How to Set Up Email Marketing for New Shopify Store (Free Tools) 2026

Email marketing returns an average of $36 for every $1 spent — higher than any other digital marketing channel. For a new Shopify store, email is the most cost-effective way to convert first-time visitors, recover abandoned carts, and bring customers back for repeat purchases. This guide covers how to set everything up using only free tools.

For a broader overview of free apps worth installing when you launch, see the best free Shopify apps for new stores 2026.

1. Why Email Marketing Outperforms Other Channels

Email has a 36:1 ROI because:

• You own your list — no algorithm decides who sees your message
• Email inboxes are personal — open rates average 20–35% in e-commerce
• Automation runs 24/7 without ongoing effort after setup
• Segmentation lets you send relevant messages to specific groups

By contrast, organic social reach is typically 1–5% of your followers. Paid ads require continuous spend to maintain results. Email keeps working even when your ad budget is zero.

2. Shopify Email: Built-In Email for Free

Shopify Email is Shopify’s native email marketing tool. It is free for up to 10,000 emails per month. For most new stores, this is more than enough.

How to Access Shopify Email

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Marketing → Campaigns
2. Click Create campaign
3. Select Shopify Email

Creating a Campaign

1. Choose a template — Shopify offers product promotion, sale announcement, newsletter, and restock templates
2. Customise the template: add your logo, update colours to match your brand, write subject line and body copy
3. Select your recipient list — by default, “Subscribers” includes everyone who has opted in on your store
4. Choose Send now or Schedule to pick a future date and time

Shopify Email Limitations

• No automation (flows) — it is for manual, one-off campaigns only
• Limited segmentation compared to dedicated tools
• No A/B testing on the free tier

For welcome sequences and abandoned cart flows, you need Klaviyo or a similar automation tool.

3. Klaviyo Free Plan: Automation for New Stores

Klaviyo is the most widely used email marketing platform for Shopify. The free plan supports up to 500 contacts and 500 emails per month. This is sufficient when you are just starting out.

Installing Klaviyo

1. Go to the Shopify App Store and search for Klaviyo
2. Click Add app → Install
3. Create a Klaviyo account (or sign in if you have one)
4. Klaviyo connects to your Shopify store automatically and syncs customers, orders, and browse activity

Setting Up a Signup Form

A signup form captures email addresses from visitors before they leave your store. Klaviyo offers two main options:

Embedded form: Placed in your footer or on a dedicated page. Visible to everyone.

Popup (exit-intent): Appears when a visitor moves their cursor toward the browser’s close button. Converts 2–5% of visitors into subscribers.

To create a form in Klaviyo:

1. Go to Sign-up Forms in the left menu
2. Click Create Sign-Up Form
3. Choose Popup or Embed
4. Customise the design, copy, and timing settings
5. Set the incentive: offer a 10% discount code to increase opt-in rates
6. Set targeting to show on all pages (or specific pages like product pages)
7. Click Publish — Klaviyo injects the form into your Shopify store automatically

4. Where to Place Signup Forms

Three locations drive the most email signups:

Footer: Every page on your store has a footer. A simple “Join our newsletter — get 10% off your first order” form in the footer captures passive interest. Low conversion rate individually, but consistent volume.

Exit-intent popup: The highest-converting placement for new subscribers. Show it after a visitor has been on-site for at least 30 seconds to avoid annoying people who just arrived.

Product page inline form: Place a small form below the product description. Works especially well if you offer “back in stock” notifications or a product-specific discount.

Avoid showing the popup on the checkout page. It creates friction at the most important moment in the customer journey.

5. Welcome Email Sequence

A welcome email is sent automatically when someone subscribes. It is the highest-open-rate email you will ever send — typically 40–60% open rates because subscribers are immediately engaged.

Setting Up a Welcome Flow in Klaviyo

1. Go to Flows in the Klaviyo left menu
2. Click Create Flow
3. Choose Build Your Own or use the Welcome Series template
4. Set the trigger: “Subscribed to List” → your main email list
5. Add a Time Delay of 0 minutes (send immediately on subscribe)
6. Add an Email action

What to Include in the Welcome Email

• Subject line: Welcome to [Brand Name] — here's your discount
• Discount code: If you offered one on the signup form, include it prominently at the top
• Brand intro: Two to three sentences about who you are and what makes your products different
• Bestsellers link: Link directly to your top collection or top 3 products
• What to expect: Tell subscribers how often you will email them

Keep the welcome email short. Most people will skim it. The discount code and bestsellers link are the two things that drive immediate revenue.

Adding a Second Welcome Email

Add a second email 3 days after the first. This one:

• Shares a product education piece or customer story
• Reminds subscribers the discount code is still active
• Links to a different collection or product category

6. Abandoned Cart Email Flow

Cart abandonment rates average 70% in e-commerce. An automated abandoned cart email sequence is one of the highest-ROI automations you can set up.

