How many emails should an abandoned cart flow have?

An advanced abandoned cart flow typically has three to four emails sent over three to five days. The first email is a reminder (one hour after abandonment), the second adds social proof (24 hours), the third may include an incentive (48 hours), and an optional fourth serves as a final notice (72 hours).

Should I offer a discount in abandoned cart emails?

Not in the first email. Many customers will complete their purchase with a simple reminder. Offering a discount immediately trains customers to abandon carts on purpose. If you include a discount, reserve it for the third or fourth email and make it modest (5 to 10 per cent).

What conversion rate should I expect from abandoned cart emails?

Advanced abandoned cart flows typically recover 5 to 15 per cent of abandoned carts. The first email drives the majority of recoveries. Each subsequent email recovers progressively fewer carts but still adds meaningful revenue at scale.

How do I prevent cart abandonment emails going to people who already purchased?

Use flow filters in Klaviyo. Add a filter that exits people from the flow if they have placed an order since starting the flow. Also filter out people who have started a new checkout, as they may complete it without the email.

Can I add SMS to my abandoned cart flow?

Yes. Klaviyo supports SMS steps within flows. Add an SMS message between email steps for customers who have opted into SMS. SMS abandoned cart messages typically have higher open rates than email and can recover additional carts that email alone would not.

Advanced Klaviyo Abandoned Cart Flow: Beyond the Basics

Every Shopify store running Klaviyo has an abandoned cart flow. Most of them are basic: a single email sent four hours after cart abandonment with the cart contents and a checkout button. This captures the low-hanging fruit, but it leaves significant revenue on the table.

An advanced abandoned cart flow uses conditional splits, dynamic content, strategic timing, and multi-channel messaging to maximise recovery rates. This guide shows you how to build one through our Klaviyo email marketing services.

Why basic abandoned cart is not enough

A basic abandoned cart flow recovers roughly 3 to 5 per cent of abandoned carts. An advanced flow can push this to 8 to 15 per cent. On a store with £100,000 in monthly abandoned carts, that difference is £3,000 to £10,000 per month in additional recovered revenue.

The improvement comes from three areas: better targeting (not all cart abandoners are the same), better timing (different customers need different nudges at different intervals), and better content (social proof, urgency, and incentives deployed strategically).

What makes a cart flow advanced?

Conditional splits based on cart value, customer status, and product category
Different messaging for first-time vs returning customers
Strategic discount deployment only where it is needed
SMS as a complementary channel within the flow
Multiple email steps with different persuasion angles
A/B tested subject lines, content, and timing

Basic vs advanced abandoned cart flow comparison — An advanced flow uses conditional logic and multi-step sequences to maximise recovery revenue.

Advanced flow architecture

Here is the recommended architecture for an advanced abandoned cart flow in Klaviyo:

Trigger

Metric: Started Checkout (not Added to Cart). The Started Checkout trigger captures customers who entered the checkout process, which indicates higher purchase intent than simply adding items to cart.

Flow filters

Has not placed an order since starting this flow
Has not started checkout since starting this flow
Has not been in this flow in the last 7 days

Step-by-step flow

Wait 1 hour — Many customers complete checkout within 30 minutes; waiting an hour avoids emailing people mid-purchase
Conditional split — New customer vs returning customer
Email 1 — Reminder email (different content per split)
Wait 24 hours
Conditional split — Cart value above/below £100
Email 2 — Social proof email (different angles per cart value)
Wait 24 hours
Conditional split — Opened previous emails yes/no
Email 3 — Incentive email (only for high-value carts from non-openers, no discount for openers)
Optional: SMS message for SMS-opted-in contacts who have not converted

Conditional splits that matter

Not every conditional split adds value. Focus on splits that meaningfully change your messaging strategy:

New vs returning customers

First-time customers need trust signals — reviews, guarantees, brand credibility. Returning customers already trust you; they need a reminder about the specific products in their cart and perhaps product recommendations based on their purchase history.

