If you're using Klaviyo with Shopify, you'll likely work with 2 important features: Campaigns and Flows.
They both let you send marketing messages to customers, but they work in different ways.
First, What Is Klaviyo?
Klaviyo is a customer data and marketing automation platform commonly used by e-commerce businesses, especially Shopify stores.
It helps businesses collect customer data, create customer segments, and send personalized email and SMS messages.
For example, you can use Klaviyo to send welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase messages, and promotional emails.
Two of the main ways to send these messages are Campaigns and Flows.
Campaigns vs. Flows
The simplest way to understand the difference is:
Campaign = a one-time message sent to an audience.
Flow = an automated message or sequence triggered by customer behavior.
Let's break down each one.
Campaigns
A Campaign is a one-time email or SMS message that you send to a specific audience.
You decide:
- Who receives it
- What the message says
- When it is sent
For example, you might send a campaign for:
- A Black Friday sale
- A new product launch
- A weekly newsletter
- A holiday promotion
- A new collection
Example
You want to announce a summer sale.
You create an email:
Summer Sale — 30% Off Everything
Then you select your audience and schedule the campaign for Friday at 9 AM.
The email is sent once to the selected audience.
Create Campaign
↓
Select Audience
↓
Create Email
↓
Schedule / Send
↓
Customers Receive Email
Flows
A Flow is an automated sequence that starts when a customer performs an action or meets a specific condition.
You create the flow once, and Klaviyo automatically sends the messages based on the flow's timing and conditions.
Common examples include:
- Welcome emails
- Abandoned cart reminders
- Post-purchase follow-ups
- Browse abandonment reminders
- Win-back emails
- Review requests
Example: Welcome Flow
Someone subscribes to your email list.
That action can trigger a Welcome Flow:
Customer subscribes
↓
Immediately
Welcome Email
↓
3 days later
Brand Story Email
↓
7 days later
Discount Offer
Klaviyo automatically sends each message based on the timing you set.
Example: Post-Purchase Flow
A customer completes an order.
You can automatically send:
Customer places order
↓
Thank You Email
↓
Product Education Email
↓
Review Request
↓
Cross-Sell Recommendation
The messages can be customized based on your customer's actions and data.
Quick Comparison
| Campaign | Flow | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | One-time | Automated |
| Trigger | Manual send | Customer action or event |
| Timing | You choose | Based on the flow |
| Audience | List or segment | Customers who enter the flow |
| Automation | No | Yes |
| Example | Black Friday Sale | Welcome Flow |
Conclusion
Campaigns and Flows serve different purposes in Klaviyo:
Campaigns are for one-time messages.
Flows are for automated customer journeys.
If you're managing Klaviyo for a Shopify store, understanding this distinction is important because the two features work together rather than replacing each other.
Use Flows to automate repetitive marketing tasks and Campaigns when you want to communicate with your audience about something specific at a particular time.
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