How to Set Up Klaviyo From Scratch (Klaviyo Guide: Core Steps)

“We have this wealth of information at our fingertips in Klaviyo, and we’re really able to use it… Klaviyo is our be-all and end-all personalization engine.”

— Rachael Fagan, VP of Marketing, Happy Wax

Choosing the right email marketing platform is a strategic decision that can define your eCommerce business’s trajectory. Whether you’re launching a new Shopify store or transitioning from another CRM, setting up Klaviyo correctly from day one ensures a smooth journey toward sustainable growth. Having helped hundreds of clients build strong email foundations, I’ve learned that skipping the basics will always cost you more in the long run.

Let’s dive into the exact steps I recommend for every eCommerce business owner starting with Klaviyo. This walkthrough will not only help you activate your account but also show you how to build a strong, scalable foundation tailored to your goals.

Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up Your Klaviyo Account

1. Sign Up for Klaviyo

Like with any tool, your Klaviyo journey begins with a proper registration process. Head over to this link to get started. During sign-up, you’ll be asked to provide:

• Your email address
• Your website URL
• Company name
• Phone number

This is the essential first step that opens the door to Klaviyo’s powerful CRM and email marketing platform tailored for eCommerce businesses.

2. Integrate Klaviyo With Your eCommerce Store

Once you’re inside the platform, the next logical step is connecting Klaviyo with your online store. This integration is what enables Klaviyo to pull in customer data, track behaviors, and trigger automations.

• Select your eCommerce platform (e.g., Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce).
• Paste your store’s URL to authorize the connection.
• Don’t worry if your store isn’t ready or you’re just exploring — Klaviyo lets you skip this step and revisit it later through settings.
• If you’re using a custom-built store or a platform not listed, you can manually integrate via Klaviyo’s API.

The right integration turns Klaviyo into the control center of your eCommerce marketing strategy.

3. Build Your List

With your integration in place, it’s time to start importing your audience. This is a critical part of your setup, and the way you do it can affect everything from deliverability to personalization.

• If you connected a platform like Shopify, your contacts wouldl auto-sync into Klaviyo.
• If you’re uploading via API, Klaviyo will ask about your database size. This helps tailor the platform’s features and pricing to your needs.

Proper list building ensures that your marketing starts from a place of clarity and control — not chaos.

4. Finalize Account Settings

At this stage, you’re almost ready to send your first email — but don’t skip these crucial details:

• Add your physical business address (for compliance and credibility)
• Define your sender name and email address — this is what your recipients will see
• Verify your sender email address through Klaviyo’s confirmation process

Setting this up correctly strengthens your sender reputation and lays the groundwork for inbox placement.

5. Add Tracking Features

Klaviyo’s tracking is what transforms it from a traditional email service provider into a performance-focused eCommerce tool.

Onsite Tracking & Forms

Tracking user behavior on your website allows Klaviyo to log real-time engagement.

• For platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, Klaviyo will guide you through automatic installation.
• For other platforms, you’ll need to paste a small code snippet into your website manually.

This enables features like pop-ups, embedded forms, and real-time visitor tracking using the Active on Site metric.

Viewed Product Tracking

Knowing what your customers are browsing unlocks powerful automations such as Browse Abandonment emails.

• Magento and WooCommerce enable this automatically.
• Others require a manual snippet to activate the Viewed Product metric.

Learn more via Klaviyo’s setup guide.

What’s Next? Optimize for Long-Term Success

After your initial setup, it’s important to lay the groundwork for long-term performance. In my agency, we treat the following steps as part of every Klaviyo onboarding to ensure strategic alignment.

1. Review Your Attribution Settings

Klaviyo allows you to customize how revenue is attributed across campaigns and flows. Adjusting your attribution window by channel helps you get a clearer picture of performance and prevents double-counting.

2. Set Up a Branded Sending Domain

Deliverability starts with trust. By setting up a branded sending domain, you increase the chances of landing in the primary inbox instead of spam.

3. Complete Basic Segmentation

Don’t send one-size-fits-all emails. Create at least a few basic segments (e.g., engaged users, recent purchasers, high-value customers) to prepare for targeted messaging. For a deeper dive, check our segmentation strategy guide.

4. Add Your Brand Style

Consistency builds brand equity. Within Klaviyo:

• Upload your logo
• Add your brand colors
• Include header navigation and social icons
• Upload brand fonts and documentation to train Klaviyo’s Brand Voice AI

This ensures every email you send feels like an extension of your website.

5. Create Email Templates and Universal Blocks

Instead of reinventing the wheel each time, build a few branded templates.

• Create reusable content blocks like footers, headers, banners, and testimonials
• Standardize CTAs and layouts for consistency and efficiency

These templates speed up your campaigns and ensure quality control.

6. Customize Consent Pages

Default pages like subscribe, confirm, and unsubscribe are often overlooked — but they’re part of the customer experience.

• Brand them visually
• Adjust the copy to match your tone
• Add helpful links or promotions where appropriate

These pages are part of your brand story and should reflect that.

7. Set Up Your Core Flows

Klaviyo’s automation engine is what separates it from traditional platforms. Start with:

• Welcome Series: Introduce new subscribers to your brand
• Abandoned Cart: Recover missed revenue
• Browse Abandonment: Re-engage warm leads
• Post-Purchase: Turn buyers into repeat customers

Still unsure where to start? Read our breakdown of the most profitable flows for your business.

8. Plan Your First Campaigns

Once everything’s in place, it’s time to start sending campaigns. Our best practices:

• Build campaigns from segmented lists
• A/B test subject lines and email content
• Analyze results using Klaviyo’s real-time reporting

Resources to Help You Succeed

Klaviyo offers extensive self-service resources to help you get the most out of the platform:

• Getting Started Portal
• Klaviyo Help Center
• Klaviyo Academy

Still feeling overwhelmed? Reach out for a free consultation with our team — we’ve done this hundreds of times and would be happy to help.

Final thoughts

Klaviyo isn’t just an email marketing platform — it’s the backbone of your eCommerce CRM strategy. Setting up your Klaviyo account correctly from day one ensures you capture data, convert customers, and maximize ROI.

Whether you’re running a Shopify store or scaling your entire eCommerce business, Klaviyo provides unmatched tools for segmentation, automation, and personalization.

So don’t wait — set up Klaviyo today and turn your data into growth.