The welcome flow is the highest-return automation you will build, so it is the one to set up first. It reaches people at the moment they care most, right after they sign up, and it keeps selling long after you close your laptop.

This guide walks through Klaviyo welcome flow setup step by step: create the flow, set the trigger, add the filter that removes buyers, turn off smart sending, and send the first email with no delay. You can follow along with Klaviyo open in another tab.

Why the welcome flow earns the most

A new subscriber is at peak interest the second they join your list. They just raised their hand, and a good welcome email meets them there.

In a supplement brand we manage, the welcome flow is the single highest-revenue automation, and its first email alone drives about 80% of that flow's revenue. The later emails still matter, but nothing beats email one. So perfect email one before you write email five. Where the welcome flow sits in the wider program is covered in our DTC email marketing fundamentals guide. This post is the exact build.

How to set up a welcome flow in Klaviyo

Six steps take you from an empty flow to one that is ready to turn on.

1. Open the Flows tab and create a new flow

In Klaviyo, click Flows in the left-hand menu, then Create Flow. That opens the flow library, where Klaviyo offers pre-built flows and a blank canvas.

2. Choose the Welcome Series template

Pick the Welcome Series flow from the library. It comes with three emails already in place, spaced immediately, then a few days apart. Starting from the template saves you building the structure from scratch. You will rewrite the copy, but the skeleton is done.

3. Set the trigger to your signup list

The welcome flow should start when someone joins your list. Set the trigger to Added to list, then choose your signup or newsletter list, the one your popup adds new subscribers to. Now anyone who signs up drops straight into the flow.

4. Add the flow filter that removes buyers

This is the step most people skip, and it matters. You do not want to keep pushing a welcome offer at someone who already bought. A flow filter fixes that.

Add a flow filter that reads: has placed order zero times since starting this flow. Klaviyo checks this filter again before each email, so the moment someone buys, they stop receiving the rest of the series.

Here is why it matters, with a worked example. Say Person A signs up and gets email one. Before email two goes out, they place an order. Klaviyo re-checks the filter, sees the order, and quietly drops Person A from the flow. They never get emails two and three nudging them toward a product they already own. Without this filter, your best new customers get pestered right after buying.

5. Turn off smart sending on each email

Smart sending skips anyone who has recently received an email from you. That is useful for campaigns, but inside a welcome flow you usually want every email to land on schedule. Open each email and, in its settings, switch off Skip recently emailed profiles. It is off by default inside flows, but confirm it on every message so nobody misses a welcome email because they got a campaign the same day.

6. Send the first email with no delay

Pro tip: do not add a time delay before your first email. Interest drops by the minute after signup, so the first welcome email should go out the second someone joins, while they still remember why they signed up. Keep any delays for later emails in the series.

What each welcome email should do

The three-email structure gives you room without overstaying your welcome.

• Email one delivers the offer you promised in the popup and says, in one plain line, what the brand is about. This is the email that earns, so give it the most attention.

• Email two builds a little trust: your story, your bestsellers, or a few real reviews.

• Email three is a gentle last nudge on the offer before it expires.

Keep one clear button per email. Competing links split attention and lower clicks.

Klaviyo welcome flow FAQ

What triggers a Klaviyo welcome flow?

A list trigger. Set the flow to start when someone is added to your signup or newsletter list, the same list your popup feeds. Every new subscriber then enters the flow automatically. Avoid triggering off a segment for a welcome series, since segment membership can change and re-trigger people you did not intend to email.

How many emails should a welcome flow have?

Three is a solid start, which is why Klaviyo's Welcome Series template ships with three. One to deliver the offer, one to build trust, and one final nudge. You can add more later, but get the first email right before you expand, since it does most of the work.

How do I stop customers who bought from getting the rest of the welcome flow?

Add a flow filter of "has placed order zero times since starting this flow". Klaviyo re-checks it before each send, so anyone who buys mid-flow is removed from the remaining emails. It keeps you from pushing a welcome offer at someone who already became a customer.

Should the first welcome email have a delay?

No. Send it immediately after signup, with no time delay. Interest is highest in the first minutes, and a welcome email that arrives right away converts better than one that shows up hours later.

The bottom line

Klaviyo welcome flow setup comes down to six steps: create the flow, choose the Welcome Series template, trigger on your signup list, add the purchase filter, turn off smart sending, and send email one with no delay. Get email one right first, because it earns the most.

With the welcome flow live, build the rest of your core Klaviyo flows next, and keep your email deliverability healthy so all of them reach the inbox. If you would rather have it built and tuned by people who run these accounts daily, talk to us about your account.