Paid ads bring shoppers in. Email is what makes them profitable. Automated email flows run in the background, send the right message at the right moment, and for most Shopify stores they generate a large share of email revenue with no ongoing effort once they are built. If you only have a welcome email and an abandoned cart reminder, you are leaving the rest on the table. Here are the seven flows every Shopify store should have, what to put in each, and the mistakes we see most often.
1. Welcome Series
Triggered when someone subscribes. Send three to four emails over a week: deliver the signup offer immediately, tell your brand story, show your best sellers with reviews, and close with a reminder that the offer is expiring. New subscribers are at their most engaged in the first few days, so do not wait.
2. Abandoned Cart
Triggered when a shopper adds to cart and leaves. Send the first reminder within one to two hours, a second at 24 hours with reviews or a shipping reminder, and a third at 48 to 72 hours that can include a small incentive if your margins allow. Show the actual products left behind, with images and a one-click link back to the cart.
3. Browse Abandonment
Triggered when a known subscriber views a product but does not add to cart. This is lighter touch than the cart flow: one or two emails showing the product viewed, related items and social proof. Keep it helpful rather than pushy, and suppress anyone who has purchased in the last few days.
4. Post-Purchase
Triggered by an order. This is the most under-used flow. Send a genuine thank-you, then how-to-use or care content while they wait for delivery, then a review request about a week after delivery, then a cross-sell based on what they bought. A customer who has just paid you is the most receptive audience you have.
| Flow | Trigger | Typical emails | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome | New subscriber | 3–4 over 7 days | First purchase |
| Abandoned cart | Cart left without checkout | 3 over 72 hours | Recover the order |
| Browse abandonment | Product viewed, no cart | 1–2 over 48 hours | Nudge toward cart |
| Post-purchase | Order placed | 4 over 3 weeks | Reviews and second order |
| Win-back | No purchase in 60–90 days | 2–3 over 2 weeks | Reactivate |
| Replenishment | Consumable product bought | 1–2 before it runs out | Repeat order |
| Back in stock / price drop | Product change | 1 | Capture demand |
5. Win-Back
Triggered when a customer has not purchased for 60 to 90 days, depending on how often your products are bought. Lead with what is new, then a reminder of why they bought the first time, then a stronger offer as the last step. Stop sending to people who do not engage after this flow, which protects your deliverability.
6. Replenishment
Only for consumables, such as skincare, supplements, coffee or pet food. Estimate how long the product lasts and send a reminder a few days before it runs out, with a one-click reorder link. Pair this with a subscription offer and you turn one-off buyers into recurring revenue.
7. Back in Stock and Price Drop
Triggered when a product the shopper asked about becomes available or is reduced. These emails have very high open rates because the shopper requested them. Make sure the button goes straight to the product with the variant pre-selected.
Which Platform?
Shopify Email handles the basics and is included with your plan. Klaviyo, Omnisend and similar tools offer deeper segmentation, predictive analytics and SMS. For stores doing meaningful volume, the richer segmentation usually pays for itself. Whatever you use, the flow logic above is the same.
Need help setting this up alongside your store? Our Shopify store setup and maintenance and support services include email flow builds and ongoing optimisation.
Turn Your Email List into Revenue
We build and optimise the seven core flows for Shopify stores on Klaviyo, Omnisend or Shopify Email, with copy, design and segmentation included.
Talk to Us About Email Flows