How to Set Up a Klaviyo Branded Sending Domain (Step-by-Step for Q4)

Why the Klaviyo Branded Sending Domain Matters in Q4

Without a branded sending domain, your Klaviyo emails send from a shared Klaviyo address. You share that sender reputation with every other store on the shared pool.

That means one spammy sender on the shared infrastructure drags your deliverability down. You have no control over the other senders. That is the problem.

A Klaviyo branded sending domain moves you to a dedicated sender identity tied to your own domain. Mailbox providers see you as a unique sender. Your reputation is yours alone to build (or break).

Data from 2,000+ stores: setting up a branded sending domain lifts inbox placement by 10 to 25% on average. In Q4, that is tens of thousands of dollars in recovered revenue.

What a Klaviyo Branded Sending Domain Actually Is

A branded sending domain is a subdomain of your main store domain that you use for sending emails. Examples:

• Store domain: yourstore.com
• Branded sending domain: send.yourstore.com or mail.yourstore.com

You add two DNS records to the subdomain (SPF and DKIM). Those records prove to Gmail and Outlook that Klaviyo is authorized to send on your behalf.

Once verified, every Klaviyo email goes out with your branded domain in the From address. Customers see your brand. Mailbox providers see a unique, trusted sender.

How to Set Up a Klaviyo Branded Sending Domain

This takes 10 minutes inside Klaviyo, plus a 24-hour wait for DNS to propagate. Do it before October 15 so you have time to warm up the new identity.

Step 1: Open Klaviyo and Navigate to Domains

Log in to Klaviyo. Click your account name in the top right, then Account. In the left sidebar, click Settings, then Domains and Hosting.

You will see two sections: Branded Sending Domains and Dedicated Sending Servers. Focus on the first one.

Step 2: Add Your Branded Sending Domain

Click Add a Branded Sending Domain. Enter the subdomain you want to use. We recommend:

• send.yourstore.com (best for ecommerce, readable)
• mail.yourstore.com (classic choice)
• hey.yourstore.com (more casual brands)

Klaviyo immediately generates 2 DNS records you need to add to your domain registrar.

Step 3: Add SPF and DKIM Records to Your DNS

Open your DNS provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, Shopify Domains, whatever you use).

Add these two records:

1. TXT record for SPF: host is the subdomain (for example send), value is the long string Klaviyo gives you starting with v equals spf1
2. CNAME record for DKIM: host is something like dkim dot domainkey dot send, value is the CNAME target Klaviyo provides

Save the records. Propagation usually takes 10 minutes to 2 hours, though Klaviyo says allow 24 hours.

Step 4: Verify in Klaviyo

Back in Klaviyo, click Verify next to the domain. If DNS has propagated, you get green checks for both records. If not, wait 30 minutes and try again.

A failed verification usually means the DNS records were entered with extra quotes, extra spaces, or on the wrong host. Double check the exact syntax Klaviyo gave you.

Step 5: Switch Your Flows and Campaigns to the New Domain

This step is easy to forget and costs you the deliverability gain if you skip it.

Go to each flow and each campaign template. Update the From email to use your new branded sending domain. Save.

From this point, every send uses your verified identity.

How to Warm Up the Klaviyo Branded Sending Domain

A brand new sender identity has zero reputation. If you blast 100,000 emails on day one, mailbox providers flag you as a spammer.

Warm up over 7 to 14 days:

1. Day 1 to 2: send only to your most engaged segment (openers in last 14 days), 5,000 to 10,000 per day max
2. Day 3 to 5: expand to engaged in last 30 days, 15,000 to 25,000 per day
3. Day 6 to 10: expand to engaged in last 60 days, 30,000 to 50,000 per day
4. Day 11+: back to normal volume

This is the exact warm-up we run for every client switching to a new branded domain.

Common Klaviyo Branded Sending Domain Mistakes

Seen these a hundred times:

• Using the root domain. Never set up send.yourstore.com and then break your main MX records. Always use a new subdomain.
• Forgetting DMARC. SPF and DKIM are required. DMARC is optional but recommended. Add a simple v equals DMARC1 p equals none record to start.
• Blasting volume on day one. Warm up or you burn the new identity.
• Not switching flows. Easy to verify the domain and forget to update every flow template.

The One-Line Takeaway

Set up your branded sending domain. Verify SPF and DKIM. Warm it up. Watch your open rate climb 10 to 25% before you even touch a subject line.