Solutions to avoid spam on Klaviyo

It’s every marketer’s nightmare: your carefully crafted Klaviyo campaigns end up in your customers’ spam folders. Your open rates plummet, your conversions drop, and you wonder what went wrong.

The truth? Even with a powerful tool like Klaviyo, your emails can go astray. And contrary to what you might think, it’s not necessarily the platform’s fault.

In this article, we’ll break down the 5 main reasons why your Klaviyo emails go directly to spam, and more importantly, how to fix them effectively.

What causes a Klaviyo email to land in spam

The difference between delivered and deliverability

First, let's clarify an important point. When Klaviyo tells you your email is "delivered," it doesn't mean it arrived in the inbox. Delivery simply means the email reached the recipient's server, but deliverability determines whether it ends up in the primary inbox or spam.

And that’s where it gets complicated: Klaviyo has no control over this final placement. Once the email is sent, it’s the anti-spam filters of email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.) that decide its fate.

How to tell if your emails are going to spam

Look out for these warning signs:

• Sudden drop in open rates (from 25% to 8% overnight)
• Decrease in clicks despite quality content
• Increase in unsubscribes or complaints
• Customer feedback: “I didn’t receive your email”

If you tick several boxes, there's a good chance your emails are getting lost in spam.

Cause #1: Degraded sender reputation

The problem

Your sender reputation is determined by several factors: bounce rates, spam complaints, recipient engagement, and sending frequency. If this reputation degrades, all your emails, even the best ones, will end up in spam.

The undeniable signs:

• Spam complaint rate > 0.01% (your recipients click "report as spam")
• Bounce rate > 1% (emails that don't reach their destination)
• Low engagement: few opens, even fewer clicks
• Sending to inactive users: 50% of your list never opens anything

The solution

1. Radical list cleaning

Create a segment in Klaviyo to identify inactive profiles:

• No opens in 90 days
• No clicks in 6 months
• Never purchased

Create a segment to remove subscribers who never interact with your emails, as continuing to send them messages can erode your sender reputation.

2. Re-engagement campaign

Before deleting these profiles, make one last attempt:

Subject: “Shall we say goodbye?”

“Hi [First Name],

It's been a while since we last spoke…

If you want to keep receiving our emails, click here.

Otherwise, we'll say goodbye as friends.”

3. Segmentation by engagement

Use an engagement level segmentation strategy: send 70% of your campaigns to engaged profiles with general content and promotions.

Organize your mailings as follows:

• Highly engaged (opened + clicked in the last 30 days): all your emails
• Moderately engaged (opened in the last 60 days): important emails only
• Slightly engaged (opened in the last 90 days): re-engagement flow

Cause #2: Failed email authentication

The problem

The absence of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is one of the main reasons why Klaviyo transactional emails end up in spam. Without these protocols, email providers cannot verify that you are the legitimate sender.

The tell-tale signs

• Your welcome emails go directly to spam
• Order confirmations don't arrive
• Deliverability differences between providers (Gmail OK, Yahoo in spam)
• Authentication error messages in Klaviyo

The complete solution

1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) configuration

In your DNS, add this record:

v=spf1 include:_spf.klaviyo.com ~all

2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) configuration

In Klaviyo:

1. Go to Settings > Account > Domains & Hosting
2. Add your sending domain
3. Copy the provided DKIM records
4. Add them to your DNS
5. DMARC configuration

Add this DNS record:

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

3. Dedicated Sending Domain

Configuring a dedicated sending domain is the most important element for improving deliverability, as it allows you to stand out to email providers.

Use a dedicated subdomain:

• mail.yourcompany.com rather than yourcompany.com
• Consistency with your main domain
• More control over your reputation

Cause #3: Content that triggers spam filters

The problem

Email providers constantly scan email content for spam signals in subject lines and body. Certain words, structures, or practices automatically trigger filters.

