Manage and exclude unsubscribed contacts in Klaviyo to optimize your strategy
Consent management is a major issue for any effective marketing strategy that complies with regulations. Sending emails to contacts without explicit consent harms your sender reputation and compromises your deliverability. Discover how to create and use an unsubscribed contacts segment in Klaviyo to protect the quality of your database and maximize your performance.
Why is excluding unsubscribed contacts essential?
Protecting your sender reputation
- High complaint rate: Emails sent without consent are often marked as spam.
- Low engagement: These recipients rarely interact with your emails.
- Bounce risk: Accumulation of invalid addresses, harmful to your reputation.
Performance improvement
- +25% open rate: by targeting only engaged contacts.
- +15 to 30% click-through rate: thanks to a qualified audience.
- -35% unsubscribes: by respecting contact preferences.
Regulatory compliance
- GDPR (Europe): Explicit consent required before any commercial mailing.
- CAN-SPAM (USA): Obligation to honor unsubscribes.
- CASL (Canada): Need for documented consent.
Create an unsubscribed contacts segment in Klaviyo
Step 1: Access the segmentation module
- Log in to Klaviyo.
- Click "Audience" > "Lists & Segments".
Step 2: Create a new segment
- Click "Create" > "Create Segment".
Step 3: Configure segmentation conditions
- Condition 1: "If someone cannot receive" marketing emails → "Email marketing: cannot receive"
- Condition 2: "OR" What someone has done → "Clicked email to unsubscribe" at least once all time
- Condition 3: "OR" What someone has done → "Marked email as spam" at least once all time
Step 4: Finalize and save
- Segment name: "Unsubscribed Contacts – To Exclude".
- Description: segment objective for better management.
- Click "Create Segment".
Use this segment to optimize your campaigns
Exclusion during campaign sends
- Select your target audience.
- In "Don't send to", add "Unsubscribed Contacts – To Exclude".
- Verify that these contacts are indeed excluded before sending.
Application to automated flows
- Check your existing flows.
- Add an audience filter excluding this segment for each email in the flow.
Best practices for optimal consent management
Implementing double opt-in
- Send a confirmation email after registration.
- Validate only subscribers who have confirmed their consent.
Regular database cleaning
- Identify inactive contacts (no interaction for 6 months).
- Launch a re-engagement campaign.
- Delete inactive contacts after several unsuccessful re-engagement attempts.
Performance monitoring and compliance
- Analyze open and click-through rates after excluding unsubscribed contacts.
- Monitor the evolution of your deliverability rate.
- Document your consent processes to ensure GDPR and other regulatory compliance.
Conclusion: Protect your marketing and maximize your ROI
The systematic exclusion of unsubscribed contacts in Klaviyo is essential for a performing and compliant email marketing strategy. This approach improves your sender reputation, strengthens engagement, and optimizes your deliverability.
By applying these best practices, you maximize your marketing performance and build a lasting relationship of trust with your subscribers. Remember: the quality of your email list is far more important than its size. Implement this strategy today and observe the positive impact on your results!
