Klaviyo Deliverability Best Practices Every Marketer Should Follow

As a seasoned marketer, you know that feeling when you hit “send” on a beautifully crafted email campaign, just to see crickets on the other end.

Sucks, ain’t it?!

Source (Yep, we get it, fellas!)

Let’s get things straight and hashed out. It’s not always your content. 

Sometimes, your emails are being banished straight to the spam folder before your subscribers even get a chance to see them.

If you’re using Klaviyo (which, kudos, you’ve picked one of the most powerful email platforms for e-commerce and DTC brands), then optimizing your Klaviyo email deliverability is not just a “nice-to-have.” It’s a mission-critical move.

With a rich repertoire of 13+ years of expertise and experience in the email marketing sphere, we got in touch with our in-house Klaviyo mastermind, who will walk you through:

• What email deliverability really means (and why you should care)

• How to properly warm your Klaviyo account

• A behind-the-scenes look at Klaviyo’s Deliverability Hub

• Klaviyo deliverability best practices you really want to follow

• Actionable email deliverability tips for Klaviyo users

Let’s make sure your next campaign doesn’t just get sent; it gets seen.

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What is email deliverability, anyway?

Let’s clear the air: Email deliverability goes way beyond hitting “send” and hoping for the best. 

It’s the art and science of making sure your emails actually land in someone’s inbox, not their spam or promotions tab, or worse, vanish into the digital void.

Poor deliverability can quietly crush your results. To get a clearer picture of the outcome, think:

• Low open rates even with catchy subject lines

• High bounce rates that damage your domain

• Or emails getting flagged as spam before the recipient even sees them

Factors influencing this include your Klaviyo email sending reputation, list hygiene, domain authentication, and sending behavior.

It’s a lot, but the good news? 

Klaviyo gives you the tools and framework to improve email deliverability if you know how to use them.

First things first: Warming up the right way in Klaviyo

Imagine showing up to a party and yelling at full volume to a room full of strangers. Awkward, right? 

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That’s exactly what sending a blast to your full list from a new Klaviyo account looks like to email providers. Ouchie!

Wondering about the solution? 

Well, here’s one ~ preparing a proper warm-up strategy!

To begin with, warming is the process of gradually building trust with mailbox providers by sending emails to your most engaged subscribers first and slowly ramping up volume over time. This signals to Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc., that you’re a reputable sender, not a spammer.

Here’s how to do it;

• Start with your most active segment (people who’ve opened or clicked recently)
• Send in smaller batches during Week 1 and scale gradually over 2-4 weeks
• Avoid cold or purchased lists (seriously, just don’t)

Skipping this step is a common reason why emails end up in the spam folder early on. If you’re wondering how to avoid the spam folder in Klaviyo, this is where you start.

Next stop: Klaviyo’s Deliverability Hub

Once you’re warmed up and sending consistently, it’s time to keep tabs on your performance. 

This is where the Klaviyo Deliverability Hub steps in, which is basically your email campaign’s health tracker.

Think of it as the Fitbit for your emails, monitoring signals that affect inbox placement, giving recommendations, and letting you fix issues before they become big problems.

Here’s what you will see in the Hub. Once you navigate to Account → Deliverability, you’ll be greeted with:

• Deliverability score: A high-level rating (0–100) showing how well your emails are doing overall

• List quality breakdown: Shows bounce rates, spam complaints, and unsubscribes across different campaigns

• Engagement trends: Sheds light on opens, clicks, and inbox placement over time

• Sender authentication status: Lets you know whether your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly set up for Klaviyo sender authentication

• Proactive alerts: Gives suggestions for removing inactive contacts, improving targeting, and maintaining deliverability

If you’re not checking in here regularly, you’re probably missing out on one of the most powerful Klaviyo email deliverability tools available to you.

Email deliverability best practices every Klaviyo user should know

You’ve warmed your domain. You’re also diligently tracking your metrics. Now it’s time to future-proof your deliverability with these foundational habits.

Here’s your ready-to-peruse email deliverability checklist for Klaviyo:

1. Authenticate your domain

To call a spade a spade, without Klaviyo sender authentication, mailbox providers won’t trust your messages.

Here are some points to ensure;

~ SPF and DKIM are properly configured

 ~ DMARC is set to monitor (or better, enforce)

~ Your emails are being sent from a verified sending domain (not just a shared Klaviyo domain)

2. Send to people who want your emails

One of the simplest ways to improve email deliverability in Klaviyo is to send your emails only to the ones who actually want to read and engage with your brand. 

Here’s how to do that;

• Use double opt-ins when possible
• Regularly remove unengaged subscribers (this improves your open rates and reduces complaints)
• Segment your list to target based on engagement, preferences, and activity

3. Be consistent with sending frequency

Avoid ghosting your list for weeks and then flooding their inbox. Mailbox providers flag irregular patterns as suspicious.

4. Optimize email content for deliverability

We recommend trying Klaviyo spam prevention techniques to help build trust over time, such as;

• Ditching spammy words (“Buy now!” “Make $$$ fast”)
• Keeping a healthy text-to-image ratio
• Avoiding broken links and large attachments
• Always include an unsubscribe link (Klaviyo does this automatically, but never remove it)

5. Monitor your metrics like a hawk

Your open, click, bounce, and complaint rates are the heartbeat of your email health.

Here are some red flags to look out for:

• Open rates dipping below 15%

• Bounce rates over 2%

• Spam complaint rates over 0.1%

If you’re seeing trouble here, it’s time to pause, reevaluate, and re-engage your list more gently.

The road ahead 

If you want to migrate from another ESP to Klaviyo, we recommend reading ~ Klaviyo Migration Checklist: Steps & Best Practices.