How to Create a Segment in Klaviyo (and Keep It Email-Safe)

Here's the mistake I'd want you to avoid before anything else. A Klaviyo segment doesn't only contain subscribers. It pulls from every contact in your account, so if you build a segment of recent buyers and email it as it stands, you may be targeting people who can't receive marketing. One extra condition fixes that, and it's part of the steps below.

Lists or segments: why Klaviyo treats them differently

Klaviyo describes segments as groupings of contacts defined by conditions. Lists are static: they grow as people subscribe or are added. Segments are dynamic: they grow as people meet the conditions and shrink as they stop meeting them, updating in close to real time.

That makes segments the right tool for anything behavioural, such as people who bought in the last 30 days or people who've never opened an email. You set the rule once and Klaviyo keeps the membership current.

Building the segment in seven steps

1. Open Audience > Lists & segments in your Klaviyo account.
2. Click Create in the upper right and select Segment.
3. Enter a segment name. A clear name helps when you're picking audiences for campaigns months later.
4. Add conditions. For example, choose What someone has done (or not done), then an action such as Placed Order. Join several conditions with AND/OR logic.
5. Use the filter icon on an action condition to narrow it by a property and value, matching the capitalisation of any text exactly.
6. If you'll email the segment, add a condition under If someone can or cannot receive marketing, set it to email marketing and filter on Subscribed.
7. Click Create segment, then give it time to populate before you schedule a send.

The consent condition that keeps you out of trouble

Step six is the one people skip. The Klaviyo Help Center is clear that a segment has no opt-in criteria by default, because it draws on all contacts. Without the consent condition, unsubscribed profiles can sit inside a segment you meant only for subscribers.

If you've ever wondered why a segment includes people who unsubscribed, that's the answer. Add the condition to every segment you plan to email, and make it a habit rather than something you remember now and then.

Condition details that trip people up

• Every segment needs 1 or more conditions. What someone has done (or not done) covers actions such as Placed Order.
• Only top-level properties are available for segmentation. Nested data won't appear in the filter dropdown.
• Text values in event filters are case sensitive, so London and london aren't the same. The Email profile property isn't case sensitive.
• Large segments can take a while to populate, so don't build one at 9am for a 9.15am send.

Letting AI draft the conditions

Klaviyo has an option called Define with AI, which turns a sentence you type into conditions for you to review. Klaviyo says it needs an account on a plan that includes it and is available for accounts hosted in the US. Always read the conditions it produces before you save: you're still responsible for who ends up in the segment.

Freezing a segment as a fixed list

Sometimes you want a record of exactly who was in a segment on a given day, for a giveaway or a one-off offer. Open the segment and choose Manage segment > Create list of current members. That creates a separate static list of the profiles in the segment right now, while the original segment keeps updating.

How Mailchimp handles the same job

If you're comparing tools, Mailchimp works differently. On its Free and Essentials marketing plans, as of Nov 2026, each segment can have up to 10 conditions and one and/or operator, while its advanced builder allows unlimited conditions with nested and/or logic. Mailchimp also only lets subscribed contacts within a segment receive marketing emails or texts. My full Klaviyo review covers the rest of the platform, and my roundup of customer segmentation tools goes wider.

My advice for your first three segments

Start with three you'll use every week: recent buyers, engaged subscribers and people who haven't bought in a while. Add the consent condition to each one, give them names you'll recognise instantly, and let them populate before your next campaign. Once those are running, my Klaviyo marketing strategy guide shows where to point them.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a list and a segment in Klaviyo?

Lists are static and grow as people subscribe or are added; segments are dynamic and change as contacts meet or stop meeting the conditions.

Do Klaviyo segments update automatically?

Yes, in close to real time, according to Klaviyo's help centre.

How do I turn a segment into a fixed list?

Open the segment, choose Manage segment > Create list of current members, name the list and create it.

Can I describe a segment in plain English?

Klaviyo offers Define with AI in the builder. It says this needs an account on a plan that includes it, hosted in the US.

Why does my segment include people who unsubscribed?

Segments pull from all contacts unless you add a condition limiting them to people who can receive email marketing and are subscribed.