Every Klaviyo Flow Trigger Explained

Klaviyo flows are the engine of your email automation. They run 24/7, sending the right email to the right person at the right moment — without you touching anything after setup.

But a flow is only as good as its trigger. The trigger determines WHEN the flow starts and WHO enters it. Choose the wrong trigger and your flow either fires at the wrong moment or captures the wrong audience.

Klaviyo offers a lot of trigger options, and most brands use maybe three of them. Let me walk you through every trigger available, what it does, and when you should use it.

List-Based Triggers

Added to List

What it does: Fires when a profile is added to a specific Klaviyo list.

When it fires: The moment someone joins the list — via a signup form, API integration, manual import, or any other method.

Use for: Welcome flows. This is the most common trigger for welcome series. Someone joins your email list, and the welcome flow begins.

Configuration tips:

• Set this on your main email signup list, not your SMS list or a suppression list
• If you have multiple signup lists (different forms for different purposes), you might want different welcome flows per list
• Use filters to exclude people who are already customers (they might need a different welcome experience)

Removed from List

What it does: Fires when a profile is removed from a specific list.

When it fires: When someone unsubscribes or is manually removed.

Use for: Rarely used for marketing flows. Could trigger an internal notification or a feedback survey (though be careful emailing people who just unsubscribed — you need to respect their opt-out).

Segment-Based Triggers

Enters Segment / Exits Segment

What it does: Fires when a profile enters or exits a dynamic segment.

When it fires: Whenever Klaviyo evaluates the segment and a profile's status changes.

Use for: This is one of the most powerful and underused triggers.

Examples:

• "Enters VIP Segment" triggers a VIP welcome flow with exclusive benefits
• "Enters At-Risk Segment" (no purchase in 90 days) triggers a winback flow
• "Enters High-Value Segment" (total spend above $500) triggers a loyalty reward
• "Exits Engaged Segment" (stopped opening emails) triggers a re-engagement flow

The beauty of segment-based triggers is that they respond to behavior changes automatically. When a customer's behavior shifts them from one segment to another, the appropriate flow fires without you doing anything.

Configuration tips:

• Segment evaluation isn't instant. Klaviyo evaluates segments periodically (not in real-time). Expect a delay of minutes to hours between the qualifying behavior and the trigger firing.
• Be careful with segment triggers on frequently changing segments. A segment with conditions that profiles rapidly enter and exit can generate unexpected flow volumes.

Metric-Based Triggers (Events)

These triggers fire based on specific events (actions) that profiles take. This is where the real power lives.

Placed Order

What it does: Fires when a customer completes a purchase.

When it fires: When the order event is received from Shopify (or your eCommerce platform).

Use for: Post-purchase flows. Thank you emails, cross-sell recommendations, review requests, replenishment reminders.

Common flow structure:

• Email 1 (immediately): Order confirmation/thank you (though Shopify usually sends its own — consider whether you need both)
• Email 2 (5-7 days after delivery): Review request
• Email 3 (14 days after delivery): Cross-sell recommendations
• Email 4 (30-45 days, for consumables): Replenishment reminder

Filters to add:

• Split by first purchase vs. repeat purchase (different messaging)
• Split by product purchased (different cross-sell recommendations)
• Split by order value (VIP treatment for high-value orders)

Started Checkout

What it does: Fires when a customer reaches the checkout page and enters their email address.

When it fires: When the "Started Checkout" event is received from Shopify.

Use for: Abandoned checkout flow. If the customer starts checkout but doesn't place an order within your defined window (usually 1-4 hours), the flow sends a recovery email.

Critical filter: Exclude profiles who placed an order after starting checkout. Use "Has Placed Order zero times since starting this flow" as a filter on each email.

Checkout Started (Same as Above)

Klaviyo uses "Started Checkout" as the standard event name. Some integrations may label it differently, but the functionality is the same.

Added to Cart

What it does: Fires when a customer adds a product to their cart on your website.

When it fires: When the "Added to Cart" event is tracked by Klaviyo's on-site JavaScript.

Use for: Cart abandonment flow (as distinguished from checkout abandonment — see our article on the difference). This catches people who add to cart but never proceed to checkout.

Important limitation: This only works for identified profiles (people Klaviyo can associate with an email address). Anonymous visitors who haven't interacted with your emails won't trigger this flow.

Viewed Product

What it does: Fires when a customer views a product page on your website.

When it fires: When the "Viewed Product" event is tracked by Klaviyo's on-site JavaScript.

Use for: Browse abandonment flow. Customer viewed a product but didn't add to cart or purchase.

