POV: You’re at Ulta, arms full of skincare products you definitely don’t need but absolutely want, and then you catch a glimpse of the total at checkout. 😬

Sometimes you power through and buy it all anyway (bc that new Drunk Elephant serum isn’t going to buy itself). Other times, you quietly set everything down and walk away, promising yourself you’ll “think about it.”

And sometimes you make it all the way to the register, card in hand, before remembering you already have three unopened serums at home and decide to bail at the last second.

Each of those scenarios represents a different type of abandonment that happens on your website every single day. And if you’re not capturing those almost-customers with the right email flows, you’re basically leaving money on the table (which, honestly, hurts my soul a little bit).

Most founders know they need abandoned cart flows (bc who doesn’t want to recover lost sales?), but they get confused about browse abandonment and abandoned checkout flows. They either skip them entirely or set them up wrong, missing out on tons of potential revenue.

So what exactly is the difference between these three flows, and why does each one matter for your business? 

Browse Abandonment: The Window Shoppers

Browse abandonment flows target people who visited your website, checked out specific products, but left without adding anything to their cart. They’re the digital equivalent of someone walking through your store, picking up products, reading labels, maybe even trying on that jacket (you know, the one you convince yourself you’ll totally wear to brunch), but leaving empty-handed.

These visitors showed intent by spending time on product pages, but they weren’t ready to commit yet. Maybe they were just discovering your brand, comparing prices, or doing research before making a decision (or maybe they got distracted by a TikTok about skincare layering… guilty 🙋🏼‍♀️).

These people didn’t take any purchasing action. They looked, considered, but they didn’t add to cart. Your browse abandonment flow is basically a gentle “hey, remember us?” nudge.

What a browse abandonment flow looks like in Klaviyo:

• Email 1 (sent 2-4 hours after browsing): “Still thinking about that [product name]?” with product images and key benefits
• Email 2 (sent 1-2 days later): Social proof and reviews for the products they viewed
• Email 3 (sent 3-4 days later): Educational content about the product category or a small discount

The goal isn’t to be pushy (bc nobody likes that friend who won’t stop texting about MLM schemes), but to stay top-of-mind and provide the information they need to feel confident making a purchase.

But what about when someone takes that next step and actually adds something to their cart?

Abandoned Cart: The Almost-Buyers

Abandoned cart flows are probably what you think of when someone mentions email automation. These target people who added items to their cart but left before completing their purchase.

This is where things get interesting from a psychology standpoint (and yes, I’m a total psych nerd, so bear with me). Someone who adds products to their cart has shown real purchase intent. They’ve essentially said “I want this” by clicking that add-to-cart button. Something just prevented them from finishing the transaction.

Maybe they got distracted by a phone call, needed to check their bank account, wanted to sleep on it, or got sticker shock at shipping costs (aka that moment when free shipping suddenly becomes $12.99 and you question all your life choices). Whatever the reason, they were pretty darn close to buying.

What an abandoned cart flow looks like in Klaviyo:

• Email 1 (sent 1-2 hours after abandonment): “You left something behind” with cart contents and easy checkout link
• Email 2 (sent 24 hours later): Address common objections (shipping info, return policy, product details)
• Email 3 (sent 72 hours later): Social proof, reviews, or a small incentive to complete purchase

Abandoned cart flows typically have the highest conversion rates of all three flow types because you’re targeting people who were already ready to buy.¹ (It’s like having someone at the gym who’s already changed into their workout clothes but just needs a little push to actually start lifting.)

But then there’s that third group who got even closer than that.

Abandoned Checkout: The Last-Second Bail

Abandoned checkout flows target the people who made it the furthest in your buying process. They added items to cart, started the checkout process, maybe even entered their shipping information, but bailed before hitting “complete order.”

These are your warmest leads (and honestly, the ones that make you go “sooooo close!” when you see the data). They were literally seconds away from becoming customers. Something in that final moment made them change their mind, and it’s usually something specific and fixable.

Common reasons for checkout abandonment include unexpected shipping costs, complicated checkout processes, security concerns, or simple technical issues (or they realized they were about to spend their coffee budget for the month on skincare… again). The good news is that many of these people still want to buy; they just need the right nudge or reassurance.

What an abandoned checkout flow looks like in Klaviyo:

• Email 1 (sent 30-60 minutes after abandonment): “Quick question about your order” with a direct checkout link
• Email 2 (sent 6-12 hours later): Address checkout concerns (security badges, easy returns, customer service contact)
• Email 3 (sent 24-48 hours later): Urgency or incentive to complete the purchase

Since these people were so close to buying, your messaging can be more direct and conversion-focused (I hate that marketing-y language, but it’s the easiest way to explain it lol).

Where most people mess up is when they think all three of these flows should sound the same.

Why Each Flow Targets Different Mindsets

What most founders get wrong with these flows is that they use identical messaging for completely different situations. But someone who browsed your vitamin C serum for two minutes is in a completely different headspace than someone who entered their credit card information but didn’t hit submit.

That difference is kinda everything.

Browse abandonment is about nurturing and education. You’re building trust with people who are just getting to know your brand (kinda like being introduced to someone at a party. You don’t immediately ask them to be your bestie). Your messaging should be helpful and informative, not pushy.

Abandoned cart is about removing friction. These people want to buy but something held them back. Your job is to address their hesitations and make purchasing feel easy and safe (think of it like being that friend who talks you through your online shopping anxiety).

