Skip to main content

Building Klaviyo Segments with OuterSignal Data

Once OuterSignal data is flowing into Klaviyo, here's how to find it and build segments you can target in email flows.

Once you've connected OuterSignal to Klaviyo and set up a Playbook, OuterSignal data starts flowing into your Klaviyo customer profiles. The next step is building segments in Klaviyo so you can use that enriched data to power personalized email and SMS flows (and even direct mail and Lookalike audience creation in Meta).

This article walks through where to find OuterSignal data in Klaviyo and how to build segments from it.

To send people who haven't ordered yet to Klaviyo, research them first, then use a playbook on the All Prospects audience: see How do I research the people on my email list who haven't bought yet?.
​

Prerequisites

  • OuterSignal is connected to Klaviyo (see Klaviyo Integration)

  • You've created at least one Klaviyo Playbook in OuterSignal, with either a Klaviyo Stream or a Klaviyo Tag action

  • The Playbook has run for existing members (or enough new customers have entered the segment) so that data exists on customer profiles

The Two Paths: Stream vs Tag

Where OuterSignal data appears in Klaviyo depends on which type of Playbook action you used:

  • Klaviyo Stream: OuterSignal data is written as custom properties on individual customer profiles (e.g., outersignal_age, outersignal_gender). You build segments yourself.

  • Klaviyo Tag: OuterSignal segment matches are written as tags on individual customer profiles (e.g., vip-influencer, 50k-followers). OuterSignal creates a matching Klaviyo segment for you.

Both paths use the same segment builder in Klaviyo, but you'll filter on different fields.
​

Path 1: Building Segments from Streamed Properties

Use this path if you set up a Klaviyo Stream Playbook in OuterSignal.

  1. In Klaviyo, navigate to Audience → Lists & Segments.

  2. Click Create New → Create Segment.

  3. Give your segment a clear, descriptive Name (e.g., "Female Customers — OuterSignal").

  4. In the segment builder, click into the field that reads Begin typing or click to select a condition.

  5. Select Properties about someone.

  6. In the property dropdown, search for and select one of the OuterSignal properties: outersignal_age, outersignal_gender, outersignal_persona or outersignal_birth_date

  7. Choose your operator (e.g., equals) and enter the value you want to filter on. For example, for outersignal_gender, enter female or male.

  8. Click Create Segment in the top right of the screen.

You can stack multiple OuterSignal property conditions using AND/OR logic, or combine them with Klaviyo's native conditions (purchase history, email engagement, location, etc.) to build precise segments. Repeat for any additional persona, age, gender or birth date segments you want to target.
​

⚠️ Renaming a persona? Update your Klaviyo filters. When an admin renames a persona in OuterSignal, the new name is sent to Klaviyo as the outersignal_persona value. Any segment, flow trigger or synced audience that filters on the old name will gradually stop matching as profiles update. After a rename, change those conditions to the new name.
​

Path 2: Segments from Tags

Use this path if you set up a Klaviyo Tag Playbook in OuterSignal.

OuterSignal creates the segment for you

When you save a playbook with an active Klaviyo Tag action, or switch that action on, OuterSignal automatically creates a Klaviyo segment for the tag:

  • Name: OuterSignal: <tag value>

  • Condition: outersignal_tags contains your tag

If your tag is set to {{persona}}, you get one segment per persona that has tagging active, for example OuterSignal: Wellness Professional.
​

Check that it worked: under the tag on the Klaviyo Tag action, look for Klaviyo segment ready: OuterSignal: X. If you see an amber warning instead, the most common causes are:

  • The segment hasn't been created yet. Turn the action off and back on.

  • Klaviyo rejected your API key, or the key is missing the segments:read / segments:write scopes. Update the key in your Klaviyo integration settings.

  • Klaviyo is rate-limiting. Wait a few minutes, then turn the action off and on again.

  • The tag has extra spaces. Remove them.

Had a Tag action running before this feature launched? Your segment wasn't created automatically. Save the playbook again, or turn the action off and back on, to create it.
​

Many tags at once? OuterSignal creates up to 15 segments per run. If you have more, turn the action off and on again to create the rest.
​

When you still build the segment yourself: for stacked or multi-condition segments (OuterