Black Friday Email and SMS Sequence: What to Send and When, From Early Access to Cyber Monday
Start VIP early access in late October or early November, then build your main BFCM sequence around Thanksgiving (Nov 26), Black Friday (Nov 27), and Cyber Monday (Nov 30). Use email to explain offers and showcase products, and SMS for timely alerts and genuine deadlines. In Klaviyo, segment campaigns by engagement and purchase history, and suppress reminders for buyers who no longer need them.
Key highlights
- Email and text drove 42% of total revenue across Klaviyo customers during BFCM 2025, rising to 43% on peak days as per Klaviyo’s 2025 BFCM recap.
- Klaviyo’s 2024 data recorded its highest Black Friday send volume between 9 and 10 a.m. ET, while order volume peaked from noon to 1 p.m. ET.
- Nearly half of US shoppers planned to buy before Thanksgiving, according to Klaviyo’s 2025 BFCM forecast. Early access and pre-sale campaigns can help brands reach shoppers before the main weekend.
- VIP access, relevant offers, and returning-customer messaging deserve a place in your campaign plan.
- Automated flows generate a disproportionate share of email revenue relative to their share of sends. Review your flows alongside campaign planning, not just in launch week.
Should I use email or SMS for each BFCM message?
Email works best for storytelling, full offer terms, product recommendations, and multi-product showcases. SMS is better suited to time-sensitive alerts, high-intent reminders, and genuine deadlines.
During BFCM 2025, shoppers who received both email and text from a brand placed 11% more orders, added 34% more items to their carts, and viewed 71% more products than shoppers reached through only one channel, according to Klaviyo.
| Purpose | Best channel | Best moment | Timing | Consent note |
| Full offer reveal | Early access, main sale launch | Morning | Email opt-in | |
| Launch alert | SMS | Black Friday, Cyber Monday opening | Test 9–10 a.m. local time | SMS opt-in required |
| Cart/browse nudge | Email and/or SMS | After a qualifying shopping action | Use behavior-based delays | Follow channel-specific consent requirements |
| Last-chance deadline | SMS, supported by email | Final hours of sale | 2–4 hours before the actual close, if appropriate | SMS opt-in required |
Treat email and SMS as a relay, not duplicates. If the email explains the offer, the text can flag the deadline or point shoppers to a relevant product. A second message that adds nothing useful wastes an opportunity to engage the customer.
For a practical BFCM SMS strategy, coordinate campaign timing with purchase suppression, consent, and frequency controls.
How to build a Klaviyo email strategy for Black Friday
Build the sequence in four layers: pre-sale warm-up, VIP early access, live-sale campaigns from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, and existing flows updated with BFCM-specific messaging.
Start by reviewing your previous campaign performance, cleaning your list, and preparing creative and segments before the busiest week. Klaviyo also recommends planning ahead, testing offers, and using customer data to make campaigns more relevant.
Your send time is only one part of campaign performance. To improve email engagement throughout BFCM, review your subject lines, audience segments, email content, and calls to action.
Why send emails on Thanksgiving instead of Black Friday?
Black Friday is crowded. Reaching engaged subscribers and VIPs on Thanksgiving gives your brand an earlier chance to connect with shoppers before the main launch-day rush.
Klaviyo’s 2025 BFCM forecast found that nearly half of US shoppers planned to make purchases before Thanksgiving. That supports starting earlier, although it doesn’t mean every brand should launch its deepest discount early. A preview, VIP invitation, or early-access offer can build interest without exhausting the main promotion.
Klaviyo’s cadence guidance recommends sending to engaged segments on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday ahead of BFCM, while VIPs can receive early access between Tuesday and Thursday before Black Friday. Adapt this schedule to your offer, audience, and previous results.
What is the best time to send emails on Thanksgiving Day?
Test midday for a Thanksgiving reminder or early-access invitation, then compare the results with other windows that suit your audience. Keep the message short: thank subscribers, explain the benefit of early access, and give them one clear next step.
However, there isn’t a universal Thanksgiving email send time that guarantees the best conversions. Test your own timing, and suppress customers who have already purchased or received the same offer.
Should I edit my existing Klaviyo flows or build separate BFCM flows?
