The cancelled order flow

Watch the video version:

If someone cancels their order, you should be emailing them.

Most brands do nothing after someone cancels. They let that ex-customer disappear, lose the sale, and miss a simple deliverability win sitting right in front of them and an easy opportunity to bring them back into the fold.

Here’s the exact cancelled order flow I built in Klaviyo (works with Shopify or WooCommerce) and why it matters.

Why this flow is worth building

I’ll be honest: this is not a “top 6” priority flow.

But when it’s done properly, it does two things:

1. It saves orders that were cancelled by accident or confusion

2. It improves deliverability because these emails can be marked transactional

3. It offers an opportunity to upsell after the order is cancelled

The simple cancelled order flow setup

Step 1: Create the flow trigger

In Klaviyo:
Flows —— Create flow —— Build your own

Trigger metric:

• Shopify: Cancelled Order

• WooCommerce: Cancelled Order (or equivalent cancelled order event)

No flow filters needed.

Step 2: Add a 5-minute delay

Add a time delay of 5 minutes.

Why?

Because you want time for the system to register whether the order also gets refunded. This prevents you from sending the wrong version of the email.

Step 3: Add a conditional split for refunds

After the 5-minute delay, add a Conditional Split:

Condition:

Refunded Order equals 0 times in the last 1 day

This creates two paths:

Path A: Cancelled but not refunded

Send an email that says:

• Your order has been cancelled

• If this wasn’t intended, reply or contact support

• Include support details and next steps

• Include a dynamic product block so the customer can easily repurchase

Goal: make it easy to fix the cancellation and complete checkout.

Path B: Cancelled and refunded

Send a similar email, but include refund details:

• Refund confirmation

• Expected timeline (if you have one)

• Where the refund will appear

• Support contact if they have questions

• Keep the dynamic product block here too

Goal: reduce support tickets and keep the customer confident in your brand.

The deliverability that most people miss

Once your email is built and ready to go live, apply for transactional status.

In the email settings inside the flow, you’ll see:
Apply for transactional status

Do it.

This typically improves inbox placement and “cut through” for these notifications, which helps your overall deliverability health.

Final note

This flow is simple, but it’s a strong signal to the customer that your brand is organised and responsive.

And the best part is that it takes less than 10 minutes to build.

Next, you’d pair this with a refunded order flow, but this cancelled order automation is the starting point.

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