How to Choose a Klaviyo Agency: 15 Questions to Ask (and Red Flags)

You're evaluating Klaviyo agencies because email should be driving a substantial portion of your store's revenue and it's not. Well-optimized ecommerce email programs typically drive 25-35% of total revenue, with top performers reaching 40%. Maybe your current setup drives 15%, or maybe you're starting from scratch. Either way, you know you're leaving money on the table.

The problem is that picking the wrong agency costs more than the retainer. You lose 3-6 months of revenue growth while they figure out your account. You lose momentum. And if they set up flows incorrectly or tank your deliverability, the damage can take another 3-6 months to fix.

This guide is the evaluation framework I'd use if I were hiring a Klaviyo agency today. It's 15 questions that separate real expertise from confident pitches, plus the red flags that should end the conversation immediately.

I run a Klaviyo Gold Partner agency. Some of what I'm about to say might lose us potential clients. But the industry has enough mediocre work — and enough burned clients — that we'd rather compete on capability than on who closes the sale best.

Before You Start: What to Expect From a Good Klaviyo Agency

Let's calibrate expectations. A competent Klaviyo agency should:

• Build 12-20 flows per account (not just the standard 5-7)
• Focus on driving measurable email and SMS revenue contribution to your store
• Report in revenue per recipient and attributed revenue, not open rates
• Monitor deliverability proactively (spam complaint rate, bounce rate, inbox placement)
• Run regular A/B tests on subject lines, send times, content, and offers
• Segment beyond "engaged" and "everyone" — behavioral tiers, VIP, product affinity, purchase frequency
• Set up proper domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC on a branded sending domain)

If the agency you're evaluating can't or won't deliver that baseline, keep looking.

The 15 Questions That Matter

These questions should be answered before you sign, not after. If an agency dodges or defers any of these, that's information.

Question 1: Can You Show Me Revenue Attribution for Brands Similar to Mine?

What you're testing: Whether they track the right metrics and whether they've worked with brands at your scale.

What a good answer sounds like:

"Here's a client at your revenue stage. When we started, email drove $45K/month (18% of total revenue). After rebuilding flows and tightening segmentation, email now drives $115K/month (34% of total revenue). Here's the flow-level breakdown: Abandoned Cart went from $8K to $23K per month, Welcome Series went from $3K to $12K, Browse Abandonment added $14K that wasn't running before. Campaign revenue grew from $12K to $31K monthly. We can show you the Klaviyo screenshots."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We've helped clients increase email revenue by 200-300%." (No baseline numbers, no timeframe, no specifics)

"Our clients see a 40% lift in engagement." (Engagement is not revenue)

Why this matters: Any agency can claim results. Revenue attribution with real numbers proves they're measuring what matters. If they can't show you revenue-per-recipient or flow-level revenue, they're probably reporting on open rates — which is useless.

Related: How much does a Klaviyo agency actually cost?

Question 2: What's Your Klaviyo Partner Status?

What you're testing: Whether Klaviyo has vetted their work.

Klaviyo's partner tiers verify real client volume, managed revenue, and demonstrated results — not just certifications. Gold and Platinum status require agencies to manage significant monthly recurring revenue across active client accounts. The specific thresholds are documented in Klaviyo's partner program terms but are not publicly disclosed in detail.

What a good answer sounds like:

"We're a Klaviyo Gold Partner. We manage 40+ active Klaviyo accounts."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We're certified in Klaviyo." (Certification is a 2-hour course. It doesn't verify expertise or client results.)

"We're applying for Gold status." (That means they haven't hit the thresholds yet.)

Why this matters: Gold or Platinum status is a fast filter. These tiers require meeting specific client success and revenue thresholds, so they verify real experience. Non-partners can still be good — but you're taking on the vetting yourself.

Red flag: If they refuse to share their partner status or claim "we don't believe in partner programs," they're either not credentialed or they failed to maintain the tier.

Question 3: Who Will Actually Work on My Account?

What you're testing: Whether the senior strategist in the pitch is the person doing your work.

