The anatomy of an abandoned cart flow
You’ve done the hard part. You got someone to add to cart. But if they leave before checking out, is it really the end?
Cart abandonment is common and costly. But a great abandoned cart flow can save you from a lot of missed conversion opportunities. In this guide, we’ll break down the anatomy of an abandoned cart flow, how it differs from browse abandonment, and why it deserves its own strategy. Plus, how to set it all up in Klaviyo (including pairing your emails with SMS).
Why is cart abandonment an important moment?
When a customer adds to cart, it’s a strong signal of intent. But if they leave without buying, you’re not just missing a sale, you’re losing the return on your acquisition spend.
A strong cart abandonment flow helps close that gap. With the right timing, message, and offer, you can recover lost revenue and turn browsers into buyers without spending another penny on ads.
What is an abandoned cart flow?
An abandoned cart flow is a sequence of automated emails (and/or SMS) triggered when a shopper adds an item to their cart but doesn’t complete the checkout process. The goal is to nudge them to return to their cart and turn intent into action. At its best, this flow reassures, entices, and removes friction within the buying journey. Think: product imagery, personalised copy, urgency, and incentives (when appropriate). Essentially, it's a chance to follow up while you're still top of mind.
Browse vs. cart abandonment (and why it matters)
It’s easy to lump these two together, but they’re not the same. Browse abandonment is triggered when someone views a product or collection without adding it to their cart, placing them between the awareness and consideration stages of the conversion funnel. Cart abandonment happens further down, between consideration and conversion, when a shopper shows high intent but drops off before purchasing.
That difference matters because it signals where the customer is in their buying journey. Browse flows are gentle nudges (“Still thinking about it?”), while cart abandonment flows can lean harder into conversion tactics. This is when language like “You’re just a few clicks away…” can really help push shoppers over the conversion line.
Properly segmenting your shoppers’ behaviours lets you tailor your messaging and timing, resulting in more relevant emails and higher recovery rates.
Why abandoned cart flows deserve a spot in your strategy
Abandoned cart flows consistently rank among the highest-performing automations. When set up correctly, they can drive serious returns.
According to Klaviyo, cart abandonment emails have an average open rate of around 40-50%, with conversion rates around 3.5%, both far above industry standards for generic campaigns. The revenue per recipient (RPR) for abandoned cart emails averages £2.70 ($3.65), also making it one of the highest-performing flows in terms of direct revenue generation.
Beyond the numbers, cart flows help tighten the gap in your customer journey, turning hesitation into opportunity, automatically and at scale.
Source: Klaviyo 2024 Benchmark Report
How to set up an abandoned cart flow in Klaviyo
To build an effective abandoned cart flow in Klaviyo, you’ll need more than the default template. Here's a step-by-step walkthrough of how we do it.
Step 1: Confirm your data sources
Before anything else, make sure Klaviyo is accurately receiving checkout data from your eComm platform (e.g. Shopify, WooCommerce).
Shopify: Navigate to Integrations → Shopify → Metrics and confirm the “Started Checkout” event is syncing.
Make sure profiles are captured with valid email or SMS consent at checkout. No contact info = no trigger.
Optional: Sync custom properties like cart value, product tags, or collection data for more advanced flow logic later.
Step 2: Create the flow
Go to Flows → Create Flow → Browse Ideas and select Abandoned Cart to use Klaviyo’s pre-built template.
Or start from scratch with the “Started Checkout” trigger.
Add a Trigger Filter: Placed Order zero times since starting this flow to avoid messaging customers who converted right after abandoning.
Optional: Use Flow Filters to exclude recent purchasers or VIP customers based on your segmentation rules.
Once the structure is in place, focus on what actually goes into each message. A well-crafted abandoned cart email should include:
Product recall: Display the specific item(s) the customer left behind, with accurate images and pricing.
Clear CTA: Make the path back to checkout frictionless with a bold, prominent button.
Social proof: Highlight reviews, ratings, or UGC to build trust and reduce hesitation.
Personalisation: Use the customer’s name, product type, or other dynamic blocks where relevant.
