How to deliver a reader magnet with Klaviyo

Klaviyo is best known among authors who sell books direct from their own shop, because it ties email to purchases. This guide connects it to Storyfinch so every reader who picks up your free book is subscribed to a Klaviyo list, with email marketing consent, ready for your welcome flow.

What you need

• A Klaviyo account. The free plan works, and you need to be an Owner or Admin to create an API key.
• Your reader magnet as an EPUB, a PDF, or both, plus a cover image.
• Storyfinch Pro for the automatic connection. On the free plan you can download your new readers as a spreadsheet and import them into Klaviyo yourself.

Step 1: Create a list and set it to single opt-in

In Klaviyo, go to Audience → Lists & segments, click Create New, choose List, and name it for this book.

New Klaviyo lists usually use double opt-in, which applies to readers added by Storyfinch too: each reader would get a Klaviyo email asking them to confirm, and would only join the list (and your welcome flow) once they did. Because readers already agree on your Storyfinch page, most authors switch the list to single opt-in: open the list, go to Settings → Consent, choose Single opt-in, and save. If you want readers to confirm their address, you can switch that on in Storyfinch instead. See single vs double opt-in.

Step 2: Create a private API key

1. Click your organisation name at the bottom left, then Settings → API keys.
2. Click Create Private API Key and name it (for example "Storyfinch").
3. Choose Custom Key and give Full Access to Lists, Profiles and Subscriptions. Leave everything else at No Access.
4. Create it and copy the key, which starts with pk_. Klaviyo only shows it once.

Use a private key, not your public key (a six-character site ID), which cannot add subscribers. You cannot change a key's access later: if you missed a scope, delete the key and create a new one.

Step 3: Connect Klaviyo in Storyfinch

In Storyfinch, open Integrations, choose Klaviyo, and add a connection. Name it (your pen name works well) and paste the private key. Storyfinch checks it straight away and stores it encrypted.

Step 4: Choose the list for your reader magnet

In your reader magnet's settings, under the mailing list options, pick your Klaviyo connection and the list from step 1. Every reader who signs up and agrees to join your list is then subscribed to it with email marketing consent, so you can email them straight away, and their first name is saved to their profile. If a reader is already in Klaviyo, their existing profile is updated rather than duplicated.

Readers who do not tick the box to join your list are not sent to Klaviyo.

Step 5: Start a welcome flow

Storyfinch delivers the book, so Klaviyo handles the follow-up. Go to Flows and create a Welcome Series from the template, or build your own with the Added to list trigger, and choose your reader magnet list. The template has three emails you can trim to suit.

Then test it: sign up on your own Storyfinch page with an address you can check, and confirm the reader appears on the list and the flow starts. Our welcome email sequence guide has an outline to adapt.

Klaviyo's free plan

As of October 2026, Klaviyo's free plan covers up to 250 active profiles and 500 email sends a month, and includes flows. That is enough to try things out, but a growing list soon passes it; paid email plans start at around $20 a month. Check Klaviyo's pricing page for current figures.

If you do not sell direct and want more room for free, MailerLite, Brevo and EmailOctopus all have larger free plans that connect to Storyfinch.

Frequently asked questions