by Austin LeClear
on May 27, 2025
If your email open rates are low, spam complaints are creeping up, or your sender reputation is hanging by a thread, the problem might not be your content. It might be your segments. Cleaning up who you send to, and when, is one of the fastest and most effective ways to improve deliverability. Klaviyo makes it easy if you know how to build the right filters.
This article walks through a proven segmentation strategy that helps eCommerce brands get back into the inbox using smart engagement-based segments.
Why Segmentation Fixes Deliverability Fast
When your emails land in spam or go unopened, inbox providers like Gmail or Outlook take note. Over time, this hurts your sender reputation, even with subscribers who want to hear from you.
Engagement-based segmentation helps rebuild trust by sending only to your most active contacts. As performance improves, you can gradually expand your reach. If your open rates are struggling, this strategy can mean the difference between staying buried in spam and showing up at the top of the inbox.
For a closer look at the key factors affecting deliverability (from domain reputation to authentication setup), this email deliverability overview highlights the most common issues and how to fix them.
The Segmentation Ladder: 30, 60, 90, 120 Days
Start with your most active subscribers. Then expand slowly, based on how well each segment performs.
Start with 30-Day Engaged
This is your go-to segment when deliverability is poor. In Klaviyo, define your 30-day engaged segment using these filters:
- Opened an email at least once
- Clicked an email
- Visited your website
- Placed an order
- Subscribed to your list and received at least 10 emails (lifetime)
Exclude anyone whose email bounced in the last 30 days. Keeping bounce rates low is critical.
If your open rates are between 10 and 20 percent, this is the place to start. As engagement improves, you can monitor progress in the Klaviyo Deliverability tab. Once it shows consistent improvement, you can scale.
Step Up to 60-Day Engaged
Once open rates reach 35% to 40%, it is safe to broaden the segment. The 60-day engaged group uses the same filters but looks back 60 days for actions like opens, clicks, or site visits.
Keep the “subscribed to list” filter set to 30 days. If someone joined two months ago and never interacted, they are not truly engaged.
This phase reduces complaints and unsubscribes while helping you grow safely. For more on how segmentation improves B2B performance, see this breakdown of email marketing strategy for B2B companies.
Continue to 90 and 120-Day Segments
After a few weeks of strong performance with the 60-day group, you can test longer windows.
- For 90-day engaged, use the same filters but expand the activity window
- For 120-day engaged, repeat the same steps as long as results hold steady
Some brands even test a 180-day window. If you still see solid engagement and click-through rates of 2% to 3%, your list is in good shape. But that kind of reach only works if you build up to it gradually.
Segment Conditions That Matter
Here are the filters you should be using when building engagement-based segments in Klaviyo or your email platform:
- Opened an email within your chosen time frame
- Clicked an email
- Visited your site
- Subscribed within the past 30 days and received at least 10 emails
- Placed an order
- Is eligible to receive marketing emails
- Has not bounced recently
You can adjust filters based on your business model, but the key is to only send to contacts who have had a clear opportunity to engage.
Broaden Slowly or Risk Going Backward
Do not rush. Expanding too quickly can tank your sender score. Think of it like a recovery plan for your domain reputation.
Move to broader segments only when you have a steady track record of strong engagement. Expand in stages: 30 days, then 60, then 90, then 120. Test performance at each level before moving forward.
Inbox providers watch for consistency. These signals show that your audience is real, interested, and interacting.
Smarter Sending Starts Here
If your campaigns are falling flat, check your segments. Too many brands send to everyone and wonder why results are poor.
Tightening your targeting improves inbox placement, lifts engagement, and builds a healthier list over time. This email automation overview is a good next step if you are ready to scale intelligently.
Smarter sending is not about more volume. It is about reaching the right people at the right time with the right message.
