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Are you often in distress thinking about why your painstakingly crafted business emails aren't landing in your customers' inboxes? If so, the solution lies in the successful setup of Klaviyo DKIM.
Email marketing has grown exponentially in recent years, emerging as a prominent player in e-commerce. At First Pier, we understand that ensuring your emails land in your customers' inboxes isn't just desirable – it's crucial. Let's face it. No matter how alluring your marketing message is or how irresistible your product, it counts for zilch if the email doesn't reach your customers. Klaviyo DKIM can help.
DKIM, short for DomainKeys Identified Mail, enhances the deliverability of your professional emails. The term might sound technical, but it's nothing more than a method to authenticate your emails, making sure they're rightly considered safe and relevant by email servers. Think of it as a digital passport for your emails!
When it comes to email marketing tools, Klaviyo stands head and shoulders above the rest. It doesn't just allow you to send emails; it aids in building a strong sender reputation, thereby elevating your email deliverability rates. Integrating Klaviyo DKIM is an effective strategy to ensure your carefully crafted marketing emails reach their intended recipients and you achieve the desired engagement.
In a nutshell, our steps to setup Klaviyo DKIM are:
You'll learn how to traverse these steps smoothly, in the forthcoming sections of this article.
By following these straightforward steps to set up Klaviyo DKIM, even a novice can successfully master this intimidating-sounding task. Trust us, enhancing your business's email deliverability has never been simpler or more comprehensive. Welcome aboard for a deep dive into effective and efficient Klaviyo DKIM setup!
Before we delve into the specifics of the Klaviyo DKIM setup, let's familiarize ourselves with the domains involved in email deliverability. There are primarily three types of domains you need to be aware of: the sending domain, the return path domain, and the tracking domain.
The sending domain is the 'from' address that appears in the emails you send to your customers. This is the domain your customers see and interact with. A strong sending domain reputation is crucial for your email deliverability. As such, make sure your sending domain is authentic, trustworthy, and respected by email servers. A dedicated sending domain, as opposed to a shared one, can help maintain your domain's reputation and control your deliverability.
The return path domain is the email address where bounce and reply messages are sent. This domain is used by the email server to communicate back to you. It's like a return address on a letter. Your return path domain's reputation can also impact your email deliverability. Therefore, monitor and manage bounce and reply messages effectively.
The tracking domain is used by Klaviyo, or any other email service provider, to track email events like opens, clicks, and bounces. This is achieved by embedding transparent images or personalized links into your emails. While not directly visible to your customers, the tracking domain plays a critical role in gathering valuable data about your email performance, which is essential for refining your email marketing strategy.
Understanding these domains is the first step towards optimizing your email deliverability. In the next section, we will guide you through setting up these domains in Klaviyo. By mastering these domains, you empower your business to improve its marketing emails' deliverability. This, in turn, ensures your emails reach your customers' inboxes and not their spam folders, helping you effectively engage with your customers and drive sales.
At First Pier, we understand the complexities of email deliverability and are here to help you navigate this journey. Stay tuned for our next section where we'll walk you through setting up your domains in Klaviyo.
After understanding the importance and role of domains in email deliverability, the next step is to set up your domains in Klaviyo. This process is essential for optimizing your email deliverability and ensuring that your emails reach your intended audience.
Our first task is to note down all the domains from which you send emails. This includes both your root domain — the domain that you want your emails to be sent from — and the sending domain — the domain that your emails are sent from and appears in the email header.
For instance, if you manage multiple accounts for different global stores of the same brand, such as a US and UK account, you need to list and verify all these domains. Multiple Klaviyo accounts can use a given sending domain, as long as all relevant DNS records are found upon verification.
Next, we move onto creating a dedicated sending domain in Klaviyo. This process begins by selecting your company name in the top right corner of your Klaviyo account. Follow by selecting "Account" and then the "Settings" dropdown. Choose "Domains and Hosting" from the main tab and click on "Get Started".
This allows you to input your root domain (e.g., example.com) and specify an arbitrary subdomain under the 'Sending Domain' (e.g., group.example.com). Hover over and click the text to copy the generated TXT and CNAME records to your clipboard.
The final step is to verify and apply your domain. The verification process involves updating your DNS records with the TXT and CNAME records generated in Klaviyo. This step often requires you to step outside of Klaviyo and navigate to your DNS provider’s platform. If you're unable to update the records, it would be best to consult your IT team or contact your DNS provider for further guidance.
Once you've updated your DNS records, return to Klaviyo and click on "Continue to Verify Domain". Review any message that appears. If your records are valid, you'll see a success message. If they are not, an error message will appear.
Finally, select "Apply Domain". Check the box indicating that you understand you must warm your infrastructure by changing your sending behavior and click "Apply Domain" again. Klaviyo will then apply your dedicated sending domain to your account and produce a success message when completed.
With the domain set up in Klaviyo, you've completed a crucial step towards optimizing your email deliverability. In the next section, we'll delve into the process of authenticating your domains using DKIM.
Now that your domain is set up in Klaviyo, it's time to move to the next phase: domain authentication using DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail.
DKIM is a technique that adds a digital signature to the headers of your email. This signature is a code generated by a combination of your private and public keys. The public key is stored in your DNS record, while the private key remains hidden and is used to create the DKIM signature.
This authentication method is a powerful tool in the fight against email spoofing and phishing. It ensures that the email was indeed sent from your domain and has not been tampered with during transit. It's a stronger method than SPF since it uses public-key cryptography instead of relying solely on IP addresses.
