Definition
A winback flow triggers when a former customer has been inactive for a while, and tries to get them buying again before they're considered lost.
Also called: Winback flow, Win-back flow, Reactivation flowFollow up based on the customer's purchase pattern.
Last purchase
Identify product, date and previous purchase pattern.
Expected need
Assess when the product is typically repurchased or follow-up is appropriate.
Updated status
A new purchase changes the need. Check customer status before messaging.
01Identify product, date and previous purchase pattern.
Bring customers back before they're gone
A customer who's stopped buying isn't necessarily lost — yet. The winback flow steps into the window between “inactive” and “gone for good” with a reminder, a relevant offer, or simply a reason to come back. Even a modest reactivation rate is cheap revenue: these are customers you've already paid to acquire.
Timing is everything. Klaviyo's predictive analytics can estimate when a customer is statistically about to churn, so the flow can fire before they slip away rather than after. If the reactivation doesn't work, the profile naturally moves on to the sunset flow, which protects your deliverability.
Frequently asked questions
When should a winback flow trigger?
When a customer's time since their last purchase exceeds their normal repurchase interval, ideally informed by predictive analytics, so you reach them before they churn. Too late, and the customer is already mentally gone.
What if the winback doesn't work?
Then the profile should move on to the sunset flow and gradually out of active sending. Continuing to email a dead contact hurts your sender reputation, and with it your deliverability to active customers.
From insight to action
See how it applies in practice.
Emails built around customer needs
At Cotonshoppen, email marketing supports the customer journey. The case connects the product range, communication and repeat purchases.
Read the caseKlaviyo and retention
Discuss your email flows
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About the author
Nicklas Segatz Mortensen
Growth hacker and fractional CMO with 10+ years' experience and hundreds of millions in managed ad spend behind him. Background from larger Danish and international scale-ups, and from the agency world.
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