Klaviyo Segmentation Playbook: Engaged, VIP, Repeat and At-Risk

Sending every campaign to your whole list is the most common and most expensive habit in email marketing. These are the segments we build first, and what each one is for.

The core segments

Segment	Definition (starting point)	Use it for
Engaged 30 / 60 / 90	Clicked email, was active on site, or placed an order in the last X days (opens alone are unreliable)	Default campaign audiences; widen or narrow by send volume
VIP	Top ~10% by historic spend, or 3+ orders	Early access, launches, thank-yous; fewer discounts
First-time buyers	Exactly one order	Education and the push to a second purchase
Repeat buyers	2+ orders	New products, loyalty, referrals
At-risk	Purchased before, nothing in about 1.5x your reorder interval	Winback-style campaigns; feeds the winback flow
Unengaged	No clicks, activity or purchases in about 180 days	Suppress from campaigns; feeds the sunset flow
SMS subscribers	Consented to SMS	SMS campaigns only, within daytime hours

Predictive segments

On eligible accounts, Klaviyo offers predictive analytics such as predicted lifetime value and churn risk. Use them to refine VIP and at-risk audiences once you have enough order history.

A simple targeting matrix

• New product launch: VIP first (24 hours early), then Engaged 60.
• Educational content: Engaged 90.
• Sale: Engaged 60 plus at-risk, excluding recent full-price buyers where it makes sense.
• Restock of a popular item: people who viewed or bought that item.

Cadence by segment

Your most engaged subscribers can take more email; your least engaged should get less. Many brands send 1–3 campaigns a week to engaged segments and one a month or so to the broader list.

See which segments your account is missing with the free audit.