How to Set Up Klaviyo for Post-Purchase Emails: Step-by-Step Guide

Most ecommerce businesses invest all their budget in acquiring new customers. But the numbers say otherwise:

• Acquiring a new customer costs 5-7x more than retaining an existing one
• Returning customers have a 60-70% conversion rate vs 1-3% for new ones
• 40% of revenue for an average ecommerce comes from repeat customers

Post-purchase emails bridge the gap between the first sale and the second. Klaviyo is the best tool to build that bridge.

This tutorial is part of our ecommerce tools topic cluster. If you're new to Klaviyo, start with our guide on the 10 essential tools for your ecommerce.

Before creating flows, make sure everything is configured:

Step 1 — Create a Klaviyo account The free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month. More than enough to start.

Step 2 — Connect your store
• Shopify: Install the Klaviyo app from the App Store. Integration is one-click.
• WooCommerce: Install the Klaviyo plugin and enter your API key (found in Settings > API Keys).
• PrestaShop: Use the official Klaviyo module from the marketplace.

Step 3 — Verify synchronization Go to Klaviyo > Analytics > Metrics. You should see:
• Placed Order
• Ordered Product
• Fulfilled Order
• Started Checkout

If any are missing, check the integration. Without these events, flows won't work.

Step 4 — Set up the Sending Domain Go to Settings > Domains. Add your domain and configure DNS records (DKIM and SPF). This improves deliverability by 20-30%.

Trigger: Placed Order Goal: Reassure the customer and build anticipation

Email 1 — Immediate confirmation (0 minutes after order)
• Subject: "Order confirmed! Here's what happens next ✔️"
• Content:
- Order summary (products, price, address) - Estimated shipping timeline - Tracking link (if available) - CTA: "Have questions? Reply to this email"

Email 2 — Behind the scenes (2 days later)
• Subject: "Your order is being prepared"
• Content:
- Photos/videos of the preparation process (if possible) - Storytelling about the product or brand - Anticipation: "Here's a tip for when you receive your [product]"

Target metrics:
• Open rate: > 70% (transactional emails have very high open rates)
• Click rate: > 15%

Pro tip: Don't include promotional offers in transactional emails. You'll erode trust and risk landing in spam.

Trigger: Fulfilled Order Goal: Collect authentic social proof

Critical timing: Wait until the customer has received and tried the product.

Email 1 — Gentle request (7-14 days after delivery)
• Subject: "How are you enjoying [product name]?"
• Content:
- Direct, personal question - Clickable star rating (1-5) - "Your opinion helps others like you choose" - CTA: "Leave a review in 30 seconds"

Email 2 — Follow-up (5 days later, only if no review left)
• Subject: "A minute of your time?"
• Content:
- Shorter than the first - Optional incentive: "Get €5 off your next order" - Direct CTA to review form

Klaviyo configuration:
• Create the flow with "Fulfilled Order" trigger
• Add a 10-day Time Delay
• Add a Conditional Split: "Has Placed Order > 0 times since flow start" — excludes those who already repurchased
• First email
• 5-day Time Delay
• Conditional Split: check if review already left
• Second email

Target metrics:
• Review rate: 5-15% (industry average: 3-5%)
• Open rate: > 40%

Trigger: Placed Order Goal: Increase AOV with relevant suggestions

Timing: 14-21 days after order (customer has received and appreciated)

Email 1 — "Perfect together with..." (14 days later)
• Subject: "Complete your [product category]"
• Content:
- 2-3 complementary products based on purchase - Use Klaviyo's "Product Recommendations" block with "Based on someone's last purchase" algorithm - Brief explanation of why they're complementary - CTA: "Discover products"

Email 2 — Category bestsellers (7 days later, if no purchase)
• Subject: "Most loved in [X] category"
• Content:
- Top 3-4 bestseller products from the same category - Social proof: "Chosen by X customers this month" - Possible incentive: free shipping or 10% discount

Advanced Klaviyo segmentation:
• Use the Catalog Feed to enable Product Recommendations
• Create "high-value customer" profiles (AOV > average) and send exclusive offers
• Exclude those who purchased in the last 3 days

Target metrics:
• Revenue per email: > €0.50
• Conversion rate: > 2%
• Unsubscribe rate: < 0.3%

Trigger: Placed Order (with time filter) Goal: Bring back inactive customers

"Inactive" definition: Hasn't purchased in 60-90 days (depends on your sales cycle).

Email 1 — "We miss you" (60 days inactive)
• Subject: "It's been a while... everything ok?"
• Content:
- Personal, non-commercial tone - "What's new": 2-3 updates from your store - No offer yet

Email 2 — Dedicated offer (75 days)
• Subject: "A gift for you 🎁"
• Content:
- Exclusive discount (15-20%) with expiration - "Just for you" — personalized code - Expiration timer (urgency)

Email 3 — Last chance (90 days)
• Subject: "Last day for your discount"
• Content:
- Discount reminder - "If you're no longer interested, we understand" - Link to update preferences or unsubscribe

After Email 3: If no response, move the profile to a "sunset" segment and reduce sending frequency. This protects your deliverability.

Target metrics:
• Reactivation rate: 3-8%
• Revenue recovered: 5-10% of monthly revenue

1. Sending too much, too soon Wait at least 7 days between non-transactional emails. The customer just bought—don't bombard them.

2. Not segmenting by purchase type A customer who bought a €15 product and one who bought a €500 product are not the same. Create AOV segments and treat them differently.

3. Ignoring mobile 70%+ of emails are read on mobile. Always test on smartphone. Rule: if you need to scroll more than 3 times, the email is too long.

4. Not measuring revenue per flow Klaviyo shows revenue attributed to each flow. If a flow doesn't generate revenue after 30 days and 1,000+ emails sent, rethink it.

5. Forgetting the opt-out Every email must have an easy way to unsubscribe. Not just for legal compliance (GDPR), but because a forced user becomes a spam reporter.

You have the 4 essential flows. Here's how to evolve:

Month 1: Implement Flow 1 (Confirmation) and Flow 2 (Review). They're the simplest and highest impact.

Month 2: Add Flow 3 (Cross-sell). Requires the Catalog Feed configured.

Month 3: Activate Flow 4 (Win-back). Analyze initial data from previous flows to calibrate timing and content.

After: Experiment with A/B tests on subject lines, timing, and incentives. Klaviyo makes A/B testing simple and native.

This tutorial is part of our ecommerce tools topic cluster. Also read:
• The 10 essential tools for your ecommerce in 2026 (pillar guide)
• Shopify vs WooCommerce vs PrestaShop (comparison)

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