Klaviyo Marketing Analyst
Expert-level guidance for Klaviyo email and SMS marketing from the marketing operations and analyst perspective — auditing, building, and optimizing flows, segments, campaigns, and integrations.
For API integration, SDK usage, event tracking implementation, webhooks, and developer patterns, see the klaviyo-developer skill.
Install
Step 1 — Install the skill
git clone https://github.com/thatrebeccarae/claude-marketing.git && cp -r claude-marketing/skills/klaviyo-analyst ~/.claude/skills/
Step 2 — Connect the Klaviyo MCP (recommended)
This skill is designed around Klaviyo's official MCP server. Connect Claude to your Klaviyo account through OAuth — no local API key, no Python install. The setup path depends on which Claude surface you're using.
For Claude Chat or Claude Cowork — use the Connector Directory
Klaviyo is listed in Claude's Connector Directory (announced as part of the expanded Klaviyo + Anthropic integration on 2026-05-07). Setup takes about two minutes:
- Open Claude → Settings → Connectors → Browse Connectors
- Search for Klaviyo
- Click Connect and authenticate
Plan requirement: Connectors are available on Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. Free plan users will need to use Claude Code or the local install path below.
For Claude Code — register the remote MCP
claude mcp add klaviyo --transport http https://mcp.klaviyo.com/mcp
For audit-only sessions, append ?read-only=true to disable all write tools at the protocol layer:
claude mcp add klaviyo --transport http "https://mcp.klaviyo.com/mcp?read-only=true"
For local install (CI containers, offline development)
claude mcp add klaviyo -e PRIVATE_API_KEY=pk_... -e READ_ONLY=true -- uvx klaviyo-mcp-server@latest
Klaviyo-side requirement: Owner, Admin, or Manager role to authorize the connection.
The MCP exposes 40+ tools across Accounts, Campaigns, Catalogs, Events, Flows, Groups, Profiles, Reporting, Templates, and Translations. See REFERENCE.md for the full tool inventory.
Step 3 — Fallback: local CLI scripts (optional)
If you need scripted CLI access for CI, cron, or headless reporting — install the Python requirements and provide a KLAVIYO_API_KEY. See the Scripts (Fallback) section below.
Core Capabilities
Flow Auditing & Optimization
- Audit existing flows against best practices (welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase, winback, browse abandonment, sunset)
- Identify revenue leakage from missing or underperforming flows
- Recommend split tests, timing adjustments, and conditional logic improvements
- Review flow filters and trigger conditions for accuracy
Segmentation Strategy
- Build RFM-based segments (Recency, Frequency, Monetary)
- Design engagement tiers: Active (0-30d), Warm (31-90d), At-Risk (91-180d), Lapsed (180d+)
- Create predictive segments using Klaviyo's predictive analytics (CLV, churn risk, next order date)
- Suppress unengaged contacts to protect deliverability
Campaign Strategy
- Plan campaign calendars balancing promotional and value content
- A/B testing frameworks for subject lines, send times, content blocks
- Dynamic content personalization using profile properties and catalog data
- SMS campaign compliance (TCPA, quiet hours, opt-in requirements)
Deliverability Management
- Monitor and diagnose deliverability issues (bounce rates, spam complaints, inbox placement)
- Warm-up strategies for new sending domains/IPs
- Authentication setup: SPF, DKIM, DMARC
- List hygiene practices and sunset flow design
Revenue Attribution & Reporting
- Interpret Klaviyo's attribution model (click-based, 5-day email / 24-hour SMS default windows)
- Build custom dashboards for flow revenue, campaign ROI, list growth
- Benchmark KPIs against industry standards
Event Schema Auditing
- Inventory all tracked metrics by source (built-in integration, custom API, Klaviyo-internal, forms)
- Identify duplicate/redundant events, unused events, and missing standard events
- Assess event property structures for segmentation and personalization accessibility
- Diagnose nested object limitations blocking flow splits and segment conditions
Integration Health Review
- Audit active integrations (e-commerce, review platforms, loyalty, ads)
- Identify stale/dead integrations and orphaned event sources
- Assess flow trigger architecture: direct metric triggers (robust) vs segment-entry triggers via API-synced properties (brittle)
- Evaluate catalog sync health: product coverage, variant handling, freshness
Profile Data Utilization Analysis
- Map profile properties: what's collected vs what's used in segmentation/personalization
- Identify stale calculated properties (set once, never updated)
- Flag properties on events but not synced to profiles (limits segmentation)
- Recommend property flattening strategies for nested data accessibility
Key Benchmarks
| Metric | Good | Great | Warning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Rate (email) | 20-25% | 30%+ | <15% |
| Click Rate (email) | 2-3% | 4%+ | <1.5% |
| Unsubscribe Rate | <0.3% | <0.1% | >0.5% |
| Spam Complaint Rate | <0.05% | <0.02% | >0.1% |
| Flow Revenue % of Total | 30-40% | 50%+ | <20% |
| SMS Click Rate | 8-12% | 15%+ | <5% |
| List Growth Rate (monthly) | 3-5% | 8%+ | <1% |
Essential Flows Checklist
- Welcome Series (3-5 emails + optional SMS) — triggers on list subscribe
- Abandoned Cart (2-3 emails + 1 SMS) — triggers on Started Checkout
- Browse Abandonment (1-2 emails) — triggers on Viewed Product, exclude recent purchasers
- Post-Purchase (2-4 emails) — triggers on Placed Order, split by first-time vs repeat
- Winback (2-3 emails) — triggers on time since last purchase (60-90 days)
- Sunset/Re-engagement (2 emails) — targets unengaged 90-180 days, then suppress
- Review Request — triggers post-delivery, integrates with review platform
- Replenishment (if applicable) — triggers based on expected repurchase cycle
- Birthday/Anniversary — triggers on date property
- VIP/Loyalty — triggers on high-CLV segment entry
Workflow: Full Klaviyo Audit (4-Phase Deep Framework)
Cowork-ready: the 4-phase audit is built for unattended execution. With the Klaviyo connector active in Cowork (read-only mode), describe the outcome — "Audit my Klaviyo flows and tell me what's missing," "Pull last week's campaign and flow performance and write me a Monday digest," "Flag every flow with open rates under 20% and write a prioritized fix-it list" — then step away. Cowork pulls the data, runs the analysis, writes the doc, and saves it to the right folder while you're in other meetings.
When asked to audit a Klaviyo account, follow this 4-phase framework:
Phase 1: Status Inventory
- List/Segment/Flow/Campaign Inventory — Count and categorize all objects by status (live, draft, inactive)
- Event Schema Inventory — Pull all metrics, categorize by source (built-in, custom API, Klaviyo-internal, forms), flag zero-volume events
- Integration Inventory — List all active integrations, identify stale connections
- Custom Profile Property Inventory — Document all custom properties with types and usage
Phase 2: Configuration Audit
- Per-Flow Configuration Teardown — For each active flow:
- Trigger type and conditions
- Smart Send settings (on/off and implications)
- Exclusion filters (segment membership, event conditions)
- Timing between messages (compare to benchmarks)
- Branching logic (conditional splits, A/B splits)
- Flow duration (first message to last)
- Campaign Targeting Audit — Segment exclusivity, frequency capping, send-time optimization
- A/B Testing Methodology Audit — Univariate vs multivariate, KPI alignment, statis