Understanding transactional messages

Learn what it means for a message to be considered transactional, including what to include (and not include) in the message.

What is a transactional message?

A transactional message is an automated message that’s sent when an individual takes an action and contains information directly related to the action.

Customers expect transactional messages after actions such as placing an order or resetting their password.

Transactional vs. promotional

Promotional (also known as marketing) messages are sale-driven and are initiated by the business, while transactional messages are user-driven.

Promotional messages are about promoting your business and growth. Some examples are product launch alerts, newsletters, surveys, etc. They aim to increase conversions, improve customer retention, get feedback, and meet other business goals.

Transactional messages are about giving the user information they need when prompted. For instance, if someone places an order, you can send transactional messages that confirm their order, share shipping updates, and confirm the delivery.

Below is a table listing examples of transactional and promotional messages.

What to include in a transactional message

Besides general things like your company info or opt-out instructions, your transactional message should only include details about the action the user took.

Let’s use a shipping alert as an example. In this case, your transactional message may include details such as:

• Which products are in that shipment
• Shipping address
• Cost
• The tracking number and link
• Estimated delivery date

Depending on which channel you’re using, you may include some or all of this information.

What not to include

A transactional message cannot include anything unrelated to the action or any promotional content, including:

• Coupons
• Products that someone hasn’t bought
• Newsletter information
• Links to sign-up forms or subscribe pages
• Marketing calls to action (CTAs)

Transactional consent for email, SMS, and mobile push

Getting consent before sending messages is always a best practice.

This goes for transactional too, with the only exception being email. A customer doesn’t need to explicitly opt in to receive transactional emails.

SMS and mobile push always require consent before you can send any transactional messages. However, you don't need to use double opt-in.

For mobile push, this is because promotional and transactional messages are treated exactly the same, with no differences between them.

As for SMS, it is because you need to clearly inform subscribers about the types of messages they’ll receive. If you plan to send transactional SMS, it’s important to include “transactional” in your disclosure language or, if possible, collect transactional and promotional SMS consent separately.

What can be marked as transactional in Klaviyo

In approved cases and with a paid account, you can mark SMS or email messages in flows as transactional. Transactional status applies to each message, not the entire flow. However, there are some limits:

• Email: only emails in metric-triggered flows can be marked transactional (does not include price drop flows).
• SMS: only messages in metric-triggered flows can be marked transactional. Age-gated brands and brands in prohibited content categories are not eligible for transactional SMS.
  • Transactional SMS can be sent to subscribers with promotional or transactional SMS consent. Shopify order-update consent only permits messages about the specific order the customer opted in for, not other orders or unrelated transactional messages. Learn about SMS order updates for Shopify.

Messages that have had an A/B test set up cannot be submitted for transactional review.

Transactional status is not relevant for mobile push messages, and they cannot be marked as transactional in Klaviyo.

Routing transactional emails through a branded sending domain

If your account has an active transactional branded sending domain, Klaviyo routes transactional flow emails through that domain. This isolates the sender reputation of your transactional email traffic from your marketing sends.

For Klaviyo to route a flow email through your transactional sending domain:

1. The email must be in an eligible metric-triggered flow.
2. The email must be marked as transactional in the flow editor. Complete any required transactional review before sending.

If your account does not have an active transactional branded sending domain, transactional flow emails use your marketing sending domain (or a shared domain if you don't have a branded one). They still follow the transactional consent and content rules described above.

The terms "transactional message" and "transactional sending domain" refer to different things:

• Transactional message: the designation applied to an individual flow message in Klaviyo, which determines consent and content rules
• Transactional sending domain: a branded sending domain configured for transactional email traffic in your account, which determines which domain those emails are sent from

For setup details, see How to set up a branded sending domain.

What happens if your transactional request is rejected?

If your request to mark a message as transactional is rejected, review it against the criteria in this article. To correct the message and resubmit it:

1. Edit the message to correct or remove any content that doesn't meet the criteria above, then save your changes.
2. Select the message in the flow editor. Under Transactional, select Apply for transactional status. Click Submit for review, then Submit in the confirmation dialog.
3. Wait for approval before sending the message as transactional. Any sends while it is under review are treated as marketing messages.

If you believe the rejection was a mistake, submit an appeal by reaching out to Klaviyo Support.

Additional resources