How to Use Klaviyo for Beginners (2026)

Quick Start

This guide covers every Klaviyo feature:

• Getting Started — Create your Klaviyo account and connect your store
• How to Use Customer Hub — Give shoppers a self-serve page for orders, preferences, and rewards
• How to Use Customer Segmentation — Create segments from real customer behavior instead of guesswork
• How to Use Data Platform — Unify customer data from your store and 200+ connected apps
• How to Use Marketing Agent — Let AI draft campaign copy, subject lines, and layouts for you
• How to Use Marketing Analytics — See which sends drive sales and which ones burn your list
• How to Use RCS Marketing — Send branded rich messages with images and tap-through buttons
• How to Use Customer Agent — Answer shopper questions automatically using your own store data
• How to Use Email Marketing — Build one-off email campaigns and automated flows in one editor
• How to Use Advanced Data Platform — Forecast lifetime value, next order date, and churn risk per shopper

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I’ve run Klaviyo for two years across three stores and tested every feature covered here. This tutorial comes from real hands-on work — not vendor screenshots.

Klaviyo is one of the most capable email marketing tools built for e-commerce.

But most users only scratch the surface of what it can do.

The most powerful features sit two clicks deep, and nobody opens them.

This guide shows you how to use Klaviyo feature by feature.

Step by step, with screenshots and pro tips.

Klaviyo Tutorial

This complete Klaviyo tutorial walks you through every feature, in order.

It starts at your first login and ends with the more advanced features.

That is the whole arc of a successful email marketing strategy.

Klaviyo

Turn browsers into buyers with email and SMS built for e-commerce. Over 70,000 paying customers run Klaviyo, and more than 20,000 brands switched over from Mailchimp. Start free — no credit card needed.

TRY KLAVIYO NOW →

READ FULL REVIEW →

Getting Started with Klaviyo

Before touching any feature, finish this one-time setup.

It takes about three minutes.

Here is what the platform looks like in daily use:

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to Klaviyo’s website and click Sign Up.

Enter your email, your store name, and a password.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for the confirmation email.

Step 2: Connect Klaviyo to Your Store

Klaviyo runs in any browser.

The Klaviyo app covers iOS and Android for checking reports on the move.

Open Integrations, pick your platform, and authorize the connection.

It syncs customer data and order history from Shopify automatically.

Here is what the dashboard looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your Klaviyo dashboard shows revenue data within an hour.

Step 3: Finish Account Settings

Open Klaviyo account settings and add your sender name and sender email address.

Authenticate your sending domain — skip this and deliverability suffers.

Then publish two sign up forms: a welcome popup and a footer form for new subscribers.

Switch on the welcome flow so new subscribers hear from you within minutes.

How to Use Klaviyo Customer Hub

Customer Hub gives every shopper a self-serve page for orders, preferences, and rewards.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Customer Hub

Log in and click Customer Hub in the left menu.

Klaviyo offers a hosted page you can brand in about ten minutes.

Step 2: Choose What Shoppers See

Toggle on order tracking, purchase history, and preference controls.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Recent purchasers should see their last order in the preview pane.

Step 3: Publish and Link It

Drop the hub link in your footer and email content.

How to Use Klaviyo Customer Segmentation

Customer Segmentation lets you create segments from real customer behavior instead of guesswork.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Segment Builder

Go to Audience, then click Create Segment.

Step 2: Set Your Conditions

Filter by purchase history, engagement level, or pages browsed.

Klaviyo allows targeting based on purchase history and behavior.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A member count that updates in real time as conditions change.

Step 3: Save and Reuse It

Name the segment and apply it to future campaigns.

How to Use Klaviyo Data Platform

Data Platform pulls customer data from every tool you already run into one profile.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Connect Klaviyo to Your Store

Pick Shopify from the integrations list and authorize it.

Klaviyo integrates with Shopify in minutes and works with over 200 platforms and apps.

Step 2: Install the Tracking Script

Klaviyo requires a tracking script for website integration.

Paste it before the closing head tag on every page.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your Shopify store shows a green Connected badge.

Step 3: Sync Historical Orders

Import past order history so profiles start full, not empty.

How to Use Klaviyo Marketing Agent

Marketing Agent puts Klaviyo’s AI to work drafting personalized campaigns for you.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Marketing Agent

Click the agent icon inside the campaign builder.

Step 2: Describe What You Want

Type your goal, such as a launch email with a discount code.

