Klaviyo is a cloud-based email and marketing automation platform used by eCommerce businesses to deliver personalised campaigns and manage customer communication. Its features include templates, automation workflows, segmentation, and analytics.

Connecting Klaviyo to eDesk allows you to manage both outbound campaigns and inbound messages in one place. With custom rules in eDesk, you can automatically send events to Klaviyo based on specific types of customer messages.

This guide will show you:
01. How to connect Klaviyo to eDesk for the first time
02. How eDesk rules work with Klaviyo
03. Default Klaviyo rules
04. How to create new rules for Klaviyo
05. Switching to OAuth for your current Klaviyo connection

Before you start

  • You’ll need an Admin login to eDesk. If you don’t have an Admin login, you can request one from an Admin user within your account.
  • You must have a Klaviyo account.

01 How do I connect eDesk to Klaviyo?

Connecting Klaviyo to eDesk can be done in a few easy steps:
 
  1. Go to the App Store and in the Automation & Management category, select the Klaviyo tile.
  2. The App page for Klaviyo provides an overview of how Klaviyo works with eDesk. Select Install App to go ahead and install an App that will connect eDesk to your Klaviyo account. 
  3. Click Authorize eDesk.
  4. You will be asked to allow eDesk to access your Klayivo account’s information. Click Allow.
  5. And that’s it! Klaviyo is now connected to your eDesk account!
  6. If you want to test or revoke eDesk’s access to Klaviyo at any point, simply go back to: Settings > Mailbox > Integrations > Klaviyo tab and click on the Test connection or Revoke access buttons as required.
  7. Select Save changes.

02 How eDesk rules work with Klaviyo

Once you've connected eDesk to Klaviyo, you can start creating rules. The rules will contain conditions that define a certain type of customer message, and also in the rule, you'll define an event that is sent to Klaviyo if a message comes in that match those conditions. For example, the conditions could define "VIP customer", and the event could be "EDESK_VIP", in which case eDesk would automatically send a EDESK_VIP event to Klaviyo when it receives a message from one of your VIP customers. 

When eDesk sends an event to Klaviyo, it includes the email of the customer whose message triggered the rule. If the message has come in from a webstore, this enables Klaviyo to identify the customer and match the event to their customer profile in Klaviyo.

The event is displayed in the Metrics page in Klaviyo.
Klaviyo Metrics page showing an eDesk event.
Once the eDesk events start appearing in Klaviyo, you can create a Flow in Klaviyo for each event. For example, if a eDesk sends an event that means that a VIP customer has given poor feedback, you might create a Flow for this event that sends them a coupon via text message. 
A flow for an event in Klaviyo.

03 Default Klaviyo rules

Once you connect eDesk and Klaviyo, eDesk automatically creates 4 new message rules for you to use with Klaviyo. These are designed to help you get started using Klaviyo with eDesk. You can see them if you go to Settings → Smart Tools → Message Rules in eDesk. 

These rules will trigger eDesk to send an event to Klaviyo if the following occurs: 
 
  1. The customer has an open ticket in eDesk 
  2. The customer has a resolved ticket in eDesk 
  3. The customer has left a negative CSAT response 
  4. The customer has left a positive CSAT response.


These rules are created ACTIVE which means they will start working immediately. If you want to switch them off, go to Settings → Smart Tools → Message Rules and select the rule. Then unselect the Active checkbox to deactivate the rule.

04 Creating new rules for Klaviyo

In eDesk, users can create rules containing conditions that determine when to send events to Klaviyo. For example, a rule might state that when a VIP customer with negative sentiment sends a message to the eDesk inbox, an event should be sent to Klaviyo.

  1. Follow the instructions in this help file to create a new rule and add conditions.
    Give your rule a name that indicates the purpose of the rule. 
    Select Send Event to Klaviyo.
    Enter the event name that you want to use into the Kiviyo Event Name field.
    A Klaviyo message rule.

  2. Select Active if you want the rule to start working straight away. 

  3. Select Save changes.
  4. Once the events arrive in Klaviyo, you can create a flow for each event.

05 Switching to OAuth for your current Klaviyo connection

Switching to the OAuth connection is recommended for improved security and easier management of your Klaviyo integration. It allows you to authorise the connection without manually entering API keys, and ensures better long-term stability and compliance with Klaviyo’s latest connection standards.

If you already have Klaviyo connected to eDesk, you can easily switch to OAuth by doing the following:
  
  1. In eDesk, go to: Settings > Mailbox > Integrations > Klaviyo > click on Migrate to OAuth. This will automatically migrate your connection from your current API connection to OAuth.
  2. You can test or revoke eDesk’s access to Klaviyo at any point. Simply go back to: Settings > Mailbox > Integrations > Klaviyo tab and click on the Test connection or Revoke access buttons as required.
  3. Select Save changes.

Further Reading

If you’re interested in connecting eBay with eDesk, click here.
If you're interested in learning more about connecting Shipstation with eDesk, click here.