How to set up a branded sending domain

You will learn

Learn how to set up a branded sending domain (also known as a dedicated sending domain) so that when emails reach inbox providers, they will appear to come from your brand instead of Klaviyo.

You can configure separate branded sending domains for different types of email traffic in your account: marketing, transactional, and service. Each one builds its own sender reputation, so you can protect your transactional traffic from being affected by marketing bounces, or keep your customer service replies on a domain that reflects your support brand.

If you are bringing over an existing branded sending domain from a prior email service provider (ESP), see the detailed migration guide.

What is a branded sending domain?

A branded sending domain allows you to send emails that appear to be coming from your brand and gives you better control over your sender reputation. Any company is eligible to create a branded sending domain.

By default, most accounts begin sending from a shared IP and shared Klaviyo domain. This domain appears in the sender information at the top of an email message (for example, via klaviyomail.com).

By moving to a branded sending domain, you remove the via klaviyomail.com message displayed beside your sender email address. Your emails are no longer sent by a shared domain, which lets inbox providers more easily verify your identity and pass email authentication protocols like DMARC.

Most inbox providers enforce sender requirements for bulk senders, and setting up a branded sending domain is part of meeting those requirements. As a reference point, Google considers anyone sending 5,000 or more emails to Google accounts per day to be a "bulk sender." All traffic counts toward this threshold, including transactional emails.

Choose a send type for your branded sending domain

When you add a branded sending domain in Klaviyo, you select which type of email traffic the domain will carry. Each send type has its own active branded sending domain in your account:

• Marketing: campaigns, flows, and any promotional or commercial messages. This is the default send type and what most accounts start with.
• Transactional: order confirmations, shipping updates, password resets, and other messages that respond to a customer action. Keeping these on a dedicated domain protects their delivery from the reputation impact of marketing sends. Transactional sending domains can only be used by flow messages that have been designated as transactional. Campaigns are not eligible for the transactional domain. For details on designating a flow message as transactional, see Understanding transactional messages.
• Service: support replies sent through Klaviyo Helpdesk, Klaviyo's customer service product. If your account doesn't use Klaviyo Helpdesk or the free Inbox tier, you don't need a service sending domain.

You can configure all three send types in the same Klaviyo account. Each domain is set up independently and has its own DNS records.

About generating domain name systems (DNS) with Klaviyo

A key part of connecting a branded sending domain is generating the required DNS records. To generate your records, you'll provide the following information when setting up your branded sending domain in Klaviyo.

• Root domain: This is the domain that you purchased or registered with a domain registrar, and it reflects your brand's website domain. You may also have email addresses that use this domain. For example, if your company is called Hello World, your brand's root domain might be helloworld.com and your friendly from-address might be name@helloworld.com.
• Branded sending subdomain: This is the subdomain that will be used to send emails from Klaviyo and that appears in your email headers. The branded sending subdomain must be unique and unused so it does not interfere with other email configurations on your root domain. The most commonly used subdomain at Klaviyo is "send." Using the example above, Hello World's marketing branded sending domain could be send.helloworld.com.

If you set up a transactional or service domain in the same account, choose a different subdomain for each (for example, send for marketing, updates for transactional, and support for service).

Multiple companies, and therefore multiple Klaviyo accounts, can use a given sending domain as long as all relevant DNS records are in place. If your company has multiple child brands with separate Klaviyo accounts, you can use the same branded sending domain in each account by connecting it to each account.

Dynamic vs. static routing

When you set up a branded sending domain, you choose how Klaviyo routes your email through sending providers:

• Dynamic: Klaviyo dynamically selects an email sending provider for each message, optimizing for performance, reputation, and stability. Generates NS records.
• Static: Klaviyo sends email through a single, static email sending provider. Generates CNAME records.

Klaviyo recommends the Dynamic option for best sending performance. The Static option is the right choice if your DNS provider does not support NS records.

About subdomain delegation (Dynamic only): With Dynamic routing, you delegate your sending subdomain to Klaviyo by adding NS records. This authorizes Klaviyo to manage that subdomain and create the DNS records needed for sending. These permissions are only used for tasks related to your sending. Subdomain delegation does not affect your root domain or any other subdomains, and you can revoke delegation at any time by removing the NS records.

Switching from static to dynamic

If you have an existing branded sending domain using static routing and want to switch to dynamic:

1. Remove your domain in Klaviyo.
2. Delete the existing CNAME records for the subdomain in your DNS provider.
3. Go through the setup process again with the Dynamic option.

DNS record propagation can take up to 48 hours.

Requirements for creating a branded sending domain

Before you begin

Before starting this process, new Klaviyo accounts should make sure they will have time to warm their sending infrastructure.

You also need to own the domain you are using to send email. You, or someone on your team, must have access to the DNS host to create the required records.

Existing Klaviyo customers moving to a branded sending domain do not have to warm infrastructure again, as long as:

• The domain has been registered for at least 30 days, AND
• You have used the domain to send email already (for example, you used this domain with a prior email service provider or with Klaviyo in your from-address).