To generate your DKIM key pair, you need to go to the 'Domains and Hosting' section in your Klaviyo account settings. However, only users with Owner, Admin, Manager, or Campaign Coordinator privileges can make changes.
Once you're in the right place, look for the 'DKIM' section and click on 'Generate DKIM Key.' This process will give you a public and a private key. The private key should be hidden and kept secure, while the public key will be used in the next step.
With your public key generated, it's time to publish it to your DNS records. This process happens outside of Klaviyo, so you might need to consult your IT team or go to your company's DNS provider's platform. Paste the public key into a new TXT record in your DNS.
The name of this TXT record should follow a specific format: "k=rsa; p=[your public key]". This format ensures proper identification of the record as a DKIM key.
Your email server needs to know that it should attach DKIM signatures to your outgoing emails. To do this, go back to Klaviyo and navigate to 'Domains and Hosting' under 'Settings'.
Here, under the 'DKIM' section, you should see an option to 'Enable DKIM signing.' Clicking this will turn on the DKIM signing feature, and from then on, Klaviyo will automatically attach DKIM signatures to your outgoing emails.
And voila! You've successfully set up Klaviyo DKIM for your email domain. This is a crucial step for increasing your email deliverability and protecting your emails from being marked as spam.
In the next section, we'll guide you through testing your DKIM setup to ensure everything is working as expected.
Once you've set up your Klaviyo DKIM, you need to ensure that everything is working correctly. This is where testing comes into play. To do this, you need to validate your setup using a DKIM Checker and troubleshoot any common issues that may arise.
To confirm that your DKIM records are set up correctly, you can use a DKIM Lookup Tool. In the Selector section, type kl or kl2, and enter your domain name in the Domain section. When the DKIM status shows green, it indicates that the record is correctly set up.
You can use tools like EasyDMARC's DKIM Record Generator to validate your DKIM setup. This can help you verify that your emails are coming from an authorized server and are not being tampered with during delivery.
Even with the most meticulous setup, you might encounter some issues. Here are some common problems that may arise during the Klaviyo DKIM setup process:
Incorrect record setup: Ensure that all the records are added correctly in your DNS zone. Double-check the values provided by Klaviyo and verify that they match with the ones in your DNS zone.
Propagation delay: DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate. If your setup isn't working immediately, wait for a few hours and try again.
DKIM record not found: If the DKIM checker cannot locate your record, it may be due to a typo or missing value. Check your DNS records again to ensure everything is correct.
Selector issue: Make sure you have used the correct selector (kl or kl2) while checking the DKIM records.
If you encounter any issues during the testing process, don't hesitate to reach out to Klaviyo's help center or your IT team for assistance.
Testing your Klaviyo DKIM setup is essential to ensure your messages are authenticated correctly, increasing their chances of reaching the recipient's inbox. In the next step, we'll take your email security a notch higher by discussing SPF and DMARC.
Having completed your Klaviyo DKIM setup, you're now ready to bolster your email security even further. This can be achieved by implementing Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC).
SPF and DMARC are additional email authentication measures that work alongside DKIM. SPF allows email servers to verify that emails appearing to come from a specific domain are sent from servers authorized by that domain. It helps to prevent 'email spoofing' where cybercriminals send emails that look like they're from your domain.
On the other hand, DMARC is a protocol that uses SPF and DKIM to determine the authenticity of an email message. If either the SPF or DKIM check fails, DMARC tells the receiving server what to do with the email, based on the policy defined by you, the domain owner.
Implementing SPF and DMARC involves adding specific records to your domain's DNS. Just like with the Klaviyo DKIM setup, these records allow email servers to recognize that your emails are legitimate and not spam.
Once you've set up SPF and DMARC, it's crucial to monitor your email authentication reports regularly. These reports will provide valuable insights into your authentication performance, helping you identify and fix any potential issues promptly.
You can use Klaviyo's robust reporting and benchmarking tools to keep track of your email deliverability metrics. These metrics will tell you how many of your emails are successfully reaching the inbox and how many are being marked as spam or rejected.
The key to successful email marketing is not just about sending emails but making sure they're delivered and opened. By implementing Klaviyo DKIM, SPF, and DMARC, you can significantly improve your email deliverability, ensuring your messages reach your subscribers' inboxes and get read.
At First Pier, we're here to help you navigate the complexities of email authentication. We're committed to helping you achieve the best possible email deliverability, so your marketing efforts yield the highest return. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on mastering Klaviyo and enhancing your email marketing strategy.
Successfully setting up Klaviyo DKIM is a significant step towards ensuring that your emails land in your recipients' inboxes instead of their spam folders. It's an essential part of your email authentication strategy that helps protect your sender reputation and increase your email deliverability rate.
Emails that are correctly authenticated with DKIM are less likely to be flagged as spam by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This increases your chances of reaching your subscribers' inboxes and boosts the overall effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.
Klaviyo plays a crucial role in simplifying the DKIM setup process. By providing an intuitive interface and detailed instructions, Klaviyo makes it easy for you to authenticate your emails with DKIM, even if you're not a technical expert.
With Klaviyo, you can generate your DKIM records directly within the platform and easily add them to your DNS zone. Klaviyo even provides a DKIM verification tool to ensure your setup is correct. This focus on user-friendliness is one of the reasons why we at First Pier recommend Klaviyo to our clients.
In conclusion, setting up Klaviyo DKIM is a vital step in improving your email deliverability and safeguarding your sender reputation. As your trusted Shopify partner, we at First Pier are here to guide you every step of the way. Whether you're just getting started with Klaviyo or looking to optimize your existing setup, we're committed to helping you achieve email marketing success.
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