Create an Abandoned Checkout Email Flow in Klaviyo

An Abandoned Checkout Email Flow helps you automatically remind buyers to complete their order after they start checkout but leave your store before payment is completed.

This flow is useful for recovering potential lost sales because the buyer has already shown strong purchase intent by entering the checkout step.

On this page

• Before you start
• How the Abandoned Checkout Flow works
• Step 1: Check Klaviyo onsite tracking
• Step 2: Create an Abandoned Checkout Flow
• Step 3: Set the flow trigger
• Step 4: Configure re-entry criteria
• Step 5: Add a time delay
• Step 6: Create the first checkout reminder email
• Step 7: Add checkout product details to the email
• Step 8: Add a Complete your order button
• Step 9: Add follow-up emails
• Step 10: Set the flow live
• Step 11: Preview and test the flow

Before you start

Before creating the flow, make sure that:

• Klaviyo onsite tracking is installed on your BurgerShop store.
• Your Klaviyo sign-up form or popup is live.
• Buyers can submit their email through the Klaviyo form or popup.
• BurgerShop is sending the Started Checkout event to Klaviyo.
• Your checkout page is working correctly.
• Your sender name and sender email are ready.
• Your email template, logo, product block, and CTA copy are prepared.

Note
This flow is different from an abandoned cart flow. Abandoned cart starts from the Added to Cart event. Abandoned checkout starts from the Started Checkout event.

How the Abandoned Checkout Flow works

A typical abandoned checkout flow works like this:

1. A buyer visits your BurgerShop store.
2. The buyer submits their email through a Klaviyo form or popup.
3. The buyer starts checkout.
4. Klaviyo receives the Started Checkout event.
5. The buyer leaves before placing an order.
6. Klaviyo waits for a set time.
7. If the buyer still has not completed the order, Klaviyo sends a checkout reminder email.

The email can include:

• Product image
• Product name
• Quantity
• Price
• Checkout link
• Reminder message
• Discount code, if you want to offer one

Step 1: Check Klaviyo onsite tracking

Klaviyo onsite tracking must be enabled so Klaviyo can identify visitors and track checkout activity.

Steps:

1. Log in to Klaviyo.
2. Go to Website > Sign-up forms.
3. Click Enable forms on website if tracking is not enabled.
4. Select Set up manually.
5. Copy the Klaviyo onsite JavaScript code.
6. Go to BurgerShop admin > Online store > Preferences.
7. Paste the code into Scripts in Header.
8. Click Save.
9. Return to Klaviyo and confirm onsite tracking.

After onsite tracking is enabled, Klaviyo can support forms, visitor tracking, and related flow events.

Step 2: Create an Abandoned Checkout Flow

You can create a flow from scratch or use a Klaviyo template.

Steps:

1. In Klaviyo, go to Flows.
2. Click Create flow.
3. Search for an abandoned checkout flow template, or create a new flow from scratch.
4. Name your flow.

Step 3: Set the flow trigger

The trigger controls when a profile enters the flow.

For abandoned checkout, use the Started Checkout metric.

Steps:

1. Click the Trigger block.
2. Choose Metric as the trigger type.
3. Select Started Checkout.
4. Save the trigger.

Important
The flow should trigger from Started Checkout, not from sign-up form submission. The form helps Klaviyo identify the buyer, while Started Checkout tells Klaviyo that the buyer reached checkout.

Step 4: Configure re-entry criteria

Re-entry criteria controls whether the same buyer can enter the flow more than once.

For abandoned checkout flows, buyers may abandon checkout multiple times, so you can allow re-entry.

Recommended setup

Use Allow re-entry after a time period if available, so the same buyer does not receive too many checkout reminder emails in a short period.

Step 5: Add a time delay

A time delay gives the buyer time to complete payment before receiving the first reminder.

Steps:

1. Click the + icon after the trigger.
2. Add Time delay.
3. Set the delay time.

Step 6: Create the first checkout reminder email

After the time delay, add the first email.

Steps:

1. Click the + icon after the time delay.
2. Add Email.
3. Click the email block.
4. Open Email details.
5. Update the email name, subject line, preview text, sender name, and sender email.
6. Click Edit to customize the email template

Step 7: Add checkout product details to the email

Use Klaviyo event data to show the products the buyer left in checkout.

A strong abandoned checkout email usually includes:

• Product image
• Product name
• Quantity
• Price

Use a dynamic table

A dynamic table lets the email display checkout items from the event data.

Steps:

1. In the email editor, add or select a Table block.
2. Open the table settings.
3. In Data, choose Dynamic.
4. Set Row collection to: event.Items
5. Set Row alias to: Item
6. Add columns for image, product name, quantity, and price.
7. Preview the email using a recent Started Checkout event.

Common event variables

The exact variable names depend on the event data available in Klaviyo. Common examples include:

If you are using a dynamic table with event.Items, you can use the row alias format when available:

{{ item.ImageURL|default:” }}
{{ item.ProductName|default:” }}
{{ item.Quantity|default:” }}
{{ item.ItemPrice|default:” }}

mportant
Always open Preview mode and select a recent Started Checkout event. Use the event properties shown in the preview panel to confirm the correct variable names

Step 8: Add a Complete your order button

Add a CTA button that sends the buyer back to checkout.

Steps:

1. Add or select a Button block.
2. Set the button text
3. In Link address, use the checkout URL from the event data.
   4. Save the email.

4. Tip
   Use a direct checkout link instead of a general homepage link. This makes it easier for the buyer to return and complete paymen

Step 9: Add follow-up emails

You can add more reminder emails after the first one.

For the second email, you can use a stronger message or include a discount code.

Recommendation
Avoid sending too many reminders. One to three checkout emails are usually enough.

Step 10: Set the flow live

For the flow to work, both the flow and email blocks must be live.

Steps:

1. Review the full flow.
2. Click each email block.
3. Set each email status to Live.
4. Confirm that time delays are correct.
5. Click Update status.
6. Set the flow to Live.

Important
If the flow is live but an email block is still Draft, that email will not send.

Step 11: Preview and test the flow

Before using the flow for real buyers, test it carefully.

Preview email

1. Open the email editor.
2. Click Preview.
3. Select a recent Started Checkout event.
4. Check that the product image, product name, quantity, price, and checkout link display correctly.
5. Preview desktop and mobile.

Test the full flow

1. Open your BurgerShop storefront in an incognito window.
2. Submit a test email through a Klaviyo popup or sign-up form.
3. Add a product to cart.
4. Start checkout.
5. Leave the checkout without completing payment.
6. Check whether the profile enters the Klaviyo flow.
7. Wait for the delay time.
8. Confirm that the email is received.
9. Click Complete your order.
10. Confirm that the link opens the checkout page.

Important
If you do not submit an email through a Klaviyo form or popup first, Klaviyo may not know which email address to send the abandoned checkout email to.