How to Use Video in Klaviyo Flows for Shopify

Use video in a Klaviyo email as a linked thumbnail that takes the recipient to a page where the video plays. Klaviyo’s video block does not reliably play video inside the inbox. Its template-editor guide explains that clicking the thumbnail opens a new tab, and that directly embedded video is not supported.

For a Shopify flow, the job is to carry the recipient’s product question from the email to the correct destination. Start with one flow and one useful clip, then test the link, product match, and fallback before expanding.

Choose a flow and a product question

Flow	Question the clip can answer	Sensible destination
Browse abandonment	What does this product look like in use?	The viewed product page with the relevant clip
Cart recovery	What detail would help me decide?	The relevant product or recovery destination supported by your flow
Post-purchase education	How do I set up or care for what I bought?	Instructions for the purchased product
Cross-sell	How does this item work with what I own?	A relevant product or collection page

Use an actual demonstration for claims about product performance. Get permission to reuse a creator or customer’s footage in email. Keep a care or setup email focused on the purchased product before adding another offer.

Build the linked video block

Choose the hosted video or product-page destination first. Open it without an admin login and confirm that the video is visible on mobile.
Create a clear thumbnail from an approved frame. Use a frame that makes sense even when animation or remote images are unavailable.
In Klaviyo, use the video block for a hosted video URL, or an image block linked to the intended product page. For non-YouTube sources, Klaviyo’s video block requires you to provide a thumbnail.
Add descriptive alt text, such as “Watch how to adjust the travel bag strap.” Keep the same action available as a visible text link or button.
Use one clear action. If the thumbnail says “Watch the setup,” the destination should make that setup clip easy to find.
Apply your team’s email tracking convention to the destination. Use a specific campaign or flow identifier so the test can be separated from other sends.

Do not paste a storefront video embed into an email and assume that the inbox will execute it. A lightweight linked image also lets the email remain understandable before the recipient clicks.

Map products and define the fallback

For your first version, a fixed product and clip can be easier to validate than a fully dynamic block. Before personalizing, write down where the product ID, thumbnail URL, and destination URL come from. Confirm that all three refer to the same item.

Condition	Required behavior
Product and matching clip are present	Show the thumbnail and correct destination
Product is present but there is no clip	Use the approved static product block or hide the video block
Product is unavailable	Follow the flow's agreed availability fallback
Event data is missing or malformed	Show a reviewed general block or omit the personalized section

A catalog connection alone does not establish that a particular Klaviyo event contains the fields your template needs. Check the exact event payload and integration setup. Tolstoy’s AI Player and integrations pages describe the product context; confirm the available workflow for your account before promising automatic personalization.

Preview the event and destination

Klaviyo recommends previewing a metric-triggered flow with the triggering event. A profile-only preview can miss an event-specific rendering problem. Use representative events, including one that exercises your fallback, and send test messages to approved internal test addresses.

Check the result in the email clients your audience uses. Inspect the first frame, image-off text, mobile crop, visible CTA, unsubscribe area, and final URL after click tracking. Open the destination and confirm the correct variant, video, and next action. Do not use a real customer as a test recipient.

If the linked page needs work, fix it before the flow. The guide to ecommerce product-page mistakes can help identify missing product proof.

Measure one flow test

Compare the existing message with the video-thumbnail version while keeping the audience, offer, and timing as consistent as possible. Record delivery, unique clicks, destination visits, and the relevant order or education outcome. Filter machine clicks where your reporting supports it.

Keep the stages separate: an email click is not a video play, and a video play is not an order. Report the attribution window used by each system. If Klaviyo and storefront analytics disagree, investigate their definitions before treating the difference as a result.

Tolstoy AI Studio can help create product-led creative options that your team reviews and reuses. Begin with one approved asset and a working destination, then expand only when the template and measurement are reliable.

Talk to Tolstoy about video in your Klaviyo flows and bring one flow, a sample event, and the product question the email needs to answer.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Klaviyo video block play directly inside an email?

Klaviyo does not support directly embedded video because it does not render reliably across major email clients. Its video block uses a thumbnail that opens the video in a new tab.

How do I test a dynamic video block in a Klaviyo flow?

For a metric-triggered flow, preview with the triggering event. Check product, thumbnail, and destination mapping, test a missing-data fallback, and send only to approved internal test addresses.

What should I measure in a video-email experiment?

Measure delivery, unique clicks, destination visits, and the relevant downstream outcome. Treat email clicks, video plays, and orders as different stages and record each system's attribution window.