Set up a branded sending domain
Before your client sends a single email through Klaviyo, the technical foundation needs to be in place. The video below walks you through how to set up a branded sending domain, the infrastructure Klaviyo uses to authenticate your client's outgoing email. Once you've watched it, the rest of this module covers what the setup process doesn't: what to do when DNS access is blocked, how to audit an existing DMARC policy before touching it, and how to explain all of it to a client who just wants to hit send.
Need to reference the steps? Set up a branded sending domain — Klaviyo Help Center
SPF, SKIM, and DMARC: what each one does
The video covers the setup steps. Before you can troubleshoot, explain, or advise a client on what to do when something goes wrong, you need to understand what each piece does.
For more information, review our guide on understanding how DMARC protects your domain reputation.
SPF is your client's official list of approved email senders. When an email goes out, receiving servers check this list to confirm Klaviyo is authorized to send on your client's behalf. If Klaviyo isn't on it, the email looks suspicious before it even reaches the inbox.
As the agency: you don't build this list manually — Klaviyo handles it — but you need to know it exists so you can explain why authentication matters when a client asks.
DKIM is a digital signature that travels with every email your client sends. It tells receiving servers the email hasn't been tampered with since it left Klaviyo. Think of it as a tamper-evident seal on the message.
As the agency: Klaviyo configures DKIM automatically when you set up the branded sending domain. You don't need to do anything extra — but you do need to verify it's passing before the first send.
DMARC is the policy that decides what happens when SPF or DKIM fail. It's also the one your clients are most likely to already have in place — sometimes incorrectly — when you arrive.
As the agency: DMARC is where most onboarding problems live. A policy set too strictly by a previous agency, or never audited before you got there, can block real emails silently. Always check it before you touch anything else.
Three settings to know:
p=none:watch and report only. Nothing is blocked. Start every client here.p=quarantine:failing emails go to spam. Move here once you've confirmed all senders are passing.p=reject: failing emails are blocked entirely. Only here when everything is confirmed and clean.
Follow additional steps for high-volume senders
In some cases, you and your client may decide to set up additional dedicated sending elements, such as a dedicated IP address and dedicated click tracking. Expand the dropdowns below to learn which clients qualify for each and why you would want to set these up for them.
Dedicated IP address
What is it:
A dedicated IP address is one that only your client will use, rather than sharing it with other senders (as is the case with Klaviyo’s shared IP). As a result, the reputation of a dedicated IP can only be influenced by the single account that is using it. Learn more about how shared and dedicated IPs differ.
Who should do this:
A dedicated IP is only recommended for clients that send a very high volume of emails (e.g., over 1 million emails per month). To move to a dedicated IP, you must also have access to either a Partner or Customer Success Manager.
How to get started:
To learn if your client qualifies and begin the process of setting up a dedicated IP, contact your client's designated Customer Success Manager for more information. From there, follow step-by-step guidance on how to warm a dedicated IP.
Dedicated click tracking
What is it:
Dedicated click tracking allows you to show your client’s own domain on click tracking links rather than the default Klaviyo domain which appears as a long string of letters and numbers from a Klaviyo encoded link. Instead, customers will see your client’s brand name when hovering over links in an email, which may encourage them to click.
Who should do this:
Any company is eligible to enable dedicated click tracking.
How to get started:
Follow step-by-step guidance on how to set up dedicated click tracking.
Note: If your client has a dynamic branded sending domain configured in Klaviyo, you can reach out to Klaviyo’s Support team to have a click tracking domain with SSL enabled for their account. You can also have a dedicated click tracking domain set up on your behalf if they’re on a static configuration with the CNAME record pointing to klaviyodns.com.