Setting Up the Flow in Klaviyo

1. Go to Flows → Create Flow
2. Use the Abandoned Cart template, or build your own
3. Set the trigger: “Checkout Started” (Shopify passes this event to Klaviyo automatically)
4. Add a filter: “Placed Order zero times since starting this flow” — this prevents customers who completed a purchase from receiving cart abandonment emails

Timing Strategy

Subject Line Examples That Work

• You left something behind (Email 1 — neutral)
• Still thinking it over? Here's why people love [Product] (Email 2 — social proof)
• Last chance — your cart expires soon + 10% off (Email 3 — urgency + offer)

Most of the revenue in an abandoned cart flow comes from Email 1 and Email 2. Email 3 is optional — use a discount only if your margins support it.

The complete setup walkthrough, including Shopify’s native cart recovery tool, is in the abandoned cart recovery guide for Shopify 2026.

7. Post-Purchase Email Flow

Post-purchase emails build loyalty and generate repeat revenue. They run automatically after every order.

Recommended Post-Purchase Sequence

Email 1 — Thank you (immediately after purchase):

• Confirm the order
• Set shipping expectations
• Link to order tracking if available
• Mention your return/exchange policy

Email 2 — Review request (7 days after fulfillment):

• Ask for a product review
• Include a direct link to leave a review (Judge.me, Loox, or Shopify’s native reviews)
• Keep it short — one ask, one link

Email 3 — Repurchase offer (30 days after purchase):

• Recommend complementary products based on what they bought
• Include a loyalty discount for returning customers
• Subject line example: How are you finding [Product]? We have something you'll love

Set this up in Klaviyo as a flow with the trigger “Placed Order”.

8. GDPR and CAN-SPAM Compliance

Email marketing is regulated. Non-compliance can result in fines and account bans.

Key Requirements

Double opt-in: When enabled, subscribers receive a confirmation email after signing up. They must click a link before being added to your list. This reduces list size but improves list quality and demonstrates consent. In Klaviyo, enable it at Lists → [Your List] → Settings → Double opt-in.

Unsubscribe link: Every email must include a working unsubscribe link. Klaviyo adds this automatically to every email via the footer. Do not remove it.

Physical address: CAN-SPAM (US) and GDPR (EU/UK) both require a physical mailing address in every commercial email. Add your business address to Klaviyo under Account → Settings → Contact Information. A P.O. box is acceptable in the US but not in the EU.

No deceptive subject lines: Do not use misleading subject lines to trick people into opening. This violates CAN-SPAM and damages your sender reputation.

Klaviyo’s Built-In Compliance Features

Klaviyo handles most compliance requirements automatically:

• Adds unsubscribe links to every email
• Suppresses unsubscribed contacts from all future sends
• Logs consent timestamps for GDPR audit purposes

9. When to Upgrade from Klaviyo Free to Paid

The free plan covers 500 contacts and 500 emails per month. Once you approach these limits, you will need to upgrade.

Klaviyo pricing scales with list size:

• 501–1,000 contacts: $20/month
• 1,001–1,500 contacts: $25/month
• 1,501–5,000 contacts: $45/month

Before upgrading, clean your list. Remove contacts who have not opened any email in 90+ days. This reduces your billable contact count and improves deliverability.

For a side-by-side comparison of free and paid Klaviyo plans, see free vs paid AI email marketing tools for Shopify.

FAQ

Is Shopify Email good enough for a new store?

Shopify Email is good for one-off campaigns (promotions, newsletters, product launches). It is not suitable for automated flows like welcome sequences or abandoned cart emails. Use Shopify Email for broadcasts and Klaviyo for automation.

Can I use Klaviyo and Shopify Email at the same time?

Yes. Many stores use Klaviyo for automated flows and Shopify Email for quick campaign sends. The two tools do not conflict. Just make sure you are not sending duplicate emails to the same list at the same time.

How often should I email my list?

For a new store, aim for once or twice per week maximum. More frequent sends increase unsubscribes and spam complaints. Focus on quality: product launches, promotions, useful content. Never send an email just to fill a schedule.

What is a good open rate for Shopify email marketing?

In e-commerce, 20–30% open rate is considered healthy for campaign emails. Welcome emails often achieve 40–60%. If your open rate is below 15%, review your subject lines, sender name, and list quality.

Do I need to ask for permission before emailing customers?

Yes. In most jurisdictions, you can email customers who have made a purchase (they are considered to have a commercial relationship with you), but you cannot email people who only browsed your store without opting in. For cold contacts, you always need explicit opt-in. When in doubt, use double opt-in.

What subject lines get the best open rates?

Short, specific subject lines consistently outperform vague ones. Compare New arrivals just dropped (vague) with The oak candle is back — 47 left in stock (specific). Personalisation (using the subscriber’s first name) adds 5–10% to open rates on average. Avoid spam trigger words like “FREE!!!” or “100% guaranteed.”

How do I stop my emails going to spam?

The main causes of spam filtering are: low sender reputation (sending to unengaged lists), missing authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC records), and spam-trigger content. Klaviyo guides you through authentication setup on first login. Keep your list clean by removing unengaged subscribers regularly.