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When people talk about segmentation, they're almost always talking about who an email is going to. This segment gets this campaign, that segment gets that one. Nobody's really talking about who should not be getting it - and that's a big blind spot.
Exclusion segments are exactly what they sound like: groups of people who are intentionally not receiving a specific email, either temporarily or as an ongoing rule running in the background of every campaign you send. And when I audit a Klaviyo account, they're almost never there.
This isn't just about keeping things tidy. Every time you send to someone who shouldn't be getting that email, you're increasing the odds of a spam complaint or a low open rate. Inbox providers like Gmail are paying attention to that. Do enough of it and it starts affecting whether your emails land in the inbox at all - for everyone on your list, including the people who genuinely want to hear from you.
The reason this gets overlooked is that it's invisible by design. When exclusion segments are working, you don't really notice them. But that's exactly why they matter.
In this episode I break down what exclusion segments are, why skipping them is quietly hurting your list health, and exactly which groups are worth building exclusions around right now.
✨ In this episode, you'll learn:
What exclusion segments are and why they're almost always missing from Klaviyo accounts
Why sending to the wrong people hurts deliverability for everyone - including your best subscribers
Why wholesale contacts should almost never be getting your DTC marketing emails
The flow recipient overlap problem and how exclusions prevent a subscriber from getting two emails at once
Why unengaged subscribers and sunset flow graduates need to be excluded from regular campaigns
How to handle bounces and spam complainers with exclusions
What role-based email addresses are and why they don't belong on your active list
How to set up exclusions mechanically inside Klaviyo - it's simpler than most people think
Exclusion segments are unglamorous, invisible, and one of the most important things you can do for your list health.
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