What a good answer sounds like:

"Your main contact will be [Name], who's been with us for [X] years and manages [Y] accounts. She'll handle strategy and reporting. [Name 2] does the flow builds and campaign execution. [Name 3] is our copywriter. You'll meet all of them before we start. If anyone leaves, we'll notify you immediately and reassign with a 2-week overlap."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"You'll have a dedicated account manager." (Unnamed person, no experience disclosed, no team structure explained.)

"We'll assign the right team once you're onboarded." (Bait and switch: the sales closer isn't the executor.)

Why this matters: The biggest agency bait-and-switch is having a senior strategist run sales, then handing the account to a 22-year-old coordinator managing 15 other brands. You should meet the actual team and know their workload before you commit.

Red flag: The agency won't let you meet the team until after you sign. That means they're hiding experience levels, turnover, or offshoring.

Question 4: How Many Flows Will You Build?

What you're testing: Whether they understand where the revenue actually is.

What a good answer sounds like:

"We typically build 15-20 flows per account. The core set includes Welcome Series, Abandoned Cart, Browse Abandonment, Checkout Abandonment, Post-Purchase, Cross-Sell, Winback, Sunset, VIP Anniversary, and Back-in-Stock. Then we add flows specific to your model: Replenishment if you sell consumables, Price Drop if you have sale cycles, or Gift Reminder if gifting is a behavior. Each flow includes conditional splits based on behavior, order history, and engagement tier."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We'll set up all the essential flows." (Doesn't name them or explain logic.)

"We build 5-7 core flows: Welcome, Abandoned Cart, Browse, Post-Purchase, Winback." (That's the minimum for most stores, not a comprehensive strategy.)

Why this matters: The revenue difference between 5 flows and 15 flows is massive. Most agencies stop at the basics because building conditional logic and behavioral splits takes actual work. The ones that build 15-20 flows understand that each flow is a 24/7 revenue lever.

According to Klaviyo's benchmarks, top-performing abandoned cart flows can generate roughly double the revenue per recipient compared to average performers. The difference is in the execution: better segmentation, timing, copy, and offers.

Red flag: They say "We'll add flows as we go" without a roadmap. That usually means they have no plan.

Question 5: How Do You Monitor Deliverability?

What you're testing: Whether they understand that revenue dies when emails hit spam.

What a good answer sounds like:

"We monitor spam complaint rate, bounce rate, and unsubscribe rate in every campaign and monthly in aggregate. We check Google Postmaster Tools for domain reputation and Microsoft SNDS for IP reputation. We verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set up correctly on a dedicated sending domain. We run a sunset flow that re-engages unengaged subscribers and suppresses non-responders to protect your sender reputation. We test inbox placement quarterly with GlockApps or Litmus Email Analytics."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We make sure your emails don't go to spam." (How?)

"We monitor open rates and if they drop we investigate." (Open rate is a lagging indicator. By the time it drops, deliverability is already damaged.)

Why this matters: Bad deliverability kills email revenue slowly. Your open rate drops from 35% to 28% over three months and nobody notices until half your list isn't seeing your emails. A good agency monitors the metrics that predict problems (spam complaints, bounces, engagement decay) before revenue tanks.

Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configured and to keep spam complaint rates under 0.3% (ideally under 0.1%). If your agency isn't checking this, they're not protecting your business.

Red flag: They don't mention sender reputation, domain authentication, or spam complaint rates. That means they'll drive revenue until deliverability breaks, then blame "email fatigue."

Question 6: Can You Audit My Account Before Quoting a Price?

What you're testing: Whether they diagnose before prescribing.

What a good answer sounds like:

"We'll run a free audit first. Takes about an hour of your time to walk through your Klaviyo account, Shopify integration, current flows, segments, and deliverability metrics. Then we'll send you a written summary: what's working, what's broken, what's missing, and what we'd prioritize. After that we'll quote a retainer based on the actual scope of work, not a generic package."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"Our packages start at $X/month for brands your size." (No audit, just a guess based on revenue tier.)

"We'll audit your account after you sign." (They want commitment before proving capability.)

