How do I setup a subdomain for email sending with Klaviyo?

Summary

Setting up a subdomain for email sending with Klaviyo involves a multi-faceted approach to ensure email deliverability, protect domain reputation, and maintain compliance with email authentication standards. The process typically starts with configuring DNS records (CNAME, MX, TXT) with your DNS provider, often guided by Klaviyo's authentication wizard. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for authenticating your subdomain and preventing email spoofing. A separate subdomain for marketing emails helps protect the primary domain's reputation. Warming up a dedicated IP address gradually, monitoring deliverability metrics (bounce rates, spam complaints, inbox placement), and regularly cleaning your email list are crucial for maintaining a positive sending reputation. Feedback loops with ISPs allow for identifying and removing subscribers who mark emails as spam. PTR records enhance deliverability through reverse DNS lookup. Consistently sending high-quality content and addressing deliverability issues promptly further improve domain reputation.

Key findings

  • DNS Configuration: Setting up a subdomain involves adding specific DNS records (CNAME, MX, TXT) provided by Klaviyo to your DNS settings.
  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for authenticating your subdomain and ensuring deliverability.
  • Subdomain Reputation: Using a separate subdomain protects the primary domain's reputation by isolating marketing emails.
  • IP Warm-up: Gradually increasing email volume over time is essential for warming up a dedicated IP address and establishing a positive sending reputation.
  • Deliverability Monitoring: Monitoring deliverability metrics such as bounce rates, spam complaints, and inbox placement is crucial for maintaining a good sending reputation.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning your email list to remove invalid, inactive, and spam trap addresses is vital for improving deliverability.
  • Feedback Loops: Registering for feedback loops with ISPs helps identify and remove subscribers who mark emails as spam.

Key considerations

  • ESP Guidance: Rely on Klaviyo's authentication wizard and guidance for the subdomain setup process.
  • A Records and PTR: Consider setting up an A record and PTR record for your dedicated IP to support custom branded PTR (rDNS).
  • Authentication Details: Ensure proper authentication with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prevent emails from being marked as spam.
  • Content Relevance: Send high-quality, relevant content to engaged subscribers to improve domain reputation.
  • Sender Score: Regularly check your sender score using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score to identify and address deliverability issues.
  • PTR Record Setup: Setting up a PTR record may require coordination with your hosting provider or ISP.
  • DMARC Policy: Determine the appropriate DMARC policy (none, quarantine, reject) based on your risk tolerance and email strategy.

What email marketers say
12Marketer opinions

Setting up a subdomain for email sending with Klaviyo involves several key steps to ensure proper authentication, improve deliverability, and protect your domain reputation. It begins with the creation of a subdomain in your DNS settings and the addition of DNS records (CNAME and TXT) provided by Klaviyo. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are crucial for authenticating your subdomain, separating marketing emails from transactional emails, and protecting your main domain's reputation. Warming up your IP address by gradually increasing email volume, monitoring deliverability metrics (bounce rates, spam complaints, inbox placement), and regularly cleaning your email list are essential for maintaining a positive sending reputation.

Key opinions

  • DNS Configuration: Setting up a subdomain requires adding CNAME and TXT records provided by Klaviyo to your DNS settings to authenticate your emails.
  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for authenticating your subdomain, preventing email spoofing, and ensuring deliverability.
  • Reputation Protection: Using a subdomain helps separate marketing emails from transactional emails, protecting your main domain's reputation.
  • IP Warm-up: Gradually increasing the volume of emails you send over time helps establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.
  • Deliverability Monitoring: Monitoring metrics such as bounce rates, spam complaints, and inbox placement rates provides insights into your sending reputation and deliverability.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning your email list by removing invalid and inactive addresses is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Synthetic Subdomain: You may not need to create a traditional subdomain but rather set it up synthetically through SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
  • CNAME Records: Klaviyo uses CNAME records to manage SPF, DKIM, and custom link branding.
  • A Records: You might need to set up an A record to support a custom branded PTR (rDNS) for your dedicated IP.
  • Authentication Wizard: Klaviyo's sending domain authentication wizard guides you through the necessary steps, including CNAME setup with SSL.
  • ESP Guidance: Your Email Service Provider (ESP) should provide specific instructions for setting up the subdomain and delegating authority.
  • DMARC Policy: Setting the DMARC policy to 'none', 'quarantine', or 'reject' depends on your risk tolerance and email strategy.
  • Sender Score: Regularly check your sender score using tools like Sender Score and Google Postmaster Tools to identify and address any deliverability issues.
  • Content Quality: Consistently send high-quality, relevant content to engaged subscribers to improve your domain reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass explains that to check your sender score you should use tools like Sender Score and Google Postmaster Tools. These tools help to determine if your emails are likely to be marked as spam and to maintain good sending practices.

