How to create a not-opted-in segment

Estimated 2 minute read
|
Updated Jan 24, 2025, 6:57 PM EST
You will learn

You will learn

Learn how to use segments to identify active profiles in your account that aren't explicitly opted in to marketing. When sending campaigns, it can be useful to exclude this segment from some campaign sends. This can be done in place of adding conditions to your target segment to only include opted-in subscribers.

Create a not-opted-in segment

Create a not-opted-in segment

Email

Email

Because there are a number of ways active profiles, or emailable contacts, are added to your account, it is important to exclude not opted-in contacts so that you don't receive high unsubscribe or spam complaint rates. Contacts who are not opted in and are not suppressed can still trigger flows. Learn more about how contacts are added to your Klaviyo account.

This segment contains anyone who is suppressed for email (i.e., cannot be emailed, perhaps because they unsusbcribed) as well as anyone who is emailable, but hasn't given explicit consent to receive marketing. These profiles may have been added through general engagement (e.g., by initiating a checkout but not completing it). 

To create a not-opted-in segment: 

  1. Navigate to Audience > Lists & segments.
  2. Click Create New > Create segment
  3. Use the following segment definition: 
    • If someone can or cannot receive marketing > cannot receive > email marketing
      OR
    • If someone can or cannot receive marketing > can receive > email marketing > because person > never subscribed.
      Segment of people who are did not consent to email marketing
SMS or push notifications

SMS or push notifications

You can create similar segments for other channels, like SMS or push. With these channels, "never subscribed" contacts are unreachable for that channel, so you can simply use this segment definition: 

If someone can or cannot receive marketing > cannot receive > SMS marketing/mobile push marketing

Segment for those not opted in to SMS marketing

Outcome

Outcome

When sending campaigns, use the don't send to feature to ensure that this segment is excluded from your sends. Then, when you're ready to send your next campaign, clone the previous one. Cloned campaigns inherit the same recipient groups, so you don't have to worry about excluding this segment every single time you create a campaign.

Additional resources

Additional resources

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