Why this matters: An agency that quotes without seeing your data is either guessing or selling a one-size-fits-all package. The audit should tell you what's actually broken and what fixing it costs. It also shows you how they think and communicate.

We do this for free. No contract, no pitch deck. If the audit shows you can handle it in-house, we'll tell you. We'd rather earn trust.

Red flag: They resist auditing or say "We need full account access before we can evaluate." Full read-only access is reasonable. Admin access before a contract is not.

Question 7: How Do You Segment Beyond "Engaged" vs. "Everyone"?

What you're testing: Whether they understand advanced segmentation drives revenue.

What a good answer sounds like:

"We build engagement tiers: highly engaged (opened or clicked in 30 days), engaged (90 days), semi-engaged (180 days), unengaged (180+ days). We create VIP segments by total spend, order frequency, and recency. We segment by product category affinity so we can send relevant cross-sell campaigns. We use predictive churn segments to catch customers about to lapse. Every campaign goes to a specific segment, never 'All Subscribed.'"

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We segment by engaged and not engaged." (That's the minimum.)

"We use Klaviyo's Smart Sending." (Smart Sending prevents over-mailing one person in a short window, but it's not segmentation. It's a frequency cap.)

Why this matters: The same email sent to your entire list generates significantly less revenue per send compared to a segmented campaign. VIP-only early access emails can convert at 8-12% or higher. A broadcast to everyone converts at 2-4%. Agencies that don't segment are lazy or don't understand the platform.

Question 8: How Do You Report Results?

What you're testing: Whether they measure impact or activity.

What a good answer sounds like:

"Monthly report includes: total email and SMS revenue, percentage of total store revenue, revenue per recipient for campaigns and flows separately, flow-level revenue breakdown so you see which automations drive the most, campaign performance by segment, list growth and churn, deliverability metrics (spam rate, bounce rate, unsubscribe rate), and what we're testing next month. You'll also have direct access to Klaviyo so you can check anytime."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We send a monthly PDF with open rates, click rates, and campaign summaries." (Activity, not impact.)

"We report in Klaviyo's dashboard." (That's not a report. That's you doing the work.)

Why this matters: If an agency can't show you how much revenue they drove and what percentage of your store's total it represents, they're not accountable. You need flow-level and campaign-level revenue attribution, not engagement theater.

Red flag: They resist giving you full account access. Your Klaviyo account, your analytics, and your ad accounts should always be under YOUR ownership. The agency gets access as a user, not as the admin. Agencies that own your accounts are locking you in.

Question 9: What's Your Approach to A/B Testing?

What you're testing: Whether they optimize or just execute.

What a good answer sounds like:

"We run A/B tests on subject lines, preview text, send time, content structure, and offers. Every test has a hypothesis and a learning we document. We test one variable at a time so we know what moved the needle. We prioritize tests by potential impact: a winning subject line change can lift campaign revenue 15-30% or more, so we test that first. Flow A/B tests run continuously because the sample size is larger and results compound."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We test different subject lines to see what works." (No structure, no documentation, no learning.)

"We optimize based on performance." (That's not a testing framework. That's just noticing when something fails.)

Why this matters: Testing is how good agencies get better. An agency that doesn't test is just repeating what worked last month until it stops working.

Question 10: Do You Build Campaigns or Just Automations?

What you're testing: Whether they understand the revenue mix.

Flows (automations) are high-ROI but capped by your site traffic and order volume. Campaigns scale with list size and frequency.

What a good answer sounds like:

"We do both. Flows typically drive 35-45% of email revenue and run 24/7, with top performers reaching 50%+. Campaigns drive the remainder and give us flexibility to promote sales, new products, or content. We send 4-8 campaigns per month depending on your calendar, always segmented. Campaign strategy is based on your product launch schedule, inventory levels, seasonality, and what's converting in flows."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We focus on flows because they're automated." (Campaigns are where you tell your brand story and drive urgency.)

"We'll send campaigns when you have something to promote." (That's reactive, not strategic. A good agency builds a campaign calendar.)

Why this matters: Agencies that only build flows are missing half the revenue. Campaigns are where you control the narrative, test creative, and react to real-time opportunities (inventory clearance, trending products, competitive moves).

