Understanding content age-gating for SMS

You will learn

Learn about age-gating content and why it’s important for SMS marketing. Here, we provide an overview of age-gating for SMS, including what is required and which industries require it.

Klaviyo supports age-gating for alcohol, firearms, and tobacco brands in supported countries and on eligible sending numbers. Access for certain sex-related content is limited to eligible accounts. For setup instructions, see our article on using age-gating in Klaviyo.

About age-gating for SMS

Age-gating is a technical protection method used to prevent underage people from viewing a website with restricted or inappropriate content. It requires visitors to verify that they are of age by entering their age or birth date before they can view content.

For certain industries, age-gating may be required, although it varies by country.

Age-gating for SMS has 2 parts to it, both of which are required. It must prevent underage visitors from:

• Seeing content on a website
• Opting into SMS marketing

If you have a short code, note that age-gated short code programs are approved on a case-by-case basis.

Note that Canada does not support age-gated content for toll-free numbers.

Blocking content on a website

Say you have an online liquor store in the US. When someone visits your website, a window will block the screen and ask for the visitor’s birthday. If that person is 21 or older, they will be able to access your full website and view your content. Anyone younger than 21 will see a message saying that they cannot view the website’s content and will not be able to view anything else.

Preventing visitors from subscribing

One option is to include an age gate within your SMS sign-up form. That way, someone must verify their age before they even become an SMS subscriber.

For an age-gated SMS sign-up form in Klaviyo, add an Age gate block on or before the SMS opt-in step. It collects the visitor’s date of birth and checks whether they meet the minimum age. A yes/no question about their age or a regular date field does not replace this check.

Text-to-join with a subscribe keyword alone does not verify age and cannot collect SMS consent for age-gated content. A Klaviyo tap-to-text form can collect consent when an age gate verifies the visitor’s date of birth before they send the opt-in text.

Klaviyo’s Smart Opt-in is not supported on age-gated forms.

What industries need to age-gate in the United States

Many of the industries that are prohibited for SMS can send messages if they have an age gate, although some are allowed only in some instances. If your business falls within one of the below categories or if you are planning a promotion featuring specific content, age-gating may be required for compliance.

Other prohibited content includes:

• Hate speech
• Violence
• Profanity
• Illegal drugs
• Fireworks

If you are unsure whether or not your industry will be permitted with age-gating, refer to your legal counsel for advice.

Additional resources