Klaviyo Welcome Flow Not Sending? 9 Causes and Fixes
Subscribers sign up and nothing arrives. Here are the causes I check, in the order I check them.
By Naomi, Klaviyo-certified, Signify Studio
The short answer: A Klaviyo welcome flow that is not sending is usually one of four things: the flow or an email inside it is not set to live, the trigger list is not the list people actually join, the people are not subscribed or are suppressed, or a filter or Smart Sending is skipping them. Open the flow, check each email's status, and read the Skipped counts.
1. The flow is in draft or manual status
A flow only sends when its status is Live. Open the flow and check the status at the top. Then click into every email in the flow. Each email has its own status too, and an email left on Draft or Manual is skipped even when the flow itself is live.
2. The trigger is set to the wrong list or segment
A welcome flow is usually triggered by someone being added to a list. If your signup form adds people to a different list than the flow watches, the flow never fires. Compare the list in the flow trigger with the list your forms and checkout actually use.
3. The people are not subscribed
Klaviyo only sends marketing emails to profiles that can receive them. A profile that never gave consent, has unsubscribed or is suppressed will not get the email. If you use double opt-in, people who never click the confirmation email stay unconfirmed and never enter the flow.
4. A flow filter is excluding everyone
Check the flow filters under the trigger. A filter written for an old promotion, such as excluding anyone who has already ordered, can quietly remove most of the audience. Read each filter as a stranger would and confirm it still matches your intent.
5. Smart Sending is skipping the email
Smart Sending stops Klaviyo from sending a person more than one marketing message inside a set window, 16 hours by default. A new subscriber who also received a campaign that morning can have the welcome email skipped. Look at the email's Skipped count and the reason shown, then decide whether to turn Smart Sending off for this flow.
6. Profiles have already been through the flow
By default a person enters a flow once. If you are testing with an address that has already gone through, nothing sends the second time. Test with a fresh address or change the re-entry setting for the test.
7. Quiet hours or time delays are holding the email
Check the delay before the first email and any send-time restrictions. A one-day delay, or a rule that only sends on certain days, can make the flow look broken when it is only waiting.
8. Your sending domain is not set up
If the sending domain is not authenticated, email can fail or land in spam even when Klaviyo reports it as sent. Check your DNS records for SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Read my guide on why Klaviyo emails go to spam.
9. The emails send but never reach the inbox
If Klaviyo shows the emails as delivered but opens and clicks are near zero, this is a deliverability problem, not a flow problem. Fix the sending setup first. Rebuilding the flow will not help if the emails land in spam.
Want a fast read on your sending setup? The free scan checks it in about ten seconds.
Want me to fix it for you?
The Flow Bundle covers the audit, the deliverability fix and four core flows for $2,500, one time. For the full list of what a skincare brand needs, see Klaviyo flows for skincare brands, or compare plans on the pricing page.
Questions people ask me
Why is my Klaviyo welcome flow not sending?
The most common causes are the flow or an email inside it not being live, the trigger list not matching the list people join, profiles that are not subscribed, filters excluding everyone, and Smart Sending skipping the email.
How do I see why a Klaviyo email was skipped?
Open the flow, click the email and look at the Skipped count and reasons in the flow analytics. Klaviyo lists why recipients were skipped, such as Smart Sending, suppression or a flow filter.
Can a flow be live and still not send?
Yes. A flow can be live while an email inside it is on draft or manual, which causes that email to be skipped.
What if the welcome flow sends but nobody opens it?
Check deliverability. Low opens with healthy send volume often means the emails are landing in spam or the sending domain is not authenticated.
Get your welcome flow sending.
Run the free scan, then decide what to fix first.