The most important thing to grasp about a sunset flow is that its primary job isn't converting users; it's cleaning your list. A successful one protects your deliverability by systematically identifying people who are no longer listening, which in turn makes your entire email program more effective. Re-engagement is the happy bonus, not the main goal.
So the main goal is just list cleaning?
Yes, from a strategic standpoint, the main goal is hygiene. Andriy Boychuk made this point on Ecommerce Coffee Break, explaining that you have to suppress subscribers who aren't opening emails because they are actively damaging your deliverability. Sending campaigns to a dead segment tells Gmail, Apple, and others that your content isn't valuable, which means you're more likely to land in the spam folder for everyone, even your most engaged customers.
Andriy suggests a 120-day window of inactivity is a good benchmark. After that, the risk of hurting your sender reputation outweighs the slim chance of a sale. This isn't about giving up; it’s about having the discipline to focus on the customers who want to hear from you and maintaining the health of a critical revenue channel.
How do you decide who enters the flow?
This is all about creating a smart, automated segment in Klaviyo. It can’t be based on a feeling; it has to be based on data. Stefan Chiriacescu, also on Ecommerce Coffee Break, gave a great, practical example for a dynamic segment trigger: a subscriber has received five or more emails in the last three months and opened zero of them.
That’s the kind of clear, non-emotional rule you need. You can set your own threshold, of course. Maybe it’s 90 days for your brand, or maybe you look at clicks instead of just opens. The key is to define what "unengaged" means for you and build a segment that automatically enrolls people who meet that criteria. That automation is what makes Klaviyo workflows so powerful.
What's actually in the win-back emails?
Since this is your last chance to earn back their attention, you can and should be aggressive. This is where Stefan Chiriacescu says you should create "highly engaging emails" that go "as close to clickbait as possible" without being deceptive. This is not the time for a subtle 10% off coupon. It’s a moment for a steep, final discount ("40% off, and then we say goodbye"), a content-led email reminding them why they signed up in the first place, or a direct question asking for feedback ("Did we do something wrong?").
The goal here is to provoke a single action. One open or one click pulls them out of the sunset flow and tells you they're still listening. You can even offer a choice via link clicks, like "Yes, keep me on the list" versus "No, unsubscribe me." Any engagement is a sign of life that justifies keeping them on your active list.
What happens if they ignore the flow?
They're out. This is the most important step. As Andriy Boychuk emphasizes, if a subscriber goes through the entire 2-4 email flow without a single open or click, the automation must tag them to be suppressed from all future marketing campaigns. This isn't a failure; it’s the flow working perfectly. You've successfully cleaned your list, which will improve your overall open rates, click rates, and sender reputation. While hosts on a show like Limited Supply often talk about using flows for remarketing and abandoned carts, the sunset flow is unique because its "successful" outcome is often removing someone from your list for good.
A great sunset flow is a disciplined business process, not a desperate sales campaign. It re-frames your relationship with subscribers around mutual respect. By focusing on real engagement, defining clear rules for inactivity, offering a compelling final reason to stay, and gracefully letting go of those who don't respond, you improve the health of your entire email channel. It feels strange to shrink your list to grow, but it’s one of the smartest and most profitable moves you can make.