February 2024 - Gmass Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that setting up DKIM involves generating a DKIM key pair in Klaviyo, adding the public key as a TXT record in your DNS settings, and then enabling DKIM signing in Klaviyo. This ensures that your emails are digitally signed and verified by receiving mail servers.

September 2021 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that you’ll still have the subdomain but it’s not a web hosting subdomain and if it is it’s just going to need a CNAME to allow for the link branding and the platform’s sending domain authentication wizard should walk you through all you need to do, except for setting up a custom branded CNAME with SSL.

May 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that using a subdomain helps separate your marketing emails from transactional emails, protecting your main domain's reputation and preventing potential deliverability issues. Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records is crucial for authenticating your subdomain.

September 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid Blog explains that warming up your IP address involves gradually increasing the volume of emails you send over time to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Start with small batches and monitor your deliverability metrics closely.

April 2022 - SendGrid Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that you don’t need to create the subdomain, for email it just needs to be created synthetically, basically by setting up SPF and DKIM in DNS and that DMARC already automatically covers all possible subdomains, they don't recommend setting a policy on a subdomain by default, only as an exception with a good reason.

January 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that implementing DMARC involves creating a DMARC record in your DNS settings that specifies how receiving mail servers should handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks. You can set the policy to 'none', 'quarantine', or 'reject' based on your risk tolerance.

September 2024 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from MailerQ explains that to improve your domain reputation, you should consistently send high-quality, relevant content to engaged subscribers, avoid spam triggers in your email content, and promptly address any deliverability issues.

June 2021 - MailerQ
Marketer view

Email marketer from ZeroBounce shares that regularly cleaning your email list by removing invalid, inactive, and spam trap addresses is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and improving deliverability.

March 2022 - ZeroBounce
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that you may need to set up an A record to support a custom branded PTR (rDNS) for your dedicated IP and that Klaviyo uses CNAMES to manage SPF, DKIM, and custom link branding.

June 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that monitoring deliverability involves tracking metrics such as bounce rates, spam complaints, and inbox placement rates. Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score to gain insights into your sending reputation.

May 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailtrap Blog shares that to set up a subdomain for email sending with Klaviyo, you need to create a subdomain in your DNS settings and then add the DNS records provided by Klaviyo (CNAME and TXT records) to that subdomain. This process authenticates your emails and improves deliverability.

November 2024 - Mailtrap Blog

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

Setting up a subdomain for email sending with Klaviyo involves several crucial steps to protect your domain reputation and ensure email deliverability. Experts emphasize the importance of using a separate subdomain for marketing emails and ensuring it's properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Additionally, using a dedicated IP address and warming it up gradually is recommended for establishing a positive sending reputation. ESPs often provide guides and handle parts of the setup, but proper authentication is always critical to avoid emails being flagged as spam.

Key opinions

  • Subdomain Separation: Using a separate subdomain for marketing emails protects the primary domain's reputation.
  • Authentication is Key: Proper authentication with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for subdomain email sending.
  • Dedicated IP Benefits: A dedicated IP address helps establish a positive sending reputation.
  • Warm-Up Process: Gradually increasing sending volume over time is important for warming up a dedicated IP address.
  • ESP Guidance: ESPs like Klaviyo often provide guides and assistance in setting up subdomains.