Product launches, restocks, and win-backs all run from the same prompt.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A draft email loaded into the editor, fully editable.

Step 3: Review Before You Send

Double-check every claim, price, and link the agent wrote.

How to Use Klaviyo Marketing Analytics

Marketing Analytics shows which sends drive sales and which ones burn your list.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Analytics Tab

Click Analytics, then pick a date range.

Step 2: Compare Campaign Analytics

Line up open rates, click-through rates, and revenue per recipient.

Sort by revenue, not by opens.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A revenue column beside every campaign in the list.

Step 3: Set a Benchmark

Save your best send as the bar for future campaigns.

Boosting sales starts with knowing which send actually earned money.

How to Use Klaviyo RCS Marketing

RCS Marketing turns plain text messages into branded cards with images and buttons.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Enable a Sending Number

Open SMS settings and claim your sending number.

Step 2: Build the Rich Message

Add a product image, a short line, and one tap button.

Keep it to a single offer per message.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A phone preview showing your brand name above the message.

Step 3: Send to Consented Contacts

Select an SMS-consented segment and confirm the send.

How to Use Klaviyo Customer Agent

Customer Agent answers shopper questions automatically using your own store data.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Turn On Customer Agent

Enable it under Klaviyo account settings, then place the widget.

Step 2: Feed It Your Policies

Upload shipping, returns, and sizing pages so answers stay accurate.

The agent reads order status from connected customer data.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A test question about order status returns a real tracking number.

Step 3: Set an Escalation Rule

Route anything about refunds straight to a human.

How to Use Klaviyo Email Marketer

Email Marketing covers both one-off email campaigns and always-on automated sequences.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create Campaign

Click Create Campaign and pick your audience segment.

Klaviyo’s campaign builder guides users through each step.

Step 2: Write the Email Content

Set the sender name, sender email address, and subject line.

Send a test email to yourself before anything else.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A summary screen listing recipients, subject line, and send time.

Step 3: Send Immediately or Schedule

Choose send immediately, or queue it for future campaigns.

How to Use Klaviyo Advanced Data Platform

Advanced Data Platform forecasts lifetime value, next order date, and churn risk for each shopper.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Check Prediction Readiness

Klaviyo needs roughly 500 orders over 180 days first.

Without enough data, the forecasts stay blank.

Step 2: Open a Customer Profile

Scroll to the predictions card on any profile.

You will see expected lifetime value and predicted next order date.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Predicted values appearing on profiles of recent purchasers.

Step 3: Build a Churn Risk Segment

Filter for high churn risk, then send a win-back offer.

Klaviyo Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After two years inside this tool, here are the shortcuts I actually use.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Smart Send Time: Klaviyo’s AI picks the send hour per profile after one test round, which lifts open rates on impactful email campaigns.
• Conditional splits inside flows: Branch an automated flow by purchase history so first purchase buyers and repeat purchasers get different offers.
• Back-in-stock forms for engaged visitors: Capture potential customers on sold-out pages and trigger automated sequences the moment inventory returns.

Klaviyo Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Blasting your entire existing list

Mistake #2: Skipping the abandoned cart flow

Mistake #3: Never cleaning the list

Klaviyo Troubleshooting

Problem: Emails land in the promotions tab or spam

Cause: An unauthenticated sending domain, or a stale list dragging your sender reputation down.

Fix: Add the DKIM records Klaviyo gives you, then mail only engaged subscribers for two weeks.

Problem: The abandoned cart flow sends nothing

Cause: The tracking script is missing, so Klaviyo never sees the checkout event.

Fix: Reinstall the script, add an item to your cart, then check your own profile.

Problem: Predicted values stay empty

Cause: The predictive analytics feature needs enough data before it will score anyone.

Fix: Sync historical orders and wait. Roughly 500 orders across 180 days unlocks the forecasts.

📌 Note: If none of these fix your issue, contact Klaviyo support.

What is Klaviyo?

Klaviyo is an email marketing and SMS marketing platform built for e-commerce brands.

Think of it as a customer database that also writes and sends the messages.