Abandoned checkout is about urgency and reassurance. They were ready to buy, so you need to figure out what spooked them and solve that problem fast (bc at this point, they’re practically family).

When you understand the psychology behind each type of abandonment, you can write emails that actually get people to buy instead of just annoying people. And trust me, there’s nothing worse than being the brand that slides into someone’s inbox with the wrong energy.

So how do you actually make this happen in your email platform?

Setting Up These Flows in Klaviyo

The beauty of Klaviyo email automation is that it can track all these different behaviors and trigger the appropriate flows automatically. But setting them up correctly is crucial for getting the results you want (and not accidentally sending someone three different abandonment emails in one day… yikes).

For browse abandonment, you’ll set up a flow triggered by “Viewed Product” events, with filters to exclude people who added items to cart (since they’ll get the abandoned cart flow instead, and we don’t want to be annoying).

Your abandoned cart flow triggers on “Added to Cart” events but hasn’t placed an order. Make sure to set up proper time delays and exclude people who complete purchases while the flow is running (bc nobody wants to get a “you forgot something” email after they literally just bought it).

Abandoned checkout flows trigger when someone starts checkout but doesn’t complete it. This requires proper event tracking on your website, so make sure your developer has set up the “Started Checkout” event correctly (and if they haven’t, now’s the time to have that convo).

Now, you might be wondering if all this setup work is actually worth it. 👀

The Revenue Impact of Getting This Right

Browse abandonment flows often have lower conversion rates than abandoned cart flows, but they can drive significant revenue because they capture people you would have lost completely otherwise.²

Someone who browses your website and leaves without your browse abandonment flow might never think about your brand again (harsh but true). But a well-crafted sequence can turn that casual browser into a customer weeks or even months later.

Meanwhile, abandoned cart vs browse abandonment flows serve different purposes in your overall email strategy. Cart abandonment focuses on immediate conversions, while browse abandonment is about long-term relationship building (kinda like the difference between a first date and a years-long friendship).

And abandoned checkout flows often have the highest per-email revenue because you’re targeting people who were literally about to hand you their money. It’s like catching someone right as they’re walking out of the store with their wallet in their hand.

But even with all that potential, I see brands making the same mistakes over and over again.

Common Mistakes That Kill Flow Performance

Don’t worry, I’m not calling you out specifically (unless you recognize yourself in these… then maybe take notes 😉). These are super common mistakes that can kill your flow performance without you even realizing it.

Mistake 1: Using the same messaging for all three flows A browse abandoner needs education and trust-building. A checkout abandoner needs reassurance and urgency. Don’t treat them the same (it’s like using the same pickup line on everyone you meet… it’s not gonna work).

Mistake 2: Being too aggressive too quickly Sending a discount code in the first browse abandonment email makes you look desperate. Build value first, then consider incentives (trust the process).

Mistake 3: Not excluding converters Nothing’s worse than getting an abandoned cart email after you already bought the product. Set up proper suppression filters (your customers will thank you for not being that brand).

Mistake 4: Weak subject lines “You forgot something” is boring af. Try “Your cart is having separation anxiety” or “Still thinking about that jade roller?” (personality goes a long way here).

Mistake 5: Not mobile-optimizing Most people will read these emails on their phones while they’re in line at Target or procrastinating at work. If your flow looks terrible on mobile, you’re losing conversions.

Making These Flows Work Together

The brands that really nail this don’t treat these as three random flows they set up once and forget about. Someone might browse your website today, abandon their cart next week, and finally convert after an abandoned checkout email the following month (the customer journey is rarely linear, and that’s totally normal).

Each touchpoint builds on the previous one, creating a cohesive experience that moves people closer to purchase over time. Your browse abandonment flow introduces your brand values, your abandoned cart flow addresses specific product questions, and your abandoned checkout flow handles final objections.

When all three flows work together seamlessly, you create a safety net that captures potential customers at every stage of their journey. That’s where things get reallyyyy good.

Your Flows Are Revenue Insurance

People abandon carts and leave websites for all kinds of reasons. Life gets busy, kids need snacks, work calls happen, or they simply get distracted by that TikTok about organizing their skincare routine (guilty 🙋🏼‍♀️… again).

These flows exist to bring them back when the timing is better. They’re like having a really patient sales associate who follows up at just the right moments without being annoying about it (we all need that energy in our lives).

The brands that set up abandoned cart vs browse abandonment flows correctly build relationships with people who might have forgotten about them entirely. It’s more than just recovering from lost sales.

And in a world where customer acquisition costs keep rising (ugh, don’t even get me started), holding onto the people who already showed interest in your brand is essential for sustainable growth. Oh, plus it’s smart marketing.

If you’re ready to stop leaving money on the table with your email flows, but Klaviyo email automation feels like trying to learn a new language (and not the fun kind like French), I’ve got you. Book a free consultation, and we can figure out how to turn all those almost-customers into actual buyers.

Sources:

1. Klaviyo. “Abandoned Cart Benchmark Report: Rates & Statistics.” Klaviyo Blog, 25 July 2024, www.klaviyo.com/blog/abandoned-cart-benchmarks.

Klaviyo. “Browse Abandonment Email Trends, Tips & Examples.” Klaviyo Blog, 11 June 2025, www.klaviyo.com/blog/browse-abandonment-email.

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Thanks so much for reading! And speaking of: let’s talk about how I can help you write emails that your community actually reads.

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