Pitfalls to avoid

Problematic email subjects:

• URGENT! EXCEPTIONAL PROMOTION!!!
• RE: Your order (when it's not a reply)
• 🔥🔥🔥 50% OFF 🔥🔥🔥
• Free, 100% Guaranteed, Exclusive, Limited

Risky content:

• Too many images, not enough text (60% text / 40% images ratio)
• ALL CAPS TEXT
• Too many exclamation marks!!!
• Shortened links (bit.ly, tinyurl...)
• Suspicious attachments

The solution

1. Pre-send testing

Use tools like Mail-Tester.com:

• Send your email to the provided test address
• Analyze the spam score (aim for 8/10 minimum)
• Correct problematic elements

2. Content optimization

<!-- ✅ Good example -->

<h2>New Spring Collection</h2>

<p>Discover our 15 new designs for the season.</p>

<img src="collection.jpg" alt="Blue organic cotton dress">

<a href="https://mysite.com/collection">View Collection</a>

<!-- ❌ Bad example -->

<h2>🔥 LIMITED PROMO – 70% OFF !!! 🔥</h2>

<img src="promotion.jpg"> <!-- No alt text -->

<a href="bit.ly/promo123">CLICK HERE NOW !!!</a>

3. Optimized email subjects

• Instead of: “FLASH SALE: -50% off EVERYTHING!!!”
• Try: “Summer Collection at Sweet Prices”
• Instead of: “Free: Ultimate Marketing Guide”
• Try: “Your Marketing Guide (Complimentary)”

4. Images and alt text

Alternative text makes your images accessible and improves deliverability, as many spam filters detect emails containing images without alt text.

<img src="product.jpg" alt="White unisex sneakers size 38-45">

Cause #4: Deficient list management

The problem

Poor list hygiene is a slow poison for your deliverability. Invalid emails, duplicates, and especially: sending without consent.

Fatal errors

• Purchasing email lists (forbidden and ineffective)
• Importing files without opt-in
• Manually adding contacts without their consent
• Neglecting bounces and invalid addresses
• Spam traps: decoy addresses scattered by anti-spam systems

The solution

1. Ethical and legal collection

Use double opt-in only:

• The visitor enters their email on your site
• They receive a confirmation email
• They click to confirm their subscription
• Only then do they join your list

2. Automatic cleaning in Klaviyo

Create segments to identify:

• Hard bounces: immediate suppression
• Repeated soft bounces: suppression after 3 attempts
• Inactive addresses: no engagement for 6 months

3. Automatic sunset flow

Configure a flow that:

• Triggers after 120 days without an open
• Sends 3 re-engagement emails over 2 weeks
• Automatically suppresses non-responders

4. Upfront email validation

Integrate a validation service like ZeroBounce or NeverBounce into your signup forms to avoid invalid addresses from the point of collection.

Cause #5: Technical and configuration problems

The problem

Technical errors can sabotage even the best email strategies. Blacklisted IP, DNS problems, or incorrect Klaviyo configuration.

How to detect these problems

1. Check your IP reputation

Test your IP on:

• MXToolbox.com
• Spamhaus.org
• Barracuda Central

2. DNS problems

• Incorrectly configured SPF/DKIM records
• Propagation times not respected
• Conflicts between records

3. Faulty Klaviyo configuration

• Unverified sending domain
• "Reply-to" address different from the sending domain
• Broken tracking links

The technical solution

1. Dedicated IP if necessary

If you are using a shared IP, the bad practices of other businesses can affect your deliverability. In this case, you might need a dedicated IP.

Klaviyo offers dedicated IPs if:

• You send > 50,000 emails/month
• Your shared IP reputation is compromised
• You need more control

2. Warm-up your infrastructure

For a new IP or domain:

• Week 1: 500 emails/day to the most engaged
• Week 2: 1,000 emails/day
• Week 3: 2,500 emails/day
• Gradually increase to your usual volume

3. Constant monitoring

Monitor daily:

• Deliverability rate in Klaviyo
• Bounces and spam complaints
• Engagement by provider (Gmail vs Yahoo vs Outlook)

4. Tests by provider

Create segments to test deliverability:

• Gmail segment: 100 Gmail contacts
• Yahoo segment: 100 Yahoo contacts
• Outlook segment: 100 Outlook contacts

Send the same email to all 3 segments and compare performance.