If you are activating your first marketing branded sending domain, or replacing the active marketing domain on your account, pause all sending before applying changes. Once you have applied the change and tested, resume flows and schedule any future campaigns.

If you are adding a transactional or service domain to an account that already has an active marketing domain, you don't need to pause your marketing sending. New transactional or service traffic only routes through the new domain after you activate it.

Checklist

1. Choose the send type (marketing, transactional, or service) for the domain you are setting up.
2. Connect the branded sending domain in Klaviyo and generate DNS records.
3. Update DNS records with your DNS provider (this is done in your DNS provider's platform, not in Klaviyo).
4. Verify and activate your domain.
5. New Klaviyo accounts can then warm their sending infrastructure. Existing accounts with at least a 30-day sending history can return to normal sending without re-warming.

Generate DNS records in Klaviyo

Klaviyo requires up to 3 CNAME or 4 NS records for email authentication, and one TXT record for domain ownership verification. The Dynamic routing option uses NS records, while the Static routing option uses CNAME records.

Only users with Owner, Admin, Manager, or Campaign Coordinator roles can set up a branded sending domain.

1. Click your company name in the bottom left corner of your account.
2. Select Settings.
3. Choose Domains from the main tab.
4. Select Add Domain.
5. Choose the send type for this domain: Marketing, Transactional, or Service.
6. Verify your brand's root domain is correct. Klaviyo automatically pulls the domain from your account.
7. Select Next.
8. Specify an unused subdomain under Sending domain (for example, "send" for marketing or "updates" for transactional).
9. Select your desired Routing type (Dynamic or Static).

1. Choose whether to add a DMARC record to your domain. This is recommended to meet inbox provider sender requirements. Only domains currently missing a DMARC record will see this option.
2. Choose whether to connect your domain with Entri, or to set it up manually.

DNS records

In an example where the intended sending domain is send.helloworld.com with "send" as the subdomain and "helloworld.com" as the root domain, the generated DNS records will have the following structure.

These are examples. The actual record values for your account will be different. Make sure to use the values generated in your account.

For Dynamic routing (NS records):

For Static routing (CNAME records):

The DKIM selector names depend on the send type for the domain you're setting up:

• Marketing domains use km1/km2 selectors
• Transactional domains use kt1/kt2 selectors
• Service domains use ks1/ks2 selectors

If you later add a second branded sending domain of the same send type to your account, that second domain uses the next selector pair (for example, km3/km4 for a second marketing domain) so both domains can coexist. Klaviyo generates the correct selectors for your domain in your setup flow.

The example below shows a first-time marketing domain.

Existing static domains: If your account already has a static branded sending domain set up before send types were available, your DNS records use the legacy kl1/kl2 DKIM selectors and continue to work without changes. You do not need to update them. When you add a new marketing branded sending domain alongside an existing legacy domain, the new one gets the standard km1/km2 selectors. MSD selector numbering starts fresh and is independent of any legacy kl selectors.

If your brand's intended sending domain uses two subdomains, such as send.mail.helloworld.com, "send" is the subdomain and "mail.helloworld.com" is the root domain.

DMARC

DMARC is an email authentication policy that allows inbox providers to verify the authenticity of an email, giving domain owners the ability to protect their domain from unauthorized use. A DMARC policy is a sender requirement established by most inbox providers to successfully land in inboxes.

If you'd like Klaviyo to generate a DMARC record, toggle on the Add DMARC record option when setting up your branded sending domain.

Klaviyo generates the following DMARC record, which satisfies inbox provider sender requirements without affecting the delivery of your emails:

v=DMARC1; p=none;

Update your DNS records

Automatically publish records with Entri

To have Klaviyo automatically publish DNS records on your behalf, select the Connect with Entri option during setup.

Klaviyo will analyze your domain to detect the DNS provider it is hosted with. Once identified, you will be prompted to log in to your DNS provider with the appropriate credentials, giving Klaviyo access to publish records on your behalf.

If Klaviyo is not able to detect your DNS provider, you'll need to set up your branded sending domain manually.

If another member of your team manages your DNS settings, you can forward the login by selecting Or forward login to someone else. You can also view the records being added by selecting Show added DNS records.

Once signed in, Klaviyo will set the necessary records and your domain will be successfully configured for sending. You'll see a confirmation once the configuration is complete.

Set up your domain manually

If you choose to set up your branded sending domain manually, this step of the process requires you to complete tasks outside of Klaviyo. You will need to apply the new DNS records, which were generated in Klaviyo, to your domain in your DNS provider's platform. You may also need to consult your IT team.

You do not need to create your subdomain within your DNS settings. CNAME and NS records should be added to your brand's root domain. They automatically redirect the subdomain specified during setup to Klaviyo infrastructure via the records.

