How to create an abandoned site flow with email and SMS
You will learn
Learn how to create an abandoned site flow with email and SMS. It targets identifiable visitors who leave your site without viewing a product, starting checkout, or placing an order. Unlike a browse abandonment flow, which starts when someone views a product, this flow starts when someone is active on your site. The filters below prevent follow-up messages if they return to the site or take one of those shopping actions after entering the flow.
These site abandoners are likely on the search for deals or are browsing quickly. To convince them to come back, create a site abandonment flow to show these shoppers fantastic deals, share new arrivals, or provide assistance.
You can set up a similar flow for push notifications. However, you need a custom metric, such as Opened app, to set as the trigger.
Before you begin
There are a few things to note before building a site abandonment flow (also called a site bounce flow):
- You must already have Klaviyo onsite tracking for your website (which is automatically installed for most ecommerce stores).
- If using SMS, set up SMS and a sending number before building the flow. Follow these abandonment messaging best practices:
- Only including 1 SMS per recipient in this flow.
- Sending the SMS within 48 hours of someone abandoning the site.
Create an abandoned site flow
- Navigate to Flows > Create Flow > Build your own.
- In the modal that appears, name the flow (e.g., “Abandoned site”).
- Select Create flow.
- In the flow builder, select Metric from either the Recommended or All triggers tab.
- To select the metric, open the dropdown menu and select Active on site.

- Click Add flow filter > Add flow filter.
- Add the following filters:
- What someone has done (or not done) > Active On Site zero times since starting this flow
- What someone has done (or not done) > Viewed Product zero times since starting this flow
AND - What someone has done (or not done) > Started Checkout zero times since starting this flow
AND - What someone has done (or not done) > Placed Order zero times since starting this flow
AND - Has not been in this flow > in the last 30 days

- Shopify and BigCommerce users: if you enabled Added to Cart tracking, use the following filter, along with the AND condition.
- What someone has done (or not done) > Added to Cart zero times since starting this flow
- What someone has done (or not done) > Added to Cart zero times since starting this flow

- Select Save.
- Put a time delay directly after the trigger and set it to wait 15 minutes.
- Add an email after the time delay.

- Create the content for your message that incentivizes browsers to come back and buy something (e.g., “Want a great deal?”) as well as shows off new or popular products.
- Below the email, add a time delay that waits 1 day.
- Drag in a conditional split below the 1-day time delay. Select If someone is or is not consented to receive text messages > is.

- On the YES path, add an SMS.
- Create the content for the SMS and remind the user of the incentive from the first email. (e.g., “Don’t miss out on your 15% off! Use code GET15 before it’s gone for good”).
- On the NO path, place an email.

- In the second email, craft the content to remind recipients of the incentive from the first email and talk about your mission, offer assistance, etc.
- Select Review and turn on in the flow builder. In the review window, confirm that the flow actions will be set to Live, then select Turn On. Messages left in draft will not send automatically.
You may see a high number of skipped messages in this flow. This is expected if visitors return to your site, view a product, start checkout, add an item to their cart, or place an order after entering. You can reach shoppers who take those actions through your browse abandonment, abandoned cart, and post-purchase flows instead.
Additional resources
- How to create a third-party product review flow
Learn how to use flow messages to ask customers for their feedback on a recent purchase. This is a great way to build social proof and drive customer engagement with your brand.
- How to create a price drop flow
Find out how price drop flows work and how to set them up in Klaviyo. Price drop flows work for either a catalog from an ecommerce integration or a custom catalog. Price drop flows will not send to anyone who has already purchased the item, regardless of whether they bought it at full price or when it was discounted. Additionally, price drop flows will not send if inventory is 0 or negative or the variant is not published.