Question 11: How Do You Handle SMS?

What you're testing: Whether SMS is an add-on they don't understand or a channel they've integrated.

What a good answer sounds like:

"We treat SMS as a high-intent, high-conversion channel. We build SMS flows that mirror email flows but with shorter copy and higher urgency. We monitor compliance (TCPA, CTIA guidelines, Klaviyo's SMS best practices). We track cost per message and revenue per message to ensure SMS is profitable. SMS drives strong urgency-based conversion, particularly for cart recovery and time-sensitive offers, but costs $0.01-$0.015 per send, so we're strategic about frequency and audience."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We can add SMS for an extra fee." (Doesn't explain strategy or integration.)

"We send the same content via SMS as email." (That's lazy and ineffective. SMS is a different format.)

Why this matters: SMS done wrong burns money and annoys customers. SMS done right drives 15-25% incremental revenue on top of email. Agencies that bolt it on without a strategy are wasting your money.

According to Klaviyo's SMS compliance guide, brands must obtain clear consent, honor opt-outs immediately, and follow TCPA regulations. An agency that doesn't mention compliance is a liability risk.

Question 12: What Happens If Results Don't Meet Expectations?

What you're testing: Accountability.

What a good answer sounds like:

"If we're not hitting the agreed KPIs by month 3, we'll have a reset call to diagnose what's not working. We'll propose a revised strategy or a pivot. If you're not satisfied by month 4, you can cancel with 30 days notice, no penalties. We don't lock clients into long contracts because if we're not delivering, you shouldn't be stuck."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"Email marketing takes time. You can't judge results in 90 days." (You can absolutely see trends in 90 days.)

"Our 12-month contract has an early termination fee." (They're protecting themselves, not you.)

Why this matters: Agencies confident in their work don't need 12-month lock-ins. A 3-month ramp is reasonable. After that, results should be visible or the agency should have a clear explanation and plan.

Red flag: Contracts longer than 6 months with no performance out-clause. If results are flat or declining at month 4 and the agency's answer is "give it more time," you're funding their learning curve.

Question 13: How Many Accounts Does My Main Contact Manage?

What you're testing: Whether you're getting strategic attention or project management.

What a good answer sounds like:

"Your strategist manages 8-10 accounts. That allows 4-6 hours per account per week for strategy, optimization, reporting, and client communication. Campaign execution and flow builds are handled by our specialist team, but your strategist owns the plan."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"Our account managers handle multiple clients so we can keep costs down." (They won't say the number because it's 15-20.)

"We staff based on account needs." (Dodge.)

Why this matters: An account manager juggling 15-20 clients is doing triage, not strategy. You'll get templated work and reactive fixes. At 8-10 accounts, a strategist has time to think, test, and optimize. Below 8 accounts and you're paying enterprise prices. Above 12 and you're one of many.

Question 14: Can I Talk to a Current Client I Choose from Your List?

What you're testing: Whether their happy clients are cherry-picked or representative.

What a good answer sounds like:

"Here's our client list [or portfolio page]. Pick one similar to your business and we'll make an intro. We'll give them a heads-up that you're evaluating us and might reach out."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We can provide references." (Pre-selected, coached clients who will say nice things.)

"Our clients are under NDA." (Convenient excuse. References can speak generally about the experience without disclosing proprietary strategy.)

Why this matters: References the agency hand-picks are obviously their best clients. A confident agency will let you pick someone from their portfolio at your revenue stage and industry.

Red flag: They refuse to share any client list, names, or references. That suggests high churn, bad relationships, or fictional case studies.

Question 15: What Do You NOT Recommend for My Business?

What you're testing: Whether they're selling or consulting.

What a good answer sounds like:

"Based on your list size [under 5,000], I wouldn't invest heavily in hyper-segmented campaigns yet. You don't have the volume to get statistical significance on narrow segments. Focus on building the core flows first and growing your list. Once you're over 15,000 subscribers, segmentation ROI kicks in."

or

"You're doing $800K/year revenue. I'd prioritize email and SMS before paid media. Paid is expensive to test and your retention channels aren't optimized yet. Fix email first, then scale acquisition."

