Switching to Klaviyo: an agency migration checklist.
A clean move to Klaviyo means exporting and mapping your lists and consent, rebuilding flows in priority order, connecting store tracking, setting up authentication records, and warming sending gradually. Plan for the old platform to run alongside the new one for a short overlap, then switch flows off one at a time.
Before you move anything.
Audit what exists on the old platform, including flows, segments, forms and integrations. Decide what to rebuild, what to improve and what to retire. Some old automations are not worth moving, so be willing to retire them.
Confirm consent. Only subscribers who agreed to marketing should move, and you should keep the evidence of when and how they agreed.
Move data and tracking.
Export profiles with their consent status and any properties you use for segments. Connect your store so that orders, carts and product views flow into Klaviyo, then test that events arrive correctly.
Suppression lists matter as much as subscribers. Bring unsubscribes, bounces and complaints across so that you do not email people who opted out.
Authenticate and warm.
Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your sending domain, and consider a branded sending domain. A new platform with a changed sending identity can behave like a new sender, so start with your most engaged subscribers and build volume gradually.
Watch bounce and complaint rates closely in the first weeks.
Rebuild and switch over.
Rebuild flows in the order of revenue importance, usually welcome, abandoned cart and post purchase first. Test each with real orders, then turn the old version off the moment the new one goes live, so customers never get both.
In practice.
A store moving from another platform sends its first large campaign from Klaviyo to the whole imported list on day one. Inbox placement drops because the new setup has no sending history and some contacts are years old. A better plan sends to the most engaged people first, widens gradually over a few weeks and watches complaints at each step.
Checklist.
- Consent records exported with each profile
- Unsubscribes and suppressions brought across
- Store events verified with a test order
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up and checked
- A warm up plan agreed for the first sends
- Old flows switched off as new ones go live
Common mistakes.
- Moving the whole list, including people who never consented
- Leaving old and new flows running together
- Sending a large first campaign without warming up
Questions people ask.
How long does a migration take?
It depends on how many flows and integrations you have. The data move can be quick, while rebuilding and testing flows is where most of the time goes.
Do I need to keep the old platform running?
For a short overlap, yes, so that nothing is lost while flows are tested. Switch each old flow off as its replacement goes live.
Will my deliverability suffer?
It can, if you move the whole list at once with no warm up. Authentication and gradual sending reduce the risk.
Inferno Emails is an agency, so we have an interest in you hiring one. This guide is written to help you choose well, including choosing someone else or doing the work yourself.
Want a straight answer on your own account? Our free audit lists what is missing and what to fix first, with no obligation. See the email deliverability service or book your free audit.
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