Important limitation: Same as Added to Cart — only works for identified profiles.

Configuration tips:

• Set a delay and filter: "Has not Added to Cart in the last 2 hours" and "Has not Placed Order in the last 2 hours." This ensures the person genuinely abandoned, not just went to checkout.
• Don't send a browse abandonment email for every product view. Set a minimum threshold (viewed the same product at least twice, or spent more than 30 seconds on the page).

Fulfilled Order

What it does: Fires when an order status changes to "fulfilled" in Shopify (i.e., it's been shipped or delivered).

When it fires: When Shopify sends the fulfillment event to Klaviyo.

Use for: Post-delivery flows. "How's your new purchase?" Review requests. Cross-sell recommendations. "How to get the most out of your new [product]" educational content.

Using fulfilled order instead of placed order ensures you're contacting the customer after they've received the product, not while it's still in transit.

Ordered Product

What it does: Similar to Placed Order, but fires at the product level (once per product in the order, not once per order).

When it fires: When the order event is processed.

Use for: Product-specific post-purchase flows. If someone buys a specific product, trigger a flow with usage instructions, care guides, or cross-sell recommendations specific to that product.

Example: Customer buys a coffee maker. The "Ordered Product" trigger (filtered to the coffee maker SKU) starts a flow with setup instructions, coffee bean recommendations, and a maintenance guide.

Refunded Order

What it does: Fires when a refund is processed.

Use for: Internal notification flows, customer satisfaction surveys, or retention offers. "We're sorry it didn't work out. Here's what we can do to make it right."

Date-Based Triggers

Date Property

What it does: Fires based on a date stored on a profile property.

When it fires: On the specified date (or a configurable number of days before/after).

Use for:

• Birthday flows: If you collect birthday data, trigger a flow on (or a few days before) the customer's birthday. Include a birthday discount.
• Anniversary flows: Trigger on the anniversary of a customer's first purchase. "It's been one year since you joined the family."
• Subscription renewal reminders: If you store subscription renewal dates, trigger a reminder before the renewal.

Configuration: Set the date property (e.g., "birthday"), the timing (on the day, 3 days before, 7 days before), and the flow content.

Price Drop Trigger

Price Drop

What it does: Fires when a product that a profile has interacted with (viewed, added to cart, or wishlisted) drops in price.

When it fires: When Klaviyo detects a price change in your catalog feed for a product associated with a profile's activity.

Use for: Price drop alert flows. "That moisturizer you were looking at just went on sale."

This is a high-converting trigger because it combines intent (they showed interest) with incentive (the price dropped). Conversion rates on price drop emails are typically 5-10%, well above average.

Back in Stock Trigger

Back in Stock

What it does: Fires when a product that was out of stock becomes available again.

When it fires: When Klaviyo detects an inventory change from zero to a positive number.

Use for: Back in stock notification flows. This requires customers to sign up for notifications on the product page (usually via a "Notify Me" button that appears when the product is sold out).

Custom Event Triggers

Any Custom Event

What it does: Fires based on any custom event you pass to Klaviyo via API or integration.

When it fires: When the custom event is received by Klaviyo.

Use for: Literally anything your platform can track. Quiz completions, loyalty tier changes, app downloads, referral actions, subscription events, support ticket resolutions — if you can send the event to Klaviyo, you can trigger a flow from it.

This is the most flexible trigger and is essential for sophisticated automation architectures.

Building a Complete Flow Architecture

With all these triggers, the question becomes: which flows should you actually build?

Essential (build first):

1. Welcome flow (Added to List)
2. Abandoned checkout (Started Checkout)
3. Post-purchase (Placed Order)
4. Browse abandonment (Viewed Product)

Important (build next): 5. Winback (Enters segment: no purchase in 90 days) 6. Cart abandonment (Added to Cart) 7. Replenishment (Date-based or time since last purchase)

Advanced (build when ready): 8. Birthday flow (Date property) 9. VIP flow (Enters segment) 10. Price drop (Price drop trigger) 11. Back in stock (Back in stock trigger) 12. Post-purchase cross-sell by product (Ordered Product)

The Bottom Line

Flow triggers are the foundation of email automation. The right trigger ensures the right person enters the right flow at the right time.

Start with the essential four. Then expand based on your business model and the data you have available. Every trigger you activate is another automated revenue stream that runs while you sleep.

If you want help building a complete Klaviyo flow architecture for your store, book a call with us. We'll audit your current flows, identify the gaps, and build the triggers that drive revenue on autopilot.