Consider cloning existing flows into BFCM-specific versions rather than changing live automations directly. This lets you tailor copy, offers, and timing for the sale while keeping your year-round logic available to restore afterward.
| Edit live flow | Clone to BFCM version | |
| Risk to year-round flow | Greater risk of disrupting existing logic | Keeps the original configuration available |
| Rollback effort | May require manual restoration | Easier to switch back after testing |
| Speed to launch | Faster initially | Requires additional setup and testing |
Steps:
- Duplicate the relevant flow, such as cart abandonment, browse abandonment, or post-purchase.
- Review the original flow’s status and decide how it should operate during BFCM.
- Update the clone’s copy, offer, timing, and eligibility rules.
- Add and test filters that prevent duplicate or conflicting messages across flows.
- Set the BFCM version live only after checking its entry criteria, exclusions, and message timing.
- After Cyber Monday, deactivate the temporary version and restore the year-round setup as intended.
Don’t rely on a single filter to prevent every duplicate send. Review the actual flow logic and test different customer paths before launch.
A well-configured Klaviyo Black Friday flow can help you respond to shopping behavior without sending the same promotion to customers who have already converted.
What does a BFCM email sequence include in Klaviyo?
A complete black friday email sequence has three core parts: pre-sale warm-up and VIP early access, live-sale campaigns from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, and existing flows adapted to the promotion.
| Stage | Channel | Goal |
| Pre-sale warm-up | Build anticipation and grow the opted-in audience | |
| VIP early access | Email + SMS | Reward loyalty and give high-value customers earlier access |
| Live-sale campaigns | Email + SMS | Promote relevant offers throughout peak shopping days |
| Updated flows | Email + SMS | Respond to shopping behavior and recover eligible opportunities |
Flows deserve attention alongside campaigns. Klaviyo’s BFCM 2025results showed that repeat-customer revenue grew 13.5% year over year in its reported cohort. Welcome, cart-abandonment, and post-purchase journeys can help you build on those existing customer relationships rather than focusing exclusively on new sales.
When should I start sending BFCM emails?
Begin preparing your audience and creative in October, then schedule VIP early access and pre-sale messages before Black Friday. The main shopping window runs from Thanksgiving on Nov 26 through Cyber Monday on Nov 30, 2026.
Pre-launch readiness checklist:
- Branded sending domain authenticated (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC).
- List cleaned, with hard bounces removed and inactive subscribers reviewed.
- Email and SMS consent confirmed, with unsubscribe handling tested.
- Offers, discount codes, product links, and checkout tested.
- Segments and purchase-suppression rules checked across campaigns and flows.
How many emails should I send during Black Friday week?
Send frequency should depend on engagement, purchase history, and the relevance of each message. Your most engaged subscribers may be suitable for daily campaigns during the peak window, while less-engaged contacts should receive fewer sends.
| Segment | Email frequency (Nov 26–Dec 1) | SMS frequency |
| Engaged (30–60 day) | Consider daily sends, with purchase suppression | 2–3 over the week, if appropriate |
| VIP | Early access plus relevant campaign messages | 3–4 over the week, if justified |
| Past BFCM buyers | Every other day or less, based on relevance | 1–2 over the week, if opted in |
| Everyone else | 3–4 total, subject to engagement and deliverability | 0–1, where appropriate |
These are planning ranges, not fixed limits. Klaviyo’s 2025 results show that cross-channel engagement can support stronger customer activity, but more messages alone won’t reproduce those results. Monitor unsubscribes, complaints, clicks, and revenue per recipient as the campaign progresses.
Which segments should get which BFCM messages?
Segment by engagement recency, VIP or lifetime-value tier, cart and browse behavior, and previous BFCM purchases. Each group should receive a message that fits its relationship with your brand, not simply a version of the same promotion with a different name.
- VIPs: Earliest access, loyalty benefits, and relevant product recommendations.
- Engaged 14/30/90-day subscribers: Main offer messaging and selected reminders.
- Cart abandoners: Behavior-triggered reminders with appropriately shortened delays.
- Browsers: Product-led follow-ups rather than an automatic hard-discount push.
- Past BFCM buyers: Returning-customer messaging and relevant recommendations, with reduced frequency where appropriate.
