How to create a branded shortened link for SMS

How to create a branded shortened link for SMS

Estimated 6 minute read

Updated Oct 31, 2025, 12:00 AM EST

Table of contents

You will learn
Before you begin
Branded Klaviyo link
Branded custom links
Additional resources

You will learn

Learn how to add your brand name to shortened links in your Klaviyo SMS messages. Branding your shortened links makes them more personalized to your brand and credible, indicating to recipients that this link will take them to your website or page.

You must be on a paid SMS plan to create a branded Klaviyo or custom link and have permission to edit domain settings.

Before you begin

There are 2 options for branding your shortened links:

A branded Klaviyo link, which is like a custom prefix for SMS shortened links.
A branded custom link, which is a fully customizable shortened link.

As an example, here’s what the beginning of your link may look like for a company called “James Black.”


Link type	Example
Klaviyo link	klv3.io
Branded Klaviyo link	jblck.klv3.io
Branded custom link	sms.JamesBlack.com

For more information about the different short link options, see understanding the difference in SMS shortened links.

Branded Klaviyo link

Include your organization name in the link to allow for a more streamlined experience between the SMS message and your website.

The subdomain you choose for your branded Klaviyo link must:

Be 20 characters or less.
Contain only letters or numbers (no special characters).
Be unique (you cannot have the same subdomain as someone else).
Not include any inappropriate words.

Note that when you create, edit, change, or remove any branded Klaviyo link, all previous links will continue to work as expected.

Best practices

There are 2 key best practices to consider when creating branded Klaviyo links.

Make the link easy to understand You always want your Klaviyo link to be a direct reflection of your brand. After all, there’s no point in using a branded Klaviyo link if your recipients can’t connect it back to you.
Good: Klaviyo, KLVYO
Bad: K
Don’t make them too long. Whatever branding you choose makes your links that much longer, meaning you’ll have fewer characters to use in your text messages.
Good: Klaviyo
Bad: KlaviyoMarketingTech

Create a branded Klaviyo link

Create your unique branded Klaviyo link by following these steps.

Navigate to Settings > Domains
Under Branded short links, click Customize next to the default Klaviyo domain.
Branded Klaviyo links are only available to those on paid SMS plans. If you are not on a paid plan, you will first see prompts to upgrade.
Under Subdomain, enter the brand name you want in your shortened links (e.g., jamesblack).
Your subdomain must follow these requirements:
- Be 20 characters or less.
- Contain only letters or numbers (no special characters).
- Be unique (you cannot have the same subdomain as someone else).
- Not include any inappropriate words.
Note: You cannot edit the Klaviyo root domain shown after your subdomain.

Click Save.

After you save, you’ll see the branded Klaviyo link under Branded short links on the Domains page, along with its status.

Edit a branded Klaviyo link

Before editing a branded Klaviyo link, know that once you change the prefix, it may not be available again. Editing the subdomain effectively releases it, allowing other companies the chance to use it.

To edit your branded Klaviyo link, follow these steps:

Navigate to Settings > Domains
Under Branded short links, open the options menu next to your branded Klaviyo link.
Click Edit.

Change your branding under Subdomain.
Note: you cannot change the Root domain of a branded Klaviyo link.
Click Save.

Delete a branded Klaviyo link

Deleting a branded Klaviyo link releases its prefix for other companies to use. New shortened links use the default Klaviyo link unless you have an active branded custom link.

When your branded custom link becomes active, Klaviyo uses it for new shortened links. Your branded Klaviyo link remains available as a fallback.

To remove your branded Klaviyo link, follow these steps:

Navigate to Settings > Domains
Under Branded short links, open the options menu next to your branded Klaviyo link.
Click Remove subdomain.

Select Remove link to confirm that you want to delete the branded Klaviyo link from your account.

Branded custom links

Branded custom links don’t show any part of the default Klaviyo URL (e.g., klv.io). Instead, you can tailor the domain to your organization or to your SMS program specifically. In addition, click tracking using a branded custom link is a prerequisite for using universal links and App Links in text messages.

Unlike with Klaviyo branded links, branded custom links are approved and activated after DNS records propagate. This process typically completes in 10 minutes or less, but it can take up to 48 hours.

Branded custom links must:

Be unique (you cannot have the same link as someone else).
Clearly represent your brand.

The most important thing is that customers know that the link represents your brand. However, we recommend doing this in the fewest characters possible: the shorter your branded custom link is, the fewer characters it will use in your SMS messages.

Connect a branded custom link

Branded custom links cannot be edited in place. Removing a custom domain can stop links in previously sent messages from working. Contact support if you need help with the transition.

To replace a domain, open its options menu under Branded short links, select Remove, and confirm Remove link. Then follow the steps below to connect the new domain.

Before connecting a custom domain, make sure you own it and can update its DNS records. Use a subdomain if your root domain hosts an active website; a root domain used for link forwarding cannot also host that website.

Click your account name in the bottom left corner.
Go to Settings > Domains.
Under Branded short links, select Connect a domain.
Choose Subdomain or Root domain.
For Subdomain, enter your main domain in Root domain (e.g., jamesblack.com) and your prefix in Subdomain (e.g., sms).
For Root domain, enter the domain you want to use (e.g., jb.co) and select I confirm that this domain does not host an active website.

Select Next.
Select Connect with Entri for automatic DNS setup, or Set up manually.

If you choose to manually set up your domain, the generated DNS records will be presented to you so you can manually add them to your DNS. With automatic configuration through Entri, the records will be added automatically on your behalf.

If you selected Connect with Entri, follow the prompts to authorize the DNS changes. When setup succeeds, Klaviyo starts verifying your domain.
If you selected Set up manually, select your DNS provider and click Next.
Add the DNS records shown in Klaviyo to your DNS provider, using the provider instructions linked in the setup screen. Copy each record’s type, name, and value, then return to Klaviyo and click Next to start verification.
Click Done to return to Domains. Under Branded short links, check the custom domain’s status. Once verification is complete, its status changes to Active and Klaviyo uses it for shortened links.

If the status shows Action required or Failed, open the custom domain’s options menu and select View records to check that your DNS records match those shown in Klaviyo.

Register a shortened version of your domain to save costs

To save characters (and costs) in your SMS messages, you can register and take ownership of a shortened version of your domain. For example, instead of using sms.jamesblack.com, you might register jb.co. Shortened custom domains keep links brand-recognizable while using fewer characters, leaving you more space in each message.

To do this, you’ll need to:

Register your chosen shortened domain with a domain registrar
Take ownership and connect it in your Klaviyo account (via DNS setup or Entri)

Using a shorter branded domain reduces your per-message character count, helping optimize spend while maintaining trust and brand recognition.

Additional resources

Understanding the difference in SMS and Whatsapp shortened links

Learn about the differences between the various types of SMS shortened links: the default Klaviyo link, branded Klaviyo link, and branded custom link. - How to increase SMS click rates

Learn how to improve your SMS click rates as well as about performance benchmarks for campaigns and flows.

Was this article helpful?

YesNo

Use this form only for article feedback. Learn how to contact support.