1. After selecting Set up manually, choose your DNS provider on the Find your DNS zone file page. Based on your DNS provider, Klaviyo shows the steps to find the zone file in your provider's platform. The zone file is where you'll add the generated DNS records.
2. Select Next.
3. Hover over and click the text to copy the generated DNS records to your clipboard so you can add them to your DNS zone file.
4. Add the records to your zone file in your DNS provider's platform.

Some common DNS providers include:

• GoDaddy
• Google Domains
• Hostgator
• Hover
• Namecheap
• Squarespace
• AWS
• Cloudflare

For BigCommerce Domains

If you are a merchant using BigCommerce Domains as your DNS provider, the host values for your DNS records are slightly different from what is provided in Klaviyo.

Use the Static routing option when setting up a branded sending domain, as the NS records associated with the Dynamic option are not supported.

For the Host of the CNAME records, you must append a period followed by your root domain name to the Host of the records provided in Klaviyo. For example, if your brand's root domain is helloworld.com, the Host values you must enter into BigCommerce look like this:

For Google Domains

If you use Google Domains as your DNS provider and are connecting a branded sending domain with the Dynamic routing option, add all the NS records into a single record using the "Add more to this record" option.

If your DNS provider does not accept the "@" symbol during this process, your TXT record must be added with your root domain as the hostname. The "@" symbol is shorthand to achieve the same result. For example:

Type: TXT Hostname: YOURWEBSITE.COM Value: klaviyo-site-verification=YOUR_PUBLIC_API_KEY

Verify and activate your domain

Begin the steps below when you are ready to start sending with your domain. If you are connecting a new branded sending domain with no emailing history, you will need to first warm this domain.

If you are an existing account with at least a 30-day sending history with Klaviyo, you do not have to re-warm.

Select Verify to begin the verification process once you have added the generated records to your DNS. When first accessing the verify step, it is expected to see the records have not been verified yet.

Review any message that appears. You will see one of the following:

• Verification success: a confirmation that your records are valid. This message may indicate that you need to warm your infrastructure. This only applies to brand new Klaviyo accounts or newly registered domains (within the last 30 days). Existing accounts with at least a 30-day sending history with Klaviyo do not need to re-warm.
• Verification error: an indication of what has not been set up correctly. See Troubleshooting branded sending domain issues for next steps.
• Conflict notification: if a campaign is conflicting, you'll see a notice that deliverability may be impacted. To avoid this, make sure there are no campaigns actively sending or scheduled to go out soon. It is best practice (but not required) to pause flows and campaigns until after you apply and test your changes.

Once the records have been verified, select Activate on the domain row when you are ready to begin sending on your branded domain.

Klaviyo will activate your branded sending domain for the selected send type, and show a success message when complete.

Exclude the subdomain in your from-address that you use to send emails (for example, do not use @send.yourbusiness.com). If the subdomain is included in your from-address, you will not be able to receive responses from recipients to emails from your Klaviyo account. Use the root domain alone for your from-address (for example, @yourbusiness.com).

Troubleshooting error messages

If the domain cannot be activated, an error message will appear directing you to try again. We recommend first using a free, online DNS record checker to review your branded sending domain and diagnose the issue:

• https://dmarcian.com/dkim-inspector/
• https://www.whatsmydns.net/
• https://dnschecker.org/

After you have set up your domain, the Domains page shows your active domain, the date it was set up, and any other domains in your account.

For deeper troubleshooting, see Troubleshooting branded sending domain issues.

Warm your sending infrastructure

Warming gradually ramps up your sending volume on a new domain so that mailbox providers can build trust in your sending reputation.

Marketing domains: If you are a new, qualifying Klaviyo account starting on a marketing branded sending domain or using a newly registered domain (registered within the last 30 days), it is essential to warm your marketing sending infrastructure in the first 2 to 4 weeks.

Existing Klaviyo customers moving to a marketing branded sending domain do not have to warm infrastructure again, as long as:

• The domain has been registered for at least 30 days, AND
• You have used the domain to send email already (for example, you used this domain with a prior ESP or with Klaviyo in your from-address).

Transactional and service domains: Warming is typically not required for transactional or service domains. These domains handle lower-volume, customer-triggered traffic (order confirmations, support replies, etc.) rather than bulk marketing sends, so the reputation-ramp considerations that apply to marketing don't usually apply. If you are cutting over from an existing transactional or service domain and want to migrate traffic gradually, you can opt into warming when you activate the new domain.

For details on the marketing warming process, see How to warm your sending domain in Klaviyo.

Disconnected sending domain alert

Branded sending domains become disconnected when the required DNS records are removed. Klaviyo will notify you so that you can fix the necessary DNS records.

You'll receive the alert in your notification inbox in Klaviyo. Only users with the necessary permissions to configure a branded sending domain will receive the alert.

Outcome

Once you configure your branded sending domains, your emails are sent through your brand's domain rather than Klaviyo's shared sending domain. If you have configured multiple send types, Klaviyo routes each message through the active domain for its send type: marketing campaigns and flows through your marketing domain, transactional messages through your transactional domain, and customer service replies through your service domain.

Additional resources