Summary
Migrating to a new email service provider (ESP) like Klaviyo often comes with inherent deliverability challenges. These issues are rarely unique to Klaviyo and stem more from the migration process itself, such as changes in IP reputation, domain warming, and data quality. Understanding these common pitfalls can help you prepare and mitigate potential drops in inbox placement.
Key findings
- Universal challenges: Deliverability problems are common with any ESP migration, not just Klaviyo, due to changes in sending infrastructure and reputation.
- Technical setup: Improper configuration of sending domains, including DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, is a primary cause of issues.
- List quality: Migrating unclean lists with inactive or invalid emails can lead to high bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Reputation management: Establishing a new sender reputation requires careful warming processes and consistent engagement. This is critical when you warm new IPs and subdomains.
Key considerations
- Pre-migration clean-up: Clean your email lists rigorously before migrating to avoid carrying over problematic contacts that will hurt your new sending reputation.
- Domain authentication: Ensure all domain records are correctly set up and validated within Klaviyo to prevent authentication failures.
- Strategic warming: Implement a detailed IP and domain warming plan, gradually increasing sending volume to build trust with internet service providers (ISPs).
- Monitoring: Continuously monitor your deliverability metrics, including open rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints, to quickly identify and address issues.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often face a range of deliverability challenges when moving to a new ESP like Klaviyo. These issues frequently revolve around the transition process rather than the platform itself. Key concerns include maintaining sender reputation, properly migrating subscriber data, and adapting to the new ESP's sending infrastructure and policies. Many marketers emphasize the importance of thorough preparation and proactive monitoring to minimize disruptions.
Key opinions
- Data migration pitfalls: Poor migration of subscriber data, including engagement history, can negatively impact segmentation and deliverability on the new platform.
- Lack of engagement history: Without prior engagement filters, initial sends might go to unengaged recipients, hurting sender reputation.
- Hidden list issues: Marketers often discover latent issues within their lists (e.g., spam traps or inactive users) during migration, leading to unexpected deliverability drops.
- Reputation carryover: While a new ESP offers fresh IPs, your domain's sending history and recipient engagement patterns will largely dictate your future success. This is why you need to recover domain reputation.
Key considerations
- Segment audiences: Start by sending to your most engaged segments first to build positive sending signals on the new platform.
- Monitor engagement metrics: Pay close attention to opens, clicks, and unsubscribes. A sudden drop in engagement might indicate deliverability issues post-migration.
- Dedicated IP consideration: For high-volume senders, consider a dedicated IP address with a proper warming schedule to control your sending reputation.
- Pre-warm existing lists: If possible, warm your existing lists by sending highly engaging content before the full migration to signal active users.
- Leverage ESP resources: Utilize Klaviyo's resources, such as their guide on understanding email deliverability, to ensure a smooth transition.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that the focus should be on general migration challenges rather than specific Klaviyo issues. They highlight that issues like rate limiting, poor data migration, and incorrect DNS setup are common across all ESP migrations. It's crucial to identify specific problems rather than broadly attributing them to the platform.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that migration alone is often the root cause of deliverability issues, not the specific ESP being migrated to. They emphasize the broad nature of "deliverability problems" and recommend providing specific details to get effective assistance. Without specific problems, it is hard to diagnose the issue.
What the experts say
Experts emphasize that while Klaviyo is a powerful platform, deliverability challenges during migration are more often symptoms of broader issues inherent to changing ESPs. They highlight the critical role of proper domain configuration, historical data quality, and strategic warming in ensuring successful inbox placement. The consensus is that meticulous planning and adherence to best practices are far more impactful than the choice of ESP itself.
Key opinions
- Universal migration challenges: Experts agree that deliverability issues are a common occurrence during any ESP migration, rather than being unique to Klaviyo. This means that problems like IP blocks and deliverability drops can occur regardless of the platform.
- DNS configuration is paramount: The most frequent deliverability problem observed with Klaviyo users is improper configuration of sending domains, particularly DNS records.
- Importance of specific diagnostics: General statements about "deliverability problems" are too broad. Experts recommend detailing specific symptoms to accurately diagnose and resolve issues.
- Pre-migration data hygiene: It is crucial to clean email lists thoroughly before migration to avoid transferring bad data, which can negatively impact new sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Verify sending domain setup: Prioritize proper setup of your sending domain within Klaviyo, including DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records.
- Phased migration: Implement a gradual migration strategy, starting with your most engaged subscribers to build positive sending signals.
- Engagement data transfer: Work to transfer as much historical engagement data as possible to Klaviyo to inform segmentation and prevent mailing unengaged users. This is key to diagnosing deliverability drops.
- Proactive problem-solving: Don't assume issues are platform-specific. Investigate common deliverability causes like high bounce rates, spam complaints, and content issues.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks notes that migration often presents deliverability problems regardless of the ESP. They highlight that the universal nature of these challenges means that specific platform issues are less common than general migration hurdles. It is essential to focus on these universal hurdles for a smooth transition.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that ESPs typically face similar challenges during migrations, such as rate limiting, flawed data migration, and a lack of engagement history for filtering. They emphasize that bad DNS setup is also a significant concern, advising users to troubleshoot these foundational aspects. Addressing these issues is fundamental for success.
What the documentation says
Klaviyo's official documentation provides comprehensive guidelines for email deliverability, emphasizing the importance of proper setup, list hygiene, and warming processes. It highlights that understanding email deliverability basics and adhering to best practices are crucial for success. Documentation often details technical requirements for domain authentication, consent management, and content optimization, which directly impact inbox placement.
Key findings
- Pre-migration data validation: Klaviyo recommends isolating and removing invalid or inactive emails before migrating any existing lists to improve deliverability. This is vital for resolving deliverability issues.
- Sender reputation establishment: Choosing the right warming process is essential to establish a strong initial sender reputation and be viewed favorably by inbox providers.
- Technical setup for domains: Ensuring sending domains are properly configured with authentication protocols like DKIM and SPF is a foundational step for deliverability.
- Business email usage: Using a business email address (your domain name) is recommended to avoid deliverability issues or being marked as spam.
Key considerations
- List import and segmentation: Follow Klaviyo's guidelines for importing lists, segmenting based on engagement, and gradually introducing new subscribers to ensure smooth sending.
- Dedicated sending domain: Set up a dedicated sending domain for your emails, aligning with best practices for email authentication and brand consistency. Consider deliverability implications of domains.
- Warming process adherence: Strictly follow Klaviyo's recommended warming process for new accounts or domains to build a positive sending history with ISPs. You can read about their warming process documentation.
- Compliance with guidelines: Adhere to all anti-spam laws and best practices for email content and list management to avoid blocklists (or blacklists) and maintain a good sender reputation.
Technical article
Klaviyo Help Center documentation suggests that before migrating existing lists, it's highly recommended to use all available data to isolate and remove any invalid or inactive emails. This proactive list cleaning ensures a healthier list and helps prevent deliverability issues on the new platform. A clean list is the foundation for good deliverability.
Technical article
Klaviyo Help Center explains how to choose the right warming process to establish a strong initial sender reputation. This process is crucial for new accounts or domains to be viewed favorably by inbox providers. A proper warming strategy builds trust over time, ensuring messages reach the inbox. Warming is a critical step.
Related resources
15 resources
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