How to add WhatsApp to your browse abandonment flow

Learn how to add WhatsApp to your browse abandonment flow to diversify how you engage customers.

Adding WhatsApp to a browse abandonment flow helps you follow up with shoppers who viewed a product but did not add it to their cart. Because browse abandonment signals lighter intent than abandoned cart, your WhatsApp message should feel like a gentle reminder.

What’s the difference between browse abandonment and abandoned cart flows?

To enter an abandoned cart flow, someone must add an item to their cart and, in some cases, begin checkout.

Browse abandonment flows are triggered when Klaviyo records a Viewed Product event. The shopper does not need to add an item to their cart or begin checkout.

Viewing a product page shows less purchase intent than adding an item to a cart. Keep browse abandonment WhatsApp messages lighter than abandoned cart reminders.

Before you begin

Before adding WhatsApp to your browse abandonment flow:

• Set up WhatsApp in your account.
• Create a browse abandonment flow if you do not already have one. Make sure Viewed Product tracking is set up and your flow filters exclude shoppers who have started checkout or placed an order since entering the flow.
• Collect WhatsApp marketing consent from the shoppers you want to message. Email or SMS consent does not count as WhatsApp consent.
• Create a WhatsApp template for this reminder with Marketing as the message intent. Get Meta approval before sending it.

For example, use this template body: “Hey {{ first_name|title|default:'there' }}, did you see something you liked? Take another look here.” Add a Visit website button with {{ event.URL }} in its URL field to link to the viewed product.

In the template editor, click Preview & test and preview with a Viewed Product event to check the message and product link. Confirm that your event includes the URL property. See how to use dynamic content in WhatsApp templates for variable and fallback examples.

Add a WhatsApp message to a browse abandonment flow

Follow these steps to add WhatsApp to your existing browse abandonment flow.

1. Navigate to the Flows tab.
2. Click the name of the browse abandonment flow where you want to include WhatsApp.
3. In the flow builder, drag Split from Logic to just after the first time delay and before the first email. If your sidebar shows Conditional split instead, drag that action to the same place.
4. On the canvas, click Add path criteria on Path #1. For a Conditional split, click the split instead. Choose If someone can or cannot receive marketing > cannot receive > WhatsApp marketing, then click Save. Keep the first email on this path (Yes for a conditional split).
5. Drag a WhatsApp message onto the Everyone else path (No for a conditional split).
6. Click the WhatsApp message on the canvas. In the sidebar, click Use template under Content.
7. Click the name of your approved browse abandonment template, then click Use template. The selection saves automatically.
8. Drag the rejoin icon below the WhatsApp message onto the email path after the first email. This allows customers to continue receiving emails after the WhatsApp message.
9. When you are ready to send, select the WhatsApp message, change its status to Live, and click Save.

Enhance your WhatsApp browse abandonment flow

You can customize your flow using additional splits and targeting.

Item category split

If your Viewed Product events include a Categories property, you can use it to split based on item categories:

1. Add a Split before the messages you want to tailor. If your sidebar shows Trigger split instead, add that action.
2. On the canvas, click Add path criteria on Path #1 and choose Properties of Viewed Product > Categories > contains > CategoryName. For a Trigger split, select the split and choose Categories > contains > CategoryName.
3. Replace “CategoryName” with the category you want to target, then click Save. You can add multiple splits for different categories.
4. Place category-specific messages on Path #1 (Yes for a trigger split) and messages for other products on Everyone else (No for a trigger split).

New vs. returning customers

If you want to split based on whether someone has purchased before:

1. Add a Split before the messages you want to tailor. If your sidebar shows Conditional split instead, add that action.
2. On the canvas, click Add path criteria on Path #1. For a Conditional split, select the split instead. Choose What someone has done (or not done) > Placed Order > zero times > over all time, then click Save.
3. Place your message for new customers on Path #1 (Yes for a conditional split).
4. Place your message for returning customers on Everyone else (No for a conditional split).

Continue the conversation

You can ask shoppers a question in your WhatsApp message to encourage engagement. If a customer replies, you can respond directly or trigger a follow-up flow based on their response.

For example, you might say: “No longer interested in this item? Reply 1 if it’s too pricey, 2 if it’s not your style, or 3 if you’ll revisit later.”

Next steps

After adding WhatsApp to your browse abandonment flow:

1. Test the flow to confirm messages send correctly.
2. Review timing between WhatsApp and email messages.
3. Monitor performance and adjust message tone or targeting as needed.