Roughly 70% of online shoppers add something to their cart and leave without buying. For most stores, that's not a traffic problem or a product problem — it's a follow-up problem. And it's entirely fixable.
Klaviyo's abandoned cart flow is one of the highest-ROI automations you can set up. But most stores either don't have one running, or they're sending a single generic reminder and leaving money on the table. This guide gives you the exact three-email sequence to fix that.
Why Three Emails — Not One
A single abandoned cart email recovers some revenue. A properly timed three-email sequence recovers significantly more. According to Klaviyo's own benchmark data, flows with multiple touchpoints consistently outperform single-send automations on both open rates and recovered revenue.
The logic is simple: different people abandon for different reasons. Some just got distracted. Some are comparing prices. Some need a nudge of social proof. One email can't do all of that — three can.
Email 1: The Soft Reminder (1 Hour After Abandonment)
Send this one hour after the cart is abandoned. At this point the shopper still remembers exactly what they were looking at, so your only job is to remind them it's still there.
What to include:
- A clear subject line, e.g. "You left something behind" or "Still thinking it over?"
- The product image, name, and price pulled dynamically from Klaviyo
- A single, prominent CTA back to their cart
- No discount — don't train customers to abandon carts expecting one
Keep the copy short. One or two sentences max. This is a nudge, not a pitch.
Email 2: The Value Builder (24 Hours After Abandonment)
If they didn't come back after email one, there's a reason. Email two is where you address it without knowing exactly what it is.
This is the content email. Lead with social proof — a review or star rating for the specific product if you have it. Add a short line about your returns policy, shipping speed, or any guarantee you offer. These remove purchase anxiety without discounting.
Worth noting: If you sell a product that needs explanation, this is where a short "why it works" section earns its place. Don't oversell — just remove doubt.
Subject line ideas: "Here's what other customers say" / "Free returns. Fast shipping. Still yours."
Email 3: The Incentive (72 Hours After Abandonment)
By day three, if they still haven't converted, a small incentive is justified. This is the only email in the sequence where you introduce a discount or free shipping offer — and only if your margins allow it.
Keep the offer time-limited. "10% off — expires in 24 hours" creates genuine urgency without feeling manipulative. Pair it with a clear product image and one-click cart recovery link.
Important: Set up a flow filter in Klaviyo so anyone who purchases after email one or two is immediately removed from the sequence. There's no reason to send a discount to someone who already bought.
Setting This Up in Klaviyo
In Klaviyo, go to Flows → Create Flow → Abandoned Cart. Use the pre-built template as your starting point, then adjust the timing to match the sequence above: 1 hour, 24 hours, 72 hours.
Use flow filters to exclude anyone who's placed an order since entering the flow. Use smart sending to avoid emailing someone who's already received another campaign that day.
Google's guidance on email best practices is worth bookmarking if you're scaling volume — keeping your sender reputation clean is what keeps these emails landing in the inbox, not spam.
What Results Should You Expect?
Results vary by store, product, and audience — but a well-structured three-email flow typically recovers between 5–15% of abandoned carts. On a store doing £50k/month with a 65% cart abandonment rate, that's a meaningful number from an automation you set up once.
| Timing | Goal | Discount? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email 1 | 1 hour | Remind | No |
| Email 2 | 24 hours | Build trust | No |
| Email 3 | 72 hours | Convert | Optional |
Our Verdict
Set up all three emails, in this order, before you touch any other Klaviyo flow — it's the fastest win available to most ecommerce stores.
- Start here if you have no abandoned cart flow at all — even a basic version will recover revenue immediately
- Use this sequence if you currently send one email and want to meaningfully improve recovery rate
- Skip the email 3 discount if your margins are tight or you sell premium products where discounting hurts brand perception
Before you commit, check our deals page — we have exclusive discount codes that could save you on your first few months of Klaviyo.