name: klaviyo-reference-architecture
description: 'Implement Klaviyo reference architecture with best-practice project
layout.
Use when designing new Klaviyo integrations, reviewing project structure,
or establishing architecture standards for email/SMS marketing applications.
Trigger with phrases like "klaviyo architecture", "klaviyo project structure",
"klaviyo design", "how to organize klaviyo", "klaviyo layout".
'
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Grep
version: 1.7.0
license: MIT
author: Jeremy Longshore jeremy@intentsolutions.io
tags:
- saas
- klaviyo
- email-marketing
- cdp
compatibility: Designed for Claude Code
Klaviyo Reference Architecture
Overview
Production-ready architecture for Klaviyo integrations: a layered project structure, service patterns, event-driven sync, and the klaviyo-api SDK wired into a real application. SKILL.md gives you the four-layer contract and the skeleton you scaffold from; the deep material lives in references/ so you pull code only when you reach that layer.
- Layout & layering (full directory tree, layer contract, data flow): architecture.md
- Working code for every layer (config, profile sync, event tracker): implementation.md
Prerequisites
- TypeScript project with
klaviyo-api installed
- Understanding of layered architecture
- Redis (for caching/queuing) and database (for audit/sync state)
Instructions
Use Write to scaffold the directory tree, then fill each layer bottom-up. The four layers and their one-way call rule:
API / Webhook Layer → routes + webhook handlers (calls Service only)
Service Layer → profile-sync, event-tracker, campaigns (calls SDK + Infra)
Klaviyo SDK Layer → ApiKeySession, ProfilesApi, EventsApi (never calls upward)
Infrastructure Layer → Redis cache, BullMQ queue, Prisma DB, OTel monitoring
- Scaffold the tree. Create the
src/{klaviyo,services,webhooks,jobs,middleware,config,health} layout. Full annotated tree: architecture.md.
- Config layer first. A single
loadConfig() returns environment-specific keys, rate limits, and cache TTLs — every other layer reads from it. Code: implementation.md Step 1.
- Service layer. Build
ProfileSyncService (bidirectional upsert) and EventTracker (server-side Placed Order / custom events). Both route Klaviyo calls through withRateLimitRetry. Code: implementation.md Steps 2–3.
- Wire the data flow. Signup →
syncToKlaviyo(), purchase → trackPurchase(), inbound profile.updated webhook → WebhookRouter.routeEvent() → local DB. Diagram: architecture.md.
When reviewing an existing project, Read its src/ tree and Grep for cross-layer imports that break the one-way rule (SDK importing a service, a route importing the SDK directly).
Output
Applying this skill produces:
- A scaffolded
src/ tree matching the four-layer contract, with SDK, service, webhook, job, middleware, config, and health directories.
- A working
config/klaviyo.ts plus ProfileSyncService and EventTracker service classes ready to call from routes and jobs.
- For a review pass: a list of layering violations (upward SDK calls, direct SDK use from routes) and sync-safety gaps to fix.
Error Handling
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|
| Circular deps | Wrong layering | Services call SDK, never the reverse |
| Sync conflicts | Both sides update | Last-write-wins with sync timestamp |
| Queue backlog | Klaviyo slow/down | Circuit breaker + dead letter queue |
| Type mismatches | SDK version mismatch | Pin SDK version, run tsc --noEmit in CI |
Examples
Scaffold a new integration — "Set up a Klaviyo integration for our Node app." Create the layered tree, drop in loadConfig(), then ProfileSyncService and EventTracker. Full code per step: implementation.md.
Track a purchase from your backend:
await new EventTracker().trackPurchase({
email: order.email,
orderId: order.id,
total: order.total,
items: order.lineItems,
});
Review project structure — "Is our Klaviyo code layered correctly?" Grep for imports that violate the one-way call rule and check webhook handlers verify HMAC signatures. Layer contract: architecture.md.
Resources
Next Steps
For multi-environment configuration and per-stage key management, see the klaviyo-multi-env-setup skill in this pack.