What a weak answer sounds like:

"We recommend everything we do." (They're not thinking about your business. They're selling a package.)

Why this matters: A good agency will tell you what NOT to do at your stage. Agencies that recommend the full menu regardless of fit are maximizing their revenue, not yours.

Red Flags That Should End the Conversation

These are disqualifiers. If you see any of these, move on.

Red Flag 1: They Want to Create Your Klaviyo Account Under Their Business

This is the biggest scam in the agency world. The agency creates your Klaviyo account under their company's billing. When you leave, you lose your account, all your flows, all your data, all your segments. You start from zero with the next agency.

What to demand: You create and own the Klaviyo account. The agency gets invited as a user. Same with your Shopify admin, ad accounts, and analytics. You own the assets. Always.

If an agency resists this, they're planning to hold your data hostage as a retention tactic.

Red Flag 2: They Guarantee Revenue Results

"We'll increase email revenue by 300% or your money back."

No ethical agency guarantees specific results because no agency controls all the variables. Product quality, site experience, pricing, shipping times, customer service, competitive landscape — all of these affect email performance and none are in the agency's control.

A good agency guarantees their process, their effort, their reporting, and their accountability. They'll say: "Based on brands similar to yours, here's the expected outcome range. Here's what we'll measure and how often. If results aren't trending right by month 3, here's what we'll do."

Guarantees are sales tactics.

Red Flag 3: Their Own Email Marketing Is Terrible

This sounds obvious but it's overlooked constantly.

If they claim to be Klaviyo experts but:

• Their website doesn't have an email signup form
• Their newsletter is a monthly generic "here's what we did" blog digest
• Their case studies are vague testimonials with no numbers
• They don't publish any content about Klaviyo

...then they're not investing in the channel they claim to specialize in. An agency's own marketing is a portfolio piece.

Red Flag 4: They Can't Explain Flow Trigger Logic

Ask them: "How does Klaviyo's Abandoned Cart flow trigger work? What's the difference between 'Checkout Started' and 'Added to Cart'?"

A real Klaviyo specialist will explain: "Shopify sends a 'Started Checkout' event when someone enters checkout. 'Added to Cart' fires when someone adds a product but may not have gone to checkout yet. We use 'Started Checkout' for the main Abandoned Cart flow and 'Added to Cart' with a delay filter to catch browsers who didn't reach checkout. The delay prevents double-mailing someone who quickly proceeds from cart to checkout."

If they fumble this or say "Klaviyo handles that automatically," they don't understand the platform.

Red Flag 5: They Pitch a Price Before Understanding Your Business

If an agency quotes "$5,000/month for brands your size" in the first meeting without asking about your current setup, list size, flow performance, deliverability, attribution settings, or revenue goals, they're selling a package — not solving your problem.

Red Flag 6: They Don't Ask About Your Past Agency Experience

If you've worked with agencies before and the new agency doesn't ask what went well, what failed, or why you're looking to switch, they're not learning from your history. The best question an agency can ask is: "What didn't work with your last agency?"

If they don't ask, they'll probably repeat the same mistakes.

The Agency Evaluation Scorecard

Use this scorecard when comparing agencies. Rate each factor 1-5, then multiply by the weight.

Criteria	Weight	Agency A	Agency B	Agency C
Revenue case studies with metrics	4x	___ × 4	___ × 4	___ × 4
Klaviyo Partner status (Gold/Platinum = 5, Silver = 3, None = 1)	2x	___ × 2	___ × 2	___ × 2
Team experience and transparency	3x	___ × 3	___ × 3	___ × 3
Number of flows they build (15+ = 5, 10-14 = 3, under 10 = 1)	3x	___ × 3	___ × 3	___ × 3
Deliverability knowledge	3x	___ × 3	___ × 3	___ × 3
Reporting depth (revenue-first = 5, activity-first = 2)	3x	___ × 3	___ × 3	___ × 3
Contract flexibility (month-to-month = 5, 12-mo lock = 1)	2x	___ × 2	___ × 2	___ × 2
Testing framework	2x	___ × 2	___ × 2	___ × 2
Willingness to audit first	2x	___ × 2	___ × 2	___ × 2
Total (out of 120)		___	___	___

Scoring guide:

• Under 60: Pass. Keep looking.
• 60-80: Adequate. Capable but not exceptional.
• 80-100: Strong. Worth a trial.
• Over 100: Exceptional. Likely a great fit.

