Klaviyo Email Builder: test, opinions and limitations

published on 27/05/2025,

updated on 28/05/2025

In my mission to review the different email manufacturers on the marketIt's hard not to cross paths with Klaviyo: I see a lot of solution specialists on Linkedin - don't tell me they're not swarming in your newsfeed! In any case, let's take an honest and objective look at the strengths of Klaviyo's email builder... and its limitations.

Set general styles for future campaigns

Klavuyo and general email campaign styles

It is essential to complete certain information to define general styles for all future campaigns generated from Klaviyo's Email Builder.

So first I go to the drop-down list Contents, then I choose Images and branding.

In the BrandI have three choices:
- Tab Styles I import my logo and define the colors of my texts, links and buttons. I can also define the default font - from a list of websafe typographies - for my textual content.
- Tab Header links I create a quick menu with several tabs - and the hyperlinks that go with them. Very practical!
- Finally, in the IconsI enter the social networks on which my brand is present and the associated links.
In the Fonts I have the choice of using Google Fonts, Adobe fonts or my own typography. I notice in passing that Klaviyo displays an information message stipulating that calling a Google Font is more or less contrary to the RGPD - it's rare to see this mention!
In the Style I have two choices:
- Style descriptors Define my communication style or brand personality to ensure consistent messages via a text field.
- Writing rules : It's a kind of my brand's editorial charter or "tone of voice. So I create specific instructions that structure and reinforce my brand identity (they say it!). On the other hand, the option bugs every other time, but either...
Once these two fields have been filled in, Klaviyo will generate an object and a "Email content types for three message typologies: promotional messages, re-engagement messages, and information and content-related messages. After that, it's up to you to decide whether you want to make use of this AI-based functionality - which is only in Beta at the moment. By filling in these fields, you'll find content suggestions or rewordings when you write your texts - email subject lines, for example.

Then define the general styles of a particular email campaign

Email campaign styles in the Klaviyo email builder

This is where I start define global styles for a particular email campaign background color or background image setting <body> - with choice of background-repeatof the background-sizeand background-position - background color, width, rounded corners, top margin, inner margins, message border... But also declaration of the formatting of body and title texts - and of the message... <h1> à <h4> -It's very complete, and I really appreciate the fact that it's not just basic rich text editor!

And then complete the email content

I'm ready to add content to my email campaign. I start...

With "Basic" elements

First, the layout

With Sectionsfirst of all: a section is the equivalent of a stripe on Stripo email builder for example. It's a horizontal strip, which can contain several structures inside, structures made of one or more columns.
And Columns so: when adding a module ColumnsI can choose between 1 and 4 columns, and select equal or different ratios for each column - 50%, 25%, 25% for a 3-column module, for example. Inside these columns are blocks, which we'll now look at in detail.

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I use the Blocks provided in Klaviyo's Email Builder

Text : I can configure the background color and internal margins of the block, and even the background color and internal margins of the text zone, which gives me the opportunity to create "encapsulated" texts I love it! What's more, I can enter individual values for internal margins, with the value of my choice - which isn't the case with the latest Email Builder I've been able to analyze. I'd also like to draw your attention to the fact that block source code is accessible AND modifiable ! It's beautiful... On the other hand, I notice that the "basic" texts - which aren't titles - aren't in tags. <p>. It's less beautiful.
Image Klaviyo's email builder offers a lot of little extras. For example, I can connect my Canva account to easily retrieve visuals worked on the image editor. I can also enter image urls already hosted on a server. Finally, I can insert dynamic images based on my recipient's data - to display an item recently added to the shopping cart, for example. Finally, if your Klaviyo account is connected to your Shopify or WooCommerce site, you can simply select the visuals for your products. I'd also like to mention the ability to compress your images directly when they're imported into the library, with an estimate of the weight saved. Wonderful! Yes, it's true, there's no photo retouching solution directly integrated into the solution, but is that the most important thing? Each solution has its own use! On the other hand, a small insert to add a graphic style to alternative texts would have been welcome!
Separation : This is a rather strange nomenclature, as it's not a separator but a two-column operation. Basically, when I use this block, I have the choice of putting either text or an image on the left, or text or an image on the right. It's a zigzag operation - with the potential to change the width of the columns in percentages, and their spacing in pixels.
Button The configuration is fairly basic - text, link, typeface, formatting, background color, rounding, alignment, internal margins... - but one point in particular is missing: the configuration of an effect when the button is hovered. Apart from that, I'd like to point out the following the option to add a drop shadow - rare enough to be highlighted - even if it's limited to a drop shadow with no choice of blur or positioning. But it's nice all the same!
Header bar By default, Klaviyo's Email Builder will insert the generated or worked header bar into the general styles of the Klaviyo account - as I mentioned in the previous chapter. But it's perfectly possible to modify this element as I see fit!
Drop shadow Something I've never seen on any Email Builder until now, but it's a real eye-catcher: the insertion of a drop shadow - a drop shadow image on a transparent background. It's not much, but it does the trick!
Separator A simple line - which I can choose to be solid, dotted or dashed - with thickness and color control. It does the job!
Links to social networks As many icons as you like, with the option of entering a label under each network icon, and choosing the layout of the social network picto - white, grey, black or original - as well as its size and the spacing between each icon. Simple yet effective!
Spacing You choose a height - in pixels - for your spacing, and that's it!
Product : And now I have two options:
- Dynamics to showcase my products with a product feed. These product feeds are available with the following e-commerce integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento 1 and 2, Prestashop, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Spree, Square, Wix, Mi9, and Shift4Shop. Apparently, it will also be possible to synchronize your personalized product catalog with this tutorial.
- Static I choose the products to display to all recipients via my Klaviyo product bank.
Table This is pretty cool: I specify the number of rows and columns I want - I can always add more later - and insert text or images inside each cell. What's more, I can even define dynamic conditions for the row - in case of repetition for an order summary table, for example. How handy! This kind of functionality, for creating a mosaic of products for example, is always welcome!
Quote : So, here we need to collect opinions and dynamic quotes with Klaviyo Reviews. And yes, the beast is no fool: Klaviyo makes every effort to get you to use other services on their behalf, and that's only to be expected. So I wasn't able to test the feature since I haven't subscribed to this solution, but it's a dream!
Video A url field to fill in, a thumbnail to replace if necessary, an alternative text to fill in, a switch to activate the play button superimposed on the thumbnail... And that's it! Now, don't get us wrong, it's a simple visual with a link to the page in question where the video is hosted... But it's no surprise, no (relative) false promises!
HTML A code editor, quite simply, for developing your own HTML code. Be sure you know a thing or two about HTML email development constraints before use!

