Syncing RFM segments to Klaviyo
One of Datadrew's most powerful features is the ability to sync your RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) customer
segments directly to Klaviyo. This lets you create targeted email campaigns and flows based on data-driven customer
segments, without manually building lists in Klaviyo.
What is RFM segmentation?
RFM segmentation classifies your customers based on three dimensions:
- Recency -- How recently a customer made their last purchase.
- Frequency -- How often a customer purchases from your store.
- Monetary -- How much a customer has spent in total.
Datadrew calculates RFM scores from your Shopify order data and groups customers into 10 distinct segments, such as
Champions, Loyal Customers, At Risk, Lost, and more.
How the sync works
When you trigger an RFM sync to Klaviyo, Datadrew:
1. Fetches your current RFM segments from your analytics data warehouse, including all customer emails in each segment.
2. Validates email addresses to filter out invalid formats before sending to Klaviyo.
3. Creates bulk profile import jobs in Klaviyo using the Profile Bulk Import API. Each customer's profile is updated
with a datadrew_segment property set to their RFM segment name.
4. Processes in chunks of up to 10,000 profiles per batch to handle large customer bases efficiently.
What gets synced to Klaviyo
For each customer in each RFM segment, Datadrew sends:
- Email address -- The customer's email from your Shopify data.
- Custom property: datadrew_segment -- The name of the customer's current RFM segment (e.g., "Champions", "At Risk",
"Hibernating").
This property is added to the customer's Klaviyo profile and updated each time you run the sync.
Using RFM segments in Klaviyo
Once the sync is complete, you can use the datadrew_segment property in Klaviyo to:
- Build segments -- Create Klaviyo segments like "datadrew_segment equals Champions" to target your best customers.
- Trigger flows -- Set up automated flows that activate when a customer enters a specific segment (e.g., send a
win-back campaign when a customer moves to "At Risk").
- Personalize campaigns -- Use the segment property in email templates for personalized messaging.
- Exclude segments -- Exclude certain segments from campaigns (e.g., do not send discount emails to Champions who
already buy at full price).
The 10 RFM segments
| | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Segment | Description | Suggested Klaviyo Strategy | | Champions | Bought recently, buy
often, spend the most | Reward programs, early access, referral incentives | | Loyal Customers | Buy regularly with good
spend | Upsell, cross-sell, loyalty rewards | | Potential Loyalists | Recent buyers with moderate frequency | Nurture
with product recommendations | | Recent Customers | Just made their first or second purchase | Welcome series,
education, brand storytelling | | Promising | Recent buyers but low spend | Value-add content, bundle offers | | Need
Attention | Above-average customers who have not bought recently | Re-engagement campaigns, special offers | | About to
Sleep | Below-average recency and frequency | Urgency-driven campaigns, feedback surveys | | At Risk | Used to buy often
and spend a lot, but have not returned | Win-back campaigns with strong incentives | | Cannot Lose Them | High-value
customers who have been gone a long time | Personalized outreach, VIP offers | | Hibernating | Low recency, frequency,
and monetary scores | Re-activation campaigns or sunset from active lists |
Sync frequency
RFM segments are recalculated whenever your Shopify data syncs. You can trigger a sync to Klaviyo manually from the RFM
dashboard in Datadrew, or it can be automated as part of your scheduled jobs.
Requirements
- Your Klaviyo account must be connected to Datadrew (see Connecting your Klaviyo account).
- Your Shopify store must have enough order history for meaningful RFM segmentation.
Need help? Contact us at support@datadrew.io.
Related articles
- Connecting your Klaviyo account
- Automating RFM segment sync to Klaviyo
- RFM Segmentation
- Customer segmentation and RFM analysis
Need help?
If you have questions or run into issues, reach out to us at support@datadrew.io or use the in-app chat. We're happy to
help.
