Last updated: 2025-05-16Estimated reading time: 25 minutes
Introduction: Loyalty Integrations
Merchants using Ako Marketing can now connect with Klaviyo to send personalized emails based on loyalty points, VIP tiers, and more. This guide covers the setup process and common questions about the integration.
Integrating Judge.me with Ako Marketing
Integrating Judge.me with Ako Marketing allows you to reward customers for leaving product reviews, enhancing your loyalty program and encouraging valuable customer feedback.
Before You Start (Judge.me)
- ✅ Ensure you are subscribed to Judge.me's Awesome Plan and Ako Marketing's Platinum Plan (or above).
- ✅ Make sure Judge.me is properly installed and configured in your Shopify store.
Setting Up Email Notifications
Before You Start
✅ This feature is available on the Gold plan (US$29/month) and above.
✅ If you haven't installed Ako Marketing yet, click here to install it and start your 14-day free trial.
What are email notifications used for?
When customers complete an action, earn a reward, or move up a VIP tier, Ako Marketing will automatically send an email to let them know what changed.
🔔 Note: Email notifications are not the same as marketing EDMs. If you need a tool to send marketing campaigns, please refer to the Klaviyo integration guide.
Step 1: Complete Sender Information
Path: Ako Marketing > Loyalty Program > Settings > Email Notifications
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Under Preview, click Complete sender info. Enter your brand name in the "From" field and your support email in the "Reply To" field.
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Click Upload Logo to add your brand logo. This will appear at the top of all automated emails.
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Click Settings to choose a footer type (Default or Company Information). Depending on your region, you may need to include a physical postal address for compliance.
Step 2: Customize and Activate Emails
※ Note: If you subscribed before Feb 2025, please click here to update your template version first.
Ako Marketing provides 4 categories and 15 types of email notifications, including reward, referral, VIP tier, and expiry reminder templates.
- Click Edit on the notification template you want to activate.
- Edit the default copies and variables (e.g., {{points}}) as needed.
- Click Send test email to preview the formatting.
- Switch the Status to On to enable the template.
Email Notification Types
| Notification Type | When It's Sent |
|---|---|
| Place an order - Points earned | Sent right after customers earn points from an order. |
| Sign up | Sent when customers complete sign-up via email or social accounts. |
| Celebrate a birthday | Sent at 00:00 on the customer's birthday. |
| VIP Tier unlocked | Sent when customers upgrade or downgrade to a new tier. |
| Points expiry | Sent before points expire based on your frequency settings. |
Available Email Variables
| Variable | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{points}} | Displays the number of points earned. | You've earned 500 points. |
| {{vipTier}} | Shows the customer’s new VIP tier name. | Welcome to Gold Tier! |
| {{expiredDate}} | Shows the expiry date of points/rewards. | Use before 2025/12/31. |
Step 3: Customize Reward/Points Expiry Reminders
By default, Ako Marketing sends two reminders. To change the timing, click Edit on the expiry templates and then select Edit in Notification.
Countdown reminder: First email (up to 30 days before).
Last chance reminder: Final email (as close as 1 day before).
Common FAQ: Integration & Automation
Can I customize the branding of automated emails?
Yes. In Step 1 of the Email Notification guide, you can upload your store logo and customize sender information so every email reflects your brand identity.
Can I use Shopify Flow to award points for specific products?
Absolutely. By using a Condition in Shopify Flow to check for specific Product IDs or Tags, you can trigger the "Award Points" action from Ako Marketing only for those items.
What happens if a customer cancels an order after points were awarded?
If points were awarded via Shopify Flow, you can create a second workflow triggered by "Order canceled" that uses the "Adjust Points" action in Ako Marketing to deduct the corresponding balance.
Are email notifications different from Klaviyo marketing emails?
Yes. Notifications are transactional alerts (e.g., "You earned 100 points"). Klaviyo is used for broad marketing campaigns and advanced automation flows. Connecting both ensures a complete communication strategy.
Need Extra Help?
👋 For further assistance, feel free to reach out to us:
Once your email templates are activated, Ako Marketing handles all reward and reminder communications automatically! 🚀
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are automated email notifications different from Klaviyo marketing emails?
Yes. Notifications are transactional alerts triggered by specific actions (e.g., "You earned 100 points"). Klaviyo is used for advanced marketing campaigns. Using both allows you to handle immediate alerts via Ako Marketing and long-term nurturing via Klaviyo.
Q: Which plans do I need to enable these integrations?
The Klaviyo and Judge.me integrations require the Platinum Plan (US$49/month) or above. Standard Email Notifications are available starting from the Gold Plan (US$29/month).
Q: Can I change the sender name so customers don't see "Ako Marketing"?
Absolutely. In Step 1 of the guide, you can complete your Sender Info by entering your brand name in the "From" field and your own support email in the "Reply To" field.
Q: What happens if my points expiry reminder emails aren't sending?
First, ensure the template status is toggled to "On." Then, check your frequency settings under Edit in Notification to confirm you have set a lead time (e.g., 30 days before expiry) for the countdown to trigger.
Q: How do I test what my emails look like before they go live?
Inside any email template editor, click the "Send test email" button. This will send a live preview to your logged-in email address so you can check the formatting and logo placement.
