Email Marketing & Klaviyo

Segment

A dynamic grouping of profiles defined by specific conditions that automatically updates.

1 min readLast updated Apr 2026

A dynamic grouping of profiles defined by specific conditions that automatically updates.

Why It Matters

Segments enable personalization at scale—sending the right message to the right person. Dynamic segments automatically update as customer behavior changes, meaning a 'VIP' segment always contains current VIPs, not last year's. Segmented campaigns typically see 14% higher open rates and 100% higher click rates than unsegmented blasts.

Practical Example

Scenario

A beauty brand creates segments: VIP (3+ orders, $500+ LTV), Engaged (opened email last 30 days), Churning (purchased 90+ days ago, no recent engagement), and New Subscribers (subscribed last 14 days).

Calculation

Each segment receives tailored messaging and offers

Result

VIP segment campaigns convert at 8% vs 2.5% for general list—same effort, 3x the revenue per recipient. Churning segment gets winback offers with deeper discounts.

Pro Tips

  • 1Create engagement-based segments first (30-day engaged, 60-day engaged, unengaged)
  • 2Build purchase-behavior segments (VIP, repeat buyer, one-time buyer, never purchased)
  • 3Use segments for exclusions too—exclude recent purchasers from sale emails
  • 4Review segment sizes monthly to catch unexpected shrinkage or growth

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Creating too many segments and overcomplicating targeting
Not excluding segments from each other (sending VIP and general campaign to same person)
Forgetting to update segment definitions as your business evolves

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Terms

List

A collection of opted-in profiles, typically static once added.

Profile

A comprehensive record for each contact containing all known information and activity history.