Klaviyo flow templates vs custom flows: when to use each and what actually converts

Plenty of brands wonder: should I just grab Klaviyo’s out-of-the-box email flow templates or invest time and money building custom ones for abandoned carts and post-purchase? Both options have their perks, and both can work. The real question is when to use each approach, and which one actually moves the needle for your ecommerce store.

Spoiler alert: those shiny templates are surprisingly good for getting started. But if your store grows or your brand voice is particular, custom flows can deliver more of the right clicks and sales.

When are Klaviyo’s flow templates good enough?

Out-of-the-box Klaviyo flows come with pre-written emails, timings, and triggers designed by marketing pros who’ve tested what usually works. For example, the abandoned cart template often sends three emails spaced out over three days, gently reminding maybe 70% of visitors who left something in the cart (a figure backed by Baymard Institute’s research).

These templates give you:

• A near-instant setup without needing a specialist or agency
• Copy and design that follow email best practices (subject lines, CTAs, social proof)
• Basic segmentation for customers versus prospects
• Reliable open rates typically between 20-30%
• Click rates usually around 3-6%, depending on your niche

For brands with limited resources or new stores still finding their footing, templates are a no-brainer way to start recovering revenue that would have gone to waste. They keep things simple and avoid “paralysis by analysis.”

The same applies post-purchase: templates prompt repeat purchases and ask for reviews with minimal fuss. If your brand is straightforward and you’re focusing on volume, these flows deliver respectable results—often at a fraction of the cost and time of custom builds.

When should you consider custom Klaviyo flows?

Once your sales volume, brand identity, or product range grows, the simple templates show their limits.

A custom flow lets you:

• Write copy and visuals that match your brand voice precisely, rather than generic messages
• Tweak timing and email frequency to avoid annoying subscribers or missing key moments
• Personalise based on rich customer data (purchase history, behaviour, demographics)
• Experiment with different offers, social proof, or incentives tailored to segments
• Add extra emails or SMS reminders beyond the prescribed template
• Integrate with other tools or CRM data for smarter targeting

These factors can push open rates past 30-35% and clicks beyond 6-8%, which may seem like small gains but add up to meaningful revenue over thousands of emails. Custom flows also reduce subscriber churn and unsubscribe rates, which can happen with heavy templated pushes.

In essence, custom flows pay off when you have:

• Enough data from your customers to personalise messaging effectively
• A unique brand story that your audience expects in communications
• Time and skills to test different hypotheses and monitor performance closely
• Resource capacity to update flows as products, markets, or customer tastes change

If your store is at that stage, a custom-built flow often drives better retention and reuse of your audience for long-term growth.

What do the real numbers say about open and click rates?

The honest truth is, neither templates nor custom flows will “magically” turn all your abandoned carts into orders. Email marketing’s baseline open rate averages 20-25% in retail verticals, with click-throughs around 2-5% according to Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp data.

Klaviyo’s default abandoned cart templates can hit:

• Opens: 20–30%
• Clicks: 3–6%
• Conversion rate from clicks to sales: 10–15% (varies by sector)

Custom flows can push opens slightly higher (30–40%) and clicks into the 6–8% range if done well. They also reduce opt-outs by feeling more relevant and less “spammy.” But incremental gains demand continuous optimisation—writing fresh copy, A/B tests, refining segmentation, and timing tweaks.

For post-purchase flows, both approaches achieve solid opens (30-50%) because customers already bought, but custom flows can increase repeat purchase rate and lifetime value by including cross-sell suggestions or loyalty program nudges.

What about the downsides?

Templates may feel a little generic, making it harder to stand out in crowded inboxes, or risk sending less relevant messages. They can also be rigid, which means you miss chances for smarter timing or advanced segmentation.

Custom flows require more investment in time, skill, or budget, plus ongoing maintenance. Poorly designed custom flows, however, won’t outperform templates and may confuse or annoy customers if done without strategic insight or testing.

How should you decide what’s right for your brand?

Use this checklist to figure out which approach suits your business right now:

• You’re new or scrappy, without time, budget, or email marketing expertise? Start with Klaviyo’s built-in templates.
• You have fewer than a few thousand orders per month and a straightforward customer profile? Templates will hold you over.
• Your brand story or tone is unique and important in customer relationships? Explore custom flows.
• You’ve got solid sales volume and tracking data on customers and want to improve lifetime value? Invest in building tailored flows.
• You have someone on hand to monitor, create, and fine-tune emails regularly? Custom flows can pay off.
• You want to reduce unsubscribes and turn one-time buyers into loyal fans? Custom flows help.

Can a hybrid approach work?

Absolutely. Many brands start with templates, then gradually swap in custom emails or segments in flows once results plateau. For example, keep a simple abandoned cart series but personalise the post-purchase flow for VIPs or frequent buyers. This balances time investment with results.

Where can I find a simple way to start custom flows without the hassle?

If you’re running a Shopify brand and want to stop leaking revenue through abandoned carts and poor retention emails, tools like our DTC Retention / The 5-Flow Recovery Engine offer a ready-made but customisable flow built in Klaviyo. It’s designed to bridge the gap between templated ease and tailored performance, letting you fine-tune messaging while giving you a proven starting point.

Final thoughts

Klaviyo’s templates are solid, reliable workhorses. They do what they say on the tin and work well for most brands just kicking off ecommerce email marketing. But if your store has grown, your brand has personality, or your audience craves relevant, timely messages, custom flows become worth the investment.

Don’t overcomplicate or waste time building custom flows too early. Start simple, learn from data, then make your flows smarter and sharper. Because at the end of the day, it’s not fancy tech or clever copy, but relevant contact with the right people at the right time that moves carts and repeat buys.

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Flow selection checklist

• Start with templates if:
  • You’re new to ecommerce email
  • Limited budget or time
  • Simple product line and audience
• Move to custom flows if:
  • Volume of orders is steady or growing
  • You want to improve brand voice or tone in emails
  • You track customer data and can segment meaningfully
  • You can invest time in testing and optimisation
  • You need to increase repeat purchases and reduce unsubscribes
• Consider a hybrid approach to scale smartly without burnout

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If you want a balanced custom retention and abandoned cart solution built to run on Klaviyo with less fuss, check out our DTC Retention / The 5-Flow Recovery Engine. It’s a practical middle ground between basic templates and fully custom setups.