What is Flow?
Email Flow (Automation)
A flow (or automation) is a series of emails triggered by specific user behavior — welcome, cart abandonment, post-purchase, win-back.
Why Flow matters
Klaviyo's term. Mailchimp calls them journeys, HubSpot calls them workflows. Top flows by revenue: welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, win-back.
Common mistakes with Flow
- 1
Sending the same content to your whole list. RFM-segmented campaigns deliver 3-5× the revenue per send vs broadcast.
- 2
Measuring open rate as the success metric in 2026. Apple MPP made open rate noise; revenue per recipient is what counts.
- 3
Skipping welcome and abandoned cart flows. These two flows alone usually drive 25-35% of total email revenue.
How to improve Flow
Build core flows first: welcome (3-5 emails), abandoned cart (3 emails), browse abandonment, post-purchase, win-back.
Implement RFM segmentation (Recency × Frequency × Monetary) and tailor send cadence per segment.
A/B test send times by segment, not in aggregate. Engaged buyers and dormant buyers have different optimal times.
Common questions about Flow
What is Flow?▾
Why does Flow matter for marketing teams?▾
Related terms
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