Incentives (optional: A small nudge like free shipping or 10% off can help close the deal.
Mobile-friendly layout: Ensure it’s easy to read and act on from any device.
Smart timing: Send the first message within 1–2 hours of abandonment, and follow up once or twice within the next 24–48 hours.
Step 3: Build your messaging sequence
You’ll want 2–4 emails total, spaced strategically. A typical high-converting sequence:
Email #1 – 1 hour post-abandonment
Use urgency ("Still deciding?") with a product image block pulled in dynamically. Avoid offers in this first email if your audience responds well without discounts.
2. Email #2 – 20–24 hours later
Reinforce social proof or add a gentle incentive (free shipping, low-stock message). Segment based on cart value for discount thresholds (e.g., 10% off over £100).
3. Email #3 – 48–72 hours later
Final reminder. Test including a countdown or cart expiry warning. Show the product again with a bold and prominent CTA.
Tip: Add Conditional Splits for first-time vs. repeat customers or cart size tiers and vary your messaging accordingly. You can also use show/hide blocks to personalise content for products that require more education or explanation (like how-tos or usage benefits). For example, including a blog link or short paragraph that answers common questions to overcome hesitation
Step 4: Layer in SMS (if applicable)
Inside the same flow, add an SMS branch using a conditional split: If SMS consent is true. Position either between Email 2 & 3 or after the final email.
SMS Example:
Hey [Name], forgot something? Your cart’s still waiting. Check out now [link]
Make sure to enable Smart Sending and respect quiet hours to avoid compliance issues.
Step 5: Test & Optimise
Once live, monitor:
Flow Conversion Rate (Found under Analytics → Flow Performance)
Email Open + Click Rates
Revenue per Recipient (RPR)
Placed Order Conversion Metric from the flow itself
A/B test:
Subject lines (urgency vs. curiosity)
With vs. without discounts
Different send times or delays
Why add SMS? How to build a cohesive duo
SMS adds strategic immediacy to your cart recovery flow. The key is not to duplicate, but to complement. Instead of sending the same message via both channels, stagger the timing and differentiate the tone.
For example, if your email is sent one hour after abandonment, have SMS sent around the 18–24-hour mark as a last-chance reminder or with a compelling offer, especially if no action was taken.
In Klaviyo, you can personalise content using profile properties like cart total and loyalty tier. Keep messaging short, clear, and urgency-driven. For compliance, ensure opt-out language is included automatically, and monitor SMS click-through and reply rates closely, as they’re often stronger signals of intent than email opens.
Tip: Report on each channel separately. SMS often carries a higher RPR and CTR, but email drives more volume. Both work best in tandem, especially when sequenced intentionally within the flow logic.
Examples of successful cart abandonment emails
We've set up more than a few high-performing abandoned cart flows for our clients across the DTC space. Here are just a few of our favourites and what they do well:
This abandoned cart email for Nothings Something does a great job of keeping things clear, visual, and action-driven. The bold headline grabs attention, while the featured product image above the fold helps shoppers instantly reconnect with what they left behind. We love a clean CTA to streamline the conversion process, and the personalised product recommendations add smart cross-sell potential without cluttering.
This abandoned cart flow for ninepine is clean, on-brand, and conversion-minded. The first email leans on scarcity (“stocks are running low”), speaking directly to the reader’s interests with longer copy and subtle upsells. The second email strips things back, introducing a 10% discount but with a more concise copy and social proof to turn hesitation into action. This combination works because it serves different shopper mindsets. One email for reassurance, context and to rebuild purchase intent, and a follow-up that makes it easy to take action fast.
Final Thoughts
A well-crafted abandoned cart flow shows up at just the right moment, sending the right message and creating a seamless bridge between hesitation and purchase.
They’re one of the few automations directly impacting revenue with measurable clarity. However, impact only happens when strategy meets execution. The timing, the content, the recommendations all need to reflect what your customers actually care about. If your emails feel generic or off-base, they’ll get ignored, no matter how good your subject line is.
Start with the data, build with intent, and keep refining. The brands that treat these flows as living, evolving parts of their lifecycle strategy are the ones that see the best results.