How to Set Up Klaviyo for Your Shopify Store: A Complete Guide

Klaviyo is the email marketing platform for Shopify stores. The integration is seamless, the segmentation is powerful, and you can track exactly how much revenue each email generates. Here's how to set it up right.

Step 1: Connect Klaviyo to Shopify

Start by creating a Klaviyo account and connecting it to your Shopify store. Go to Integrations in Klaviyo, find Shopify, and enter your store URL. Authorize the connection.

This syncs your customer data, order history, and product catalog. Klaviyo will pull in historical data going back as far as your Shopify store has records.

Give it 24-48 hours to fully sync before you start building flows.

Step 2: Set Up Your Sending Domain

This is critical for deliverability. Don't skip it.

Go to Settings, then Domains. Add your sending domain (like email.yourstore.com). Klaviyo will give you DNS records to add to your domain provider.

You need to add:

DKIM records for authentication
SPF records for sender verification
A dedicated sending subdomain

This tells email providers that Klaviyo is authorized to send on your behalf. Without it, your emails are more likely to hit spam.

Step 3: Create Your Signup Forms

You need to capture emails before you can email people. Set up these forms:

Pop-up form: Triggers after 5-10 seconds on site or on exit intent. Offer a discount (10-15% off first order) in exchange for email. This is your primary list builder.

Footer form: A simple email capture in your site footer for people who don't want the pop-up. No incentive needed.

Checkout opt-in: Make sure your Shopify checkout has email marketing opt-in enabled. These are your highest-value subscribers since they've already purchased.

Step 4: Build Your Core Flows

Flows are automated email sequences triggered by customer behavior. These run 24/7 and generate revenue on autopilot.

Welcome Series (5-7 emails over 10 days)

Email 1: Deliver the discount code, introduce your brand
Email 2: Share your brand story and values
Email 3: Highlight best sellers or customer favorites
Email 4: Social proof and reviews
Email 5: Reminder about the discount before it expires
Emails 6-7: Educational content about your products

Abandoned Cart (3-4 emails over 72 hours)

Email 1 (1 hour): Simple reminder with cart contents
Email 2 (24 hours): Add urgency or social proof
Email 3 (48 hours): Offer help or address common objections
Email 4 (72 hours): Final reminder, maybe a small incentive

Browse Abandonment (2-3 emails)

Triggered when someone views a product but doesn't add to cart. Similar structure to abandoned cart but lighter touch since they showed less intent.

Post-Purchase (3-5 emails)

Email 1: Order confirmation and thank you
Email 2: Shipping notification with tracking
Email 3: Product tips or care instructions
Email 4: Request for review (after delivery)
Email 5: Cross-sell related products

Win-Back (3-4 emails)

Targets customers who haven't purchased in 60-90 days. Remind them you exist, show what's new, offer an incentive to return.

Step 5: Set Up Segments

Segments let you send targeted campaigns to specific groups. Start with these:

Engaged subscribers (opened or clicked in last 30 days)
Customers (placed at least one order)
VIPs (3+ orders or spent over $X)
At-risk (no purchase in 60+ days)
Never purchased (subscribed but no orders)

Send most campaigns to engaged subscribers. This protects your deliverability and ensures you're reaching people who want to hear from you.

Step 6: Plan Your Campaign Calendar

Flows run automatically. Campaigns are scheduled sends. Plan for 4-6 campaigns per month:

2 promotional (sales, new products, restocks)
2 content (education, behind the scenes, stories)
1-2 seasonal or timely (holidays, events)

Don't email every day. 1-2 times per week is plenty for most stores.

Step 7: Monitor and Optimize

Check these metrics weekly:

Revenue per recipient
Open rate (target 30%+ for flows, 20%+ for campaigns)
Click rate (target 2-3%+)
Unsubscribe rate (keep under 0.5% per send)
Flow performance by email

A/B test subject lines, send times, and content regularly. Small improvements compound over time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping domain authentication (hurts deliverability)
Too many emails too fast (causes unsubscribes)
Same email to everyone (reduces engagement)
Ignoring mobile design (60%+ opens on mobile)
No preference center (let people choose frequency)

Set it up right from the start and your email channel will become one of your most profitable marketing assets.

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