Print this out. Fill it in during your evaluations. The agency with the highest score — assuming no red flags — is your best bet.

What to Expect in Month 1

The first 30 days with a new Klaviyo agency should look like this:

Week 1: Audit and Discovery

• Agency reviews your account, flows, segments, campaigns, deliverability, and integration health
• You meet the team and establish communication cadence
• Agency identifies quick wins and major opportunities

Week 2: Strategy Document

• Written strategy delivered: what's broken, what's missing, priority order, and expected timeline
• Flow architecture plan: which flows to build, in what order, with what logic
• Campaign calendar for the next 90 days
• Segmentation plan
• Testing roadmap

Week 3-4: Foundation Work

• Fix broken integrations, authentication, or deliverability issues
• Build or rebuild top-priority flows (usually Welcome, Abandoned Cart, Post-Purchase, Sunset)
• Set up segments and suppression logic
• Launch first campaigns

If your agency isn't delivering this structure, they're winging it.

When to Fire Your Klaviyo Agency

These are the signals that it's time to move on:

Fire them if: Email revenue has declined or stayed flat for 3 consecutive months and they blame external factors without proposing a new strategy.

Fire them if: They consistently miss reporting deadlines or can't answer basic questions about your account performance.

Fire them if: A flow broke and they didn't notice until you asked about it.

Fire them if: They resist giving you direct access to Klaviyo or your other accounts.

Fire them if: Your main contact left and was replaced by someone junior without notice or a transition plan.

Fire them if: They send campaigns to your entire list without segmentation, despite being told not to.

Fire them if: They can't explain what they're testing or why.

How We Do It at GOSH Digital

We're a Klaviyo Gold Partner. We work with 150+ active clients, with $70M+ revenue driven and $23M+ ad spend managed. We built GOSH Digital from the ground up around eCommerce email and SMS before we ever touched paid media or SEO.

Here's how we're different:

We audit before we pitch. Free, no commitment, no pressure. We'll walk through your Klaviyo account and tell you what's broken, what's missing, and what we'd prioritize. If you can fix it yourself, we'll tell you how. If you need us, the strategy is already clear.

You own everything. Your Klaviyo account, your Shopify admin, your data. We get access as users, never as owners.

Month-to-month contracts. 30 days notice, always. If we're not delivering, you should be able to leave.

Named team before you sign. You'll meet your strategist, your flow builder, and your copywriter before we start. No surprises.

Revenue reporting. Every report ties to dollars. Flow-level revenue, campaign revenue, email/SMS as a percentage of total store revenue. We don't report on metrics that don't connect to your bank account.

15-20 flows per account. Welcome, Abandoned Cart, Browse Abandonment, Checkout Abandonment, Post-Purchase, Cross-Sell, Winback, Sunset, VIP, Price Drop, Back-in-Stock, Replenishment, Gift Reminder, Review Request, and more depending on your model. Each with conditional splits and behavioral triggers.

If you're ready to see what your Klaviyo account could be doing, we'll show you.

Book a free Klaviyo audit here.

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Related Reading

• Best Klaviyo Agencies for eCommerce Brands
• How Much Does a Klaviyo Agency Cost?
• Klaviyo Agency vs Freelancer vs In-House
• 9 Red Flags When Hiring a Marketing Agency
• How to Hire a Marketing Agency Without Getting Burned
• The Complete Klaviyo Account Audit Checklist (48 Points)

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Mark Cijo is the founder of GOSH Digital, a Klaviyo Gold Partner agency headquartered in Dubai. We work with 150+ active clients, with $70M+ revenue driven and $23M+ ad spend managed. GOSH Digital specializes in email/SMS marketing, paid media, SEO, and web development for eCommerce brands worldwide.