Use a consistent purchase-suppression rule across promotional sends. Once someone buys, remove them from reminders that no longer apply. If the next offer is genuinely different, decide whether a separate message is useful and make the distinction clear.
Also use product bundles, relevant cross-sells, and minimum-spend offers to encourage larger baskets without relying on deeper discounts to increase average order value.
Black Friday email calendar — Nov 24 to Dec 1, 2026
Use this black friday email calendar as a starting point. The suggested hours are in Eastern Time; adjust them for your audience and test against your own performance data.
| Date | Channel | Segment | Subject line example | Send time (ET) |
| Tue Nov 24 | Engaged 90-day | “Something’s coming Thursday” | 10 a.m. | |
| Wed Nov 25 | VIPs + repeat buyers | “Your early access starts now” | 6 p.m. | |
| Wed Nov 25 | SMS | VIPs with consent | Early-access link | 6 p.m. |
| Thu Nov 26 | Eligible engaged non-buyers | “Still time for early access” | Noon | |
| Thu Nov 26 | SMS | Engaged non-buyers with consent | Early-access reminder | 3 p.m. |
| Fri Nov 27 | Eligible engaged subscribers | “Black Friday is live” | 8 a.m. | |
| Fri Nov 27 | SMS | Engaged non-buyers with consent | Launch alert | 10 a.m. |
| Fri Nov 27 | Engaged non-buyers | “Tonight only” | 8 p.m. | |
| Sat Nov 28 | Engaged subscribers | “Saturday’s picks are here” | Noon | |
| Sat Nov 28 | SMS | Eligible engaged non-buyers | Saturday reminder | 2 p.m. |
| Sun Nov 29 | VIPs, repeat buyers, engaged non-buyers | “Cyber Monday opens early for you” | 6 p.m. | |
| Sun Nov 29 | SMS | VIPs with consent | Cyber Sunday preview | 7 p.m. |
| Mon Nov 30 | Eligible engaged subscribers | “Cyber Monday: today’s the day” | 6 a.m. | |
| Mon Nov 30 | Email + SMS | Eligible engaged non-buyers | “Ends at midnight” | 8 p.m. SMS / 8:05 p.m. email |
The calendar is a planning framework, not a requirement to send every message to every subscriber. Suppress buyers, respect consent and frequency preferences, and avoid sending multiple reminders that communicate the same offer without adding value.
Email and SMS Examples for BFCM 2026
Example 1: For Pre-sale warm-up (late October, engaged list)
Subject: “Mark your calendar: the sale starts early for you.”
Build anticipation without promising a discount you haven’t finalized, and invite interested shoppers to opt into SMS updates.
Example 2: For VIP early access (Wed Nov 25, 6 p.m)
Subject: “You’re in before everyone else.”
SMS: “Early access is live. Shop before the crowd: [link].”
Example 3: For Thanksgiving (Thu Nov 26, noon)
Subject: “Grateful for you. Here’s your early-access reminder.”
Keep the email warm and brief, and focus on the access or benefit available to the recipient.
Example 4: For Black Friday morning (Fri Nov 27, 8 a.m)
Subject: “It’s here. Shop Black Friday now.”
SMS: “Black Friday is live. Tap to shop: [link].”
Example 5: For Black Friday evening (Fri Nov 27, 8 p.m.)
Subject: “Still deciding? Here’s what shoppers are loving.”
Feature a different product angle or useful information for shoppers who haven’t purchased. Use “tonight only” only if the offer genuinely ends that night.
Example 6: For Saturday (Sat Nov 28, noon)
Subject: “New today: Saturday’s picks.”
Highlight a different category, bundle, or available restock instead of repeating Friday’s hero products.
Example 7: For Cyber Sunday preview (Sun Nov 29, 6 p.m)
Subject: “Cyber Monday starts early for you.”
SMS: “Your Cyber Monday preview is here. Shop now: [link].”
Send early access only if the offer is genuinely available to that audience.
Example 8: For Cyber Monday (Mon Nov 30, 6 a.m)
Subject: “Cyber Monday: today’s the day.”
Keep the message mobile-friendly, with one clear offer and one primary CTA.
Does SMS increase BFCM revenue?
