What automations should I focus on?
If you're taking this course, it's likely not your first time in Klaviyo. You've probably built sign-up forms and flows before. Honestly, some of you may be better at building them than us, the writers of this course.
This lesson is not a how-to. It's a mix of guidance and best practices based on what Klaviyo's own onboarding teams build during a client's first weeks. The goal is to teach you what the foundation should look like. As you get more comfortable running implementations, add more forms and flows to your services. But in our humble opinion of doing this…over a thousand times…any forms or flows you include should be additive, not a replacement.
Invest in strong forms
Your forms are your deposit to your list, and your flows are your compound interest. Each person you collect, your flows can reach them tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. But to get that compound interest, you need to make those deposits first.
Review the three best practices below before building your client's first form.
Note: This section focuses on strategy, not steps. If you need the step-by-step guidance on flow building, see Getting Started with Sign up Forms .
Use multi-step forms to collect more information
Multi-step forms do two things well: they keep the experience from feeling overwhelming, and they let you collect more data upfront so your flows can do more work later.
Here are the forms we recommend depending on what you're collecting:
- Email only? Use the First Order Discount Form in the pre-built library.
- Collecting email and SMS together? Use the Klaviyo Multi-Step Form for email and SMS. It handles consent correctly and keeps the experience clean for the subscriber.
- Want to go further? Collect birthdays, location, or preferences at signup. The more you know about a subscriber upfront, the more your flows can do with that data.
Subscribe everyone to the main list
Every form should subscribe to new contacts to your client's main email list or main text list. One list per channel.
Why? When profiles are spread across several lists, flow management gets messy, suppression logic gets complicated, and it becomes harder to get a clean view of your total audience. One main list per channel, with profile properties and segments handling any differentiation, is the cleaner and more scalable setup.
When multiple lists are actually appropriate
There are real scenarios where separate lists make sense:
- Your client operates multiple brands under one Klaviyo account, each with distinct subscriber bases and separate consent records.
- Local legal requirements mandate separate consent and suppression tracking for different regions or countries.
- A franchise model where individual locations manage their own audiences within a shared account.
Outside of these situations, a second list usually adds complexity without adding value. If you find yourself considering a new list for a use case that isn't one of the above, build a segment instead.
A/B Test Onsite Forms:
Once the basics are in place, A/B testing sign-up forms is one of the fastest ways to grow a client's list without driving more traffic.
Here's an example of how Damon Didier from Win at Ecommerce approaches a simple form A/B test:
- Option A: Clear discount offer (e.g., "Sign up for 10% off")
- Option B: Discount intrigue (e.g., "Sign up to unlock a surprise discount")
Both options trigger the welcome series with the discount upon signup. The test captures emails, kicks off the sequence, and gives you data on which approach drives more signups. Simple, fast, and easy to present as a win to your client.
Note: Your client needs at least 400,000 total profiles to qualify for Klaviyo's AI-powered optimization tests.
Nurture your new subscribers with flows
You made the deposits, now its time to invest in good flows.
During onboarding, the goal is not to build every possible flow. It's to build the three that generate the fastest, most measurable value for your client's account.
Welcome series
State of the customer journey:
Person subscribes to your client's list.
The welcome series is the first flow to build. It triggers the moment someone subscribes and is the direct downstream of the sign-up form, which means it's also where your client's first impression happens.
Use it to introduce the brand, deliver a signup incentive, and set expectations for what subscribers can expect going forward.
Note: We recommend separate welcome flows for email, text, WhatsApp, and mobile push. Because subscribers can only enter a list-triggered flow once, and each channel opt-ins often happen at different times, multiple flows ensure no one misses either sequence.
Learn more on how to create a welcome series for each channel:
Browse abandonment
State of the customer journey: Person views products on your client's website without adding anything to their cart.
Browse abandonment captures potential customers who showed intent but didn't take action. A timely follow-up that references what they looked at can be the nudge that brings them back.
Note: If the Checkout Started metric isn't firing yet from the e-commerce integration, this is a good flow to build first. It has a lower technical dependency and can show early activity data to your client quickly.
Abandoned cart
State of the customer journey: Person adds products to their cart but does not complete checkout.
Abandoned cart is typically the highest-revenue flow you'll build during onboarding. It targets subscribers who were close to purchasing and just needed a reminder, or a reason to come back.
Note: Before turning this flow live, confirm the Checkout Started metric is firing correctly from the e-commerce integration. Also make sure profile filters are in place to exclude anyone who has already placed an order since entering the flow.
For step-by-step instructions, bookmark”
Find step-by-step instructions in your project plan
Unsure which flow to create and when? That's why we developed our Onboard a Client to Klaviyo project plan . Phase 5 of this plan provides step-by-step guidance for implementing key flows for your client during the critical onboarding phase.