All these blocks are packaged in two or even three "tabs": Content, Stylesand Display. As you'd expect, the Content tab is dedicated to the raw content of the block, while the Styles tab focuses more on its graphic formatting. The View tab, on the other hand, offers several orientations:

Visibility A radio to define that the block - or section - should be displayed only on computer, on mobile, or on both.
Show/Hide logic to decide whether to show or hide the element concerned according to conditions - properties or registered events of subscribers - with two methods:
- Using the logic generator If a condition is true, the block is displayed. If false, the block is hidden. Use select to simplify your life!
- Use the code If you already have your own packaging code - based on the Klaviyo nomenclature, of course - then you're free to write your own packaging! Don't hesitate to use the first solution and convert your condition into code to make things easier!
Content repetition It is possible to create loops on contentWhether it's products in a promotional email or articles in a newsletter, this avoids duplicating blocks or sections by hand, and is clearly a big time-saver!

Preconceived sections at my disposal!

Klaviyo offers me a set of pre-designed blocks to save me some time! Each of these pre-designed blocks is a section in its own right, made up of several modules and layouts. It's up to you to use them as you see fit, should you ever run out of inspiration!

And now, I save my blocks as "Universal" blocks.

Once I've developed a section or block, Klaviyo lets me save it as a universal block. And that's great, because it gives me the possibility of dragging and dropping previously worked blocks into future campaigns, with access to two options:

Modify in all instances If I modify the block I've just placed, I can save the modifications so that they affect the original block and all instances of that block. What a great time-saver!
Dissociate and modify independently The previous option wouldn't be interesting if this second option of dissociating the instance to modify it separately didn't exist, that's obvious!

I think I've covered the main features of Klaviyo's Email Builder, but I'll take the time to note a few more points.

The little extras of Klaviyo's email builder

The solution's interface is particularly sober and clear. Here's an advanced UI work that quickly makes you want to use the solution. Real design work has gone into Klaviyo's Email Builder tool.
In addition to a polished UI, I'd add that the UX is particularly pleasantwith mobile preview integrated into the solution, and particularly low latency. The functionality of sending test emails - with, in addition, an estimate of the total weight of the HTML file - is easy, with the option of choosing a recipient profile for the preview. And the icing on the cake is the automatic (almost instantaneous) save feature, which means you won't lose your work after a mistake.
You can save your creations as templatesto find them in Content > Models. In this way, you can create templates for the different types of email campaigns, and use them in your various emails, modifying only the content!

And its points for improvement

I don't get it: internal margin values cannot be different - desktop - mobile ? How is this possible in 2025? In my opinion, any email builder worthy of the name should offer this option! This means that if I set margins to the right and left of 48px on my desktop text frame, they will always be 48px and there's nothing I can do about it! Oh rage, oh despair!
It's something I think about regularly on the email builders I analyze, but a sneak preview of what email in Dark Mode might look likeit wouldn't be a luxury. After all, I'm well aware that it's difficult to guarantee the rendering in question, but it could be a relevant feature!

Klaviyo's email builder isn't the worst - far from it. It's efficient, well thought-out for marketers, and packed with smart e-commerce features. It's a tool that aims for agility, not pixel perfection. In short, Klaviyo gets the job done. Here's an email builder that knows how to stay in its place.

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The author

Thomas Defossez

Thomas began his career as an email integrator at Experian before setting up his own web agency. Today, Thomas has decided to focus on email in order to become a specialist in HTML integration for this medium. Since the end of 2014, Thomas has been working on various projects for Agence Badsender.com.

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