If you would like more information on sending domain and DNS, here is a dedicated video:

Action plan: get out of spam in 30 days

Week 1: Diagnosis and cleanup

Day 1-2: Full audit

• Check your Klaviyo metrics (last 30 days)
• Test your DNS configuration (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• Analyze your latest emails with Mail-Tester

Day 3-5: List cleaning

• Identify inactive profiles (90+ days without open)
• Delete hard bounces
• Create your re-engagement segments

Day 6-7: Technical configuration

• Fix authentication issues
• Configure your dedicated sending domain
• Check your IP reputation

Week 2: Content optimization

Day 8-10: Template review

• Optimize text/image ratio
• Add alt text to all your images
• Correct problematic email subjects

Day 11-14: Re-engagement campaigns

• Launch your reactivation flows
• Test new email subjects
• Segment by engagement level

Week 3: Gradual ramp-up

Day 15-17: Sends to most engaged

• Send only to highly active profiles
• Monitor metrics in real-time
• Adjust if necessary

Day 18-21: Gradual expansion

• Include moderately engaged profiles
• Continue monitoring
• Document improvements

Week 4: Optimization and automation

Day 22-25: A/B testing

• Test different email subjects
• Experiment with sending times
• Optimize by segment

Day 26-30: Automation of best practices

• Configure automatic cleaning
• Set up sunset flows
• Schedule monthly audits

Tools and resources to improve your deliverability

Essential testing tools

1. Mail-Tester.com – Free spam test
2. GlockApps – Placement test by provider
3. MXToolbox – IP and DNS verification

Useful extensions

• Grammarly: Avoid “amateurish” mistakes
• Hemingway: Simplifies your texts
• Canva: Creates images optimized for email

Official Klaviyo Resources

Consult Klaviyo’s guide on deliverability best practices and their troubleshooting guide for emails that go to spam.

FAQ: Your questions about Klaviyo emails going to spam

Q: My emails only go to spam on Gmail, why? A: Gmail has particularly strict filters. Check your DMARC authentication and send more personalized content (Gmail favors emails in the Primary tab).

Q: How long does it take to get out of spam? A: Expect 2-4 weeks with a consistent strategy. Reputation is rebuilt gradually, not overnight.

Q: Should I change my sending domain? A: Only as a last resort. It's better to fix your current reputation than to start all over again.

Q: Transactional emails (order confirmations) also go to spam, is that normal? A: No, that's even more serious! If your Klaviyo transactional emails go to spam, it's often due to authentication problems or content that triggers filters. Correcting this is an absolute priority.

Q: Can we ask customers to add our email to their address book? A: Absolutely! It's even recommended. Include this request in your welcome email: "To ensure you receive our emails, add us to your contacts."

Q: Do I need a dedicated IP with Klaviyo? A: Not necessarily. Klaviyo's shared IPs are generally well managed. A dedicated IP is only useful if you send 100k+ emails/month or have specific needs.

Conclusion: Finding your way back to the inbox

Getting out of spam is possible, but it requires method and patience. The 5 causes we discussed – degraded reputation, faulty authentication, problematic content, poorly managed lists, and technical issues – are all fixable.

Key takeaways:

– Ruthlessly clean your lists (1000 engaged is better than 10000 inactive)

– Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

– Care for your content (natural subject lines, good text/image ratio)

– Respect consent (double opt-in is mandatory)

– Monitor your metrics (daily monitoring is essential)

The most important thing? Start now

Every day spent in spam means lost revenue and a degrading reputation. But with the right actions, you can get back to the inbox and fully leverage the power of Klaviyo.

Your emails deserve to be read. It's up to you to give them every chance to succeed!