a welcome flow in Klaviyo

A welcome flow is an automated series that starts when someone joins a list or segment and introduces your store, your best products and your first purchase offer. In Klaviyo you open Flows, create a flow triggered by list or segment membership, add a short sequence of emails with time delays, and set it live.

Have this ready.

• A signup list with a form already feeding it
• Brand assets such as logo, fonts and colours
• A clear first purchase incentive, or a decision not to offer one
• Three or four hero products or collections to feature

Steps.

1. 1. Choose the trigger

   Open Flows, create a new flow and pick the list or segment trigger. Select the list your signup form feeds, so every new subscriber enters the flow once.

2. 2. Plan the sequence on paper

   Decide the job of each email before you build. A common order is brand story and incentive first, best sellers second, social proof or a reminder third.

3. 3. Add the first email straight away

   Place an email action right after the trigger with no delay, or a very short one. People are most interested in the minutes after they subscribe.

4. 4. Add delays and further emails

   Insert time delay actions between messages, spacing them by a day or two. Keep the sequence short so it feels like an introduction rather than a barrage.

5. 5. Add a filter for existing customers

   Use a flow filter or conditional split so people who have already bought see a different path, such as a thank you and a cross-sell, instead of a first order offer.

6. 6. Build each message with real content

   Use your template, add product blocks, write a clear subject line and preheader, and make one primary button per email.

7. 7. Preview, test and set live

   Send test emails to yourself, check links on a phone, confirm the discount code works, then move each email out of draft and set the flow live.

Common pitfalls.

• Sending the same welcome series to existing customers and offering them a first order incentive they cannot use.
• Making the first email heavy with images so it loads slowly and gets clipped or lands in a promotions view.
• Forgetting to set emails from draft to live, so the flow looks active but sends nothing.
• Stacking a welcome flow on top of a campaign the same day, so new subscribers get several messages at once.

Check it worked.

• A test signup enters the flow and receives the first email promptly
• Discount code works and is limited to the right use
• Existing customers follow the correct path
• All links, images and unsubscribe link work on mobile
• Every email status is live, not draft

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.