Watch this quick overview:

It includes these key features:

• Customer Hub: A branded page for tracking orders and editing preferences, which quietly builds brand loyalty.
• Customer Segmentation: Dynamic segmentation that updates in real time as shopper behavior changes.
• Data Platform: Over 200 pre-built integrations feeding one profile per shopper.
• Marketing Agent: An AI assistant that drafts copy and layouts from a plain-English brief.
• Marketing Analytics: Revenue attribution across every send, flow, and marketing channel you run.
• RCS Marketing: Rich messaging that shows your logo, product images, and reply buttons.
• Customer Agent: An AI support agent grounded in your order data and store policies.
• Email Marketing: A drag-and-drop builder for campaigns, email flows, and sign-up forms.
• Advanced Data Platform: A predictive analytics feature that scores every profile automatically.

Over 70,000 paying customers use Klaviyo today, and more than 20,000 brands moved over from Mailchimp.

For a full review, see our Klaviyo review.

Klaviyo Pricing

Here is what Klaviyo costs in 2026:

Free trial: Yes — 250 contacts and 500 monthly sends free, enough to test on new customers.

Money-back guarantee: No refunds, but you can downgrade to free at any time.

💰 Best Value: Wottsby Pro — the automation pays for the plan inside one recovered cart.

Klaviyo vs Alternatives

How does Klaviyo compare? Here is the competitive landscape:

Watch this comparison:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Klaviyo — nothing else reads store data this closely.
• Best budget: Brevo — lowest entry price for a small e commerce business.
• Best for beginners: Mailchimp — gentlest learning curve of the group.
• Best for SMS campaigns: Omnisend — text messages included at a lower tier.

🎯 Klaviyo Alternatives

Looking for Klaviyo alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🚀 Omnisend: Email, SMS, and push in one editor, priced for smaller stores still building an audience.
• 💰 ActiveCampaign: Stronger branching logic for automated workflows if your sequences run long and conditional.
• 🎨 Mailchimp: Familiar templates and the easiest editor, best for newsletters rather than revenue tracking.
• ⚡ Brevo: Pay per send instead of per contact, which suits large lists that mail infrequently.
• 🧠 Drip: Built purely for e-commerce with solid onsite behavior tracking and clean flow reporting.
• 🏢 HubSpot Marketing Hub: Ties email to a full CRM, worth it when sales and marketing share one pipeline.

For the full list, see our Klaviyo alternatives guide.

⚔️ Klaviyo Compared

Here is how Klaviyo stacks up against each competitor:

• Klaviyo vs Omnisend: Omnisend costs less and bundles SMS earlier. Klaviyo wins on segmentation depth and predictive scoring.
• Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign has richer branching. Klaviyo reads e-commerce data better and reports revenue per email.
• Klaviyo vs Mailchimp: Mailchimp is simpler to learn. Klaviyo drives more revenue per send, which is why 20,000 brands switched.
• Klaviyo vs Brevo: Brevo is cheaper for large dormant lists. Klaviyo justifies its price once flows carry your sales.
• Klaviyo vs Drip: Drip is a close e-commerce rival. Klaviyo has more integrations and a far bigger template library.
• Klaviyo vs HubSpot Marketing Hub: HubSpot bundles a CRM. Klaviyo beats it on store-level personalization and costs far less to scale.

Start Using Klaviyo Now

You learned how to use every major Klaviyo feature:

• ✅ Customer Hub
• ✅ Customer Segmentation
• ✅ Data Platform
• ✅ Marketing Agent
• ✅ Marketing Analytics
• ✅ RCS Marketing
• ✅ Customer Agent
• ✅ Email Marketing
• ✅ Advanced Data Platform

Next step: Pick one feature and try it now.

Most people start with the abandoned cart emails inside Email Marketing.

It takes less than 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does Klaviyo do?

Klaviyo stores your customer data, then sends email campaigns and text messages based on what shoppers actually do. It handles sign up forms, segments, and automated flows in one place.

How much does Klaviyo cost per month?

Klaviyo pricing starts at Free: $0/month, then Wottsby Pro at $45/month and Email+Mobile Massages at $60/month. Cost climbs as your contact count grows.

Is Klaviyo difficult to learn?

Not really. Campaigns take an afternoon to grasp. Flows, segments, and the predictive analytics feature take a few weeks of steady use to feel natural.

Is Klaviyo the same as Mailchimp?

No. Mailchimp suits general newsletters. Klaviyo is built for e-commerce, reading purchase history and browsing to drive sales. Over 20,000 brands moved across.

Is Klaviyo a CRM or ESP?

Both, loosely. It sends email like an ESP but stores full profiles, order history, and churn risk scores like a lightweight e-commerce CRM.