Understanding content age-gating for SMS

Understanding content age-gating for SMS

Estimated 3 minute read

Updated Feb 2, 2026, 12:00 AM EST

Table of contents

You will learn
About age-gating for SMS
What industries need to age-gate in the United States
Additional resources

You will learn

Learn about age-gating content and why it’s important for SMS marketing. Here, we provide an overview of age-gating for SMS, including what is required and which industries require it.

Klaviyo supports age-gating for alcohol, firearms, and tobacco brands in supported countries and on eligible sending numbers. Access for certain sex-related content is limited to eligible accounts. For setup instructions, see our article on using age-gating in Klaviyo.

This information is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. The content provided is general in nature and may not reflect the most up-to-date information. Klaviyo strongly advises consulting with a qualified legal counsel to ensure your compliance with applicable laws and regulations in connection with your use of our services.

About age-gating for SMS

Age-gating is a technical protection method used to prevent underage people from viewing a website with restricted or inappropriate content. It requires visitors to verify that they are of age by entering their age or birth date before they can view content.

For certain industries, age-gating may be required, although it varies by country.

Age-gating for SMS has 2 parts to it, both of which are required. It must prevent underage visitors from:

Seeing content on a website
Opting into SMS marketing

If you have a short code, note that age-gated short code programs are approved on a case-by-case basis.

Note that Canada does not support age-gated content for toll-free numbers.

Why age-gating is important for SMS

Compared to most other marketing channels, SMS is subject to more restrictions and heavier scrutiny. Unless the proper age-gating procedures are in place, certain industries cannot use SMS to promote content. Further, failure to comply with these requirements can lead to the suspension of the sending number, an audit, and fines.

Blocking content on a website

Say you have an online liquor store in the US. When someone visits your website, a window will block the screen and ask for the visitor’s birthday. If that person is 21 or older, they will be able to access your full website and view your content. Anyone younger than 21 will see a message saying that they cannot view the website’s content and will not be able to view anything else.

Preventing visitors from subscribing

One option is to include an age gate within your SMS sign-up form. That way, someone must verify their age before they even become an SMS subscriber.

For an age-gated SMS sign-up form in Klaviyo, add an Age gate block on or before the SMS opt-in step. It collects the visitor’s date of birth and checks whether they meet the minimum age. A yes/no question about their age or a regular date field does not replace this check.

Text-to-join with a subscribe keyword alone does not verify age and cannot collect SMS consent for age-gated content. A Klaviyo tap-to-text form can collect consent when an age gate verifies the visitor’s date of birth before they send the opt-in text.

Klaviyo’s Smart Opt-in is not supported on age-gated forms.

What industries need to age-gate in the United States

Many of the industries that are prohibited for SMS can send messages if they have an age gate, although some are allowed only in some instances. If your business falls within one of the below categories or if you are planning a promotion featuring specific content, age-gating may be required for compliance.

The following chart refers to age-gating restrictions in the United States, but not in Klaviyo specifically. Klaviyo supports age-gating for alcohol, firearms, and tobacco brands in supported countries and on eligible sending numbers. Access for certain sex-related content is limited to eligible accounts.


Industry		Allowed with age-gating?	Number Types
Alcohol		Yes Age: 21+	Short code and toll-free numbers
Firearms		Yes Age: 21+	Short code
Sweepstakes (regional laws for sweepstakes may apply)		Yes Age: 18+	Approved short code. See SMS sweepstakes requirements.
Adult	Sex toys and lingerie	Yes Age: 18+	Short code
Sexually explicit content	No	N/A
Tobacco	Tobacco, including vapes containing nicotine, and tobacco-related paraphernalia	Yes Age: 21+	Short code
Illegal Substances	CBD/Cannabis, including CBD/Cannabis vapes and CBD/Cannabis-related paraphernalia	No	N/A
Gambling	Gaming apps, websites, betting apps, casinos	No	N/A