Cart value segments

A £500 cart deserves more attention than a £15 cart. For high-value carts, consider more aggressive recovery tactics: faster follow-ups, phone outreach, or personalised discount codes. For low-value carts, keep it simple — a reminder and product image are usually sufficient.

Product category

Different products benefit from different recovery messaging. Fashion items respond well to scarcity (only 3 left in your size). Electronics benefit from feature comparisons and reviews. Consumables benefit from subscription offers.

For more on cart recovery, see our abandoned cart email sequences guide.

Conditional splits in an advanced abandoned cart flow — Use conditional splits to personalise cart recovery messaging based on customer and cart attributes.

Dynamic discounting strategy

Discounts in abandoned cart flows are a double-edged sword. They recover carts in the short term but can train customers to abandon on purpose to receive the discount. Here is a strategic approach:

Rules for discounting

Never discount in the first email. Many customers will return without any incentive.
Reserve discounts for the third or fourth email. By this point, the customer has demonstrated genuine hesitation.
Only discount for first-time customers. Returning customers know your products and pricing; discounting is less likely to be the deciding factor.
Only discount for carts above a minimum value. A 10 per cent discount on a £15 cart (£1.50 off) is not meaningful. A 10 per cent discount on a £200 cart (£20 off) might tip the decision.
Use unique, single-use codes. Prevent code sharing and track which carts were recovered with a discount vs without.

Adding SMS to cart recovery

SMS has a 98 per cent open rate and generates immediate attention. Adding an SMS step to your abandoned cart flow can recover carts that email alone cannot reach.

SMS placement

Add the SMS step after the second email, roughly 48 hours after abandonment. By this point, email has had two chances to recover the cart. SMS serves as a different channel that may catch the customer at a different time or in a different context.

SMS content

Keep it short and direct. Include the customer's name, a brief mention of their cart, and a link to complete checkout. Do not include a discount in the SMS unless the email flow has already offered one.

Optimising timing and delays

Step	Timing	Purpose
Email 1	1 hour after abandonment	Quick reminder whilst product is top of mind
Email 2	24 hours after Email 1	Different angle (social proof, urgency)
SMS	12 hours after Email 2	Different channel, different context
Email 3	24 hours after Email 2	Final push, optional incentive

These timings are starting points. Use Klaviyo's A/B testing to find the optimal delays for your specific audience. Some brands find that a 30-minute first email works better; others find that 2 to 4 hours is optimal.

Optimal timing for abandoned cart flow emails — Test different timing intervals to find the sweet spot for your audience.

Email content strategy per step

Email 1: The reminder

Subject: Still thinking about it? Content: product image, name, price, checkout button. Tone: casual, helpful. No discount. No pressure. Just a friendly nudge that the items are still in their cart.

Email 2: Social proof

Subject: Here is why others love [Product]. Content: product image, customer reviews, star ratings, best-seller badges. Tone: reassuring. This email overcomes hesitation by showing that other customers are happy with the product.

Email 3: The incentive (conditional)

Subject: Your cart is waiting + a little something. Content: cart contents, unique discount code (if qualifying), urgency element (stock limited, offer expires). Tone: generous but time-limited. Only sent to carts that qualify for discounting based on your rules.

Measuring true performance

Measure your abandoned cart flow's performance correctly by tracking placed order rate (the percentage of flow entrants who ultimately purchase), revenue per recipient, recovery rate by email step (how much each email contributes to total recovery), and the discount rate (what percentage of recovered carts used a discount code).

The discount rate is particularly important. If 80 per cent of your recovered carts use the discount, your flow is training customers to expect discounts. Aim for the majority of recoveries to happen on the first two non-discounted emails.

An advanced abandoned cart flow is one of the highest-ROI investments in ecommerce email marketing. The conditional logic ensures every customer gets the right message, the multi-step approach captures customers at different decision stages, and strategic discounting protects your margins.

If you want help building or optimising your abandoned cart flow, get in touch. We build advanced Klaviyo flows through our Klaviyo email marketing services that consistently outperform basic setups.

Advanced Klaviyo Abandoned Cart Flow: Beyond the Basics