Key considerations

  • ESP Setup Assistance: Rely on your ESP's (e.g., Klaviyo's) guidance, as they often handle significant parts of the subdomain setup process.
  • Authentication Protocols: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured for the subdomain to prevent emails from being marked as spam.
  • DMARC Policy: Consider implementing a DMARC policy (quarantine or reject) to further protect your domain from phishing attacks and improve deliverability.
  • IP Warm-Up Patience: Take the time to warm up your dedicated IP gradually to build a good sending reputation with ISPs.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Regularly monitor your sending reputation and deliverability metrics to identify and address any potential issues.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise recommends implementing DMARC to safeguard your domain reputation and protect recipients from email phishing attacks. Setting up DMARC with a policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject' can help improve deliverability and security.

November 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that using a separate subdomain for marketing emails can help protect your primary domain's reputation. Ensure the subdomain is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

February 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks agrees with LB and they should provide you with a guide of specifically what you should do. It's not uncommon to see an ESP tell you to create a subdomain and then delegate authority to them and somewhere in that process they may have additional steps for you, but in some cases, quite a bit of that is handled for you as part of their setup.

October 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise responds that ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for your sending subdomain is crucial. Without proper authentication, your emails are more likely to be flagged as spam by receiving mail servers.

December 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource shares that using a dedicated IP address for your Klaviyo account can help you establish a positive sending reputation. It's important to warm up the IP address gradually by slowly increasing your sending volume over time.

July 2022 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Setting up a subdomain for email sending with Klaviyo, according to various documentation sources, involves configuring specific DNS records with your DNS provider. This process includes adding CNAME, MX, and TXT records to authenticate your email sending and improve deliverability. Configuring SPF records is crucial to specify authorized mail servers, while registering for feedback loops allows you to manage complaints from ISPs. Additionally, setting up a PTR record enhances deliverability by verifying your identity through reverse DNS lookup.

Key findings

  • DNS Configuration: Connecting a sending domain requires configuring DNS records (CNAME, MX, TXT) with your DNS provider.
  • SPF Record: Setting up an SPF record involves including Klaviyo's SPF record in your DNS settings to authorize mail servers.
  • Feedback Loops (FBLs): Registering for FBLs with major ISPs allows you to identify and remove subscribers marking your emails as spam.
  • PTR Record: Setting up a PTR record for your sending IP address enhances deliverability through reverse DNS lookup.

Key considerations

  • DNS Provider Access: You need access to your DNS provider's account to add and modify DNS records.
  • Klaviyo's DNS Values: Ensure you use the correct values for CNAME, MX, and TXT records provided by Klaviyo.
  • SPF Authorization: Properly configuring SPF ensures only authorized mail servers can send emails on behalf of your domain.
  • ISPs Feedback Loop: Regularly monitor and act on feedback received through feedback loops to maintain a clean email list.
  • PTR Configuration: Setting up a PTR record requires coordination with your hosting provider or ISP to ensure correct reverse DNS resolution.
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that feedback loops (FBLs) are a mechanism by which ISPs forward complaints from their users back to the sender. Registering for FBLs with major ISPs allows you to identify and remove subscribers who are marking your emails as spam.

July 2022 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from Cloudflare Support explains that adding DNS records involves logging into your Cloudflare account, selecting your domain, navigating to the DNS settings, and then adding the required records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT) with the values provided by Klaviyo to point the subdomain to Klaviyo's servers for email sending.

October 2023 - Cloudflare Support
Technical article

Documentation from RFC explains that a PTR record (Pointer Record) is a type of DNS record that resolves an IP address to a domain name (reverse DNS lookup). Setting up a PTR record for your sending IP address can improve email deliverability by verifying your identity.

July 2024 - RFC
Technical article

Documentation from Klaviyo Help Center explains that connecting a sending domain involves configuring DNS records (CNAME, MX, TXT) with your DNS provider to authenticate your email sending, improve deliverability, and ensure compliance with email authentication standards like SPF and DKIM.

April 2021 - Klaviyo Help Center
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that an SPF record is a TXT record that specifies which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. To set up SPF for your Klaviyo subdomain, you need to include Klaviyo's SPF record in your DNS settings.

May 2021 - Google Workspace Admin Help