Yes. Klaviyo’s cross-channel BFCM analysis showed SMS revenue grew 25% year over year, and email and SMS together drove 42% of total revenue across Klaviyo customers during the period. Shoppers reached through both channels also showed stronger product discovery and ordering activity than single-channel shoppers.
These results support coordinated messaging, not just sending SMS on Black Friday. Use SMS when immediacy adds value, and send only to people who have opted in.
What should the BFCM SMS sequence be?
Launch alert (Black Friday morning), mid-sale reminder (Sunday), final-hours alert (Cyber Monday night) — three touches timed to urgency peaks, not spread evenly across the week. Keep at least a 60-minute gap between an email and its paired SMS so nobody gets both about the same offer at once.
What should the Cyber Monday and last-chance messages say?
In your Cyber Monday email, explain the offer so they can decide. The SMS should be a concise reminder and a clear next step. Make sure deadlines and availability claims are accurate in both email and SMS.
| Channel | Example subject/copy | Timing |
| “Cyber Monday ends tonight. Here’s what’s still available.” | Morning | |
| SMS | “The sale ends at midnight. Shop now: [link]” | Evening, before the actual deadline |
For Cyber Monday emails, test a product-led reminder against a deadline-led message. The better option depends on whether your audience needs help choosing or simply needs a timely reminder. Don’t claim a deal ends tonight if it continues afterward.
What should I send after Cyber Monday?
After Cyber Monday, send buyers order updates, product-use tips, or review requests through a post-purchase flow. For shoppers who clicked but didn’t buy, consider a targeted follow-up if the offer is still relevant.
Use Tuesday to thank customers and begin building long-term retention rather than immediately returning buyers to regular promotional emails. If you extend the sale, make sure the offer and deadline are genuine and clearly communicated.
Step-by-step checklist to launch your Klaviyo BFCM sequence
- Oct 20–24: Clean lists, confirm consent, and authenticate your sending domain.
- Oct 27–31: Clone relevant flows into BFCM versions and build audience segments.
- Nov 3–7: Prepare gift guides and pre-sale warm-up campaigns.
- Nov 17–21: Send VIP early-access invitations and finalize campaign testing.
- Nov 26: Send Thanksgiving early-access reminders to eligible subscribers.
- Nov 27 and 30: Launch Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns, with appropriate follow-ups.
- Dec 1–2: Review results, deactivate temporary flows, restore year-round automation, and move buyers into the appropriate post-purchase journey.
Use the time before launch to test links, discount codes, mobile layouts, flow filters, and purchase suppression. A successful campaign depends on the entire customer journey, not just the scheduled sends.
Conclusion
A strong BFCM sequence isn’t about sending the most emails to the largest list. It’s about sending useful messages to the right segments, coordinating email and SMS, and removing buyers from reminders that no longer apply.
Prepare your segments and flows in October, test send times with your own audience, and make each message earn its place in the sequence.
If you need help with Klaviyo email strategy for BFCM 2026 or want to review your existing plan, request an email marketing audit. EvenDigit builds and audits Klaviyo flows for ecommerce brands running BFCM at this scale; most in-house teams don’t have bandwidth to build correctly. If your current sequence is one calendar and a single discount code, this is the gap costing you revenue per recipient, not list size.
FAQ
Does Klaviyo Smart Sending apply to SMS?
Klaviyo Smart Sending settings and behavior differ by channel and configuration. Check the current settings in your account and use SMS-specific filters and frequency controls to prevent excessive messaging.
Can I send an email and SMS in the same flow?
Yes. Klaviyo supports flows with email and SMS steps. Use waits, conditional splits, and channel eligibility rules to coordinate messages and avoid unnecessary duplicates.
What SMS quiet hours apply in the US?
US SMS marketing requirements depend on the applicable federal and state rules, recipient location, consent, and message type. Verify current requirements before scheduling campaigns, including any stricter state restrictions.
How many SMS should I send during Black Friday week?
Start with a small number of useful messages, such as early access, a launch alert, and a genuine final reminder. Adjust frequency based on consent, engagement, unsubscribes, and customer response.
Should the Cyber Monday email use a different offer?
Not necessarily. The same core offer can work if it remains valid and the message gives shoppers a clear reason to act. If the offer changes, explain the difference and suppress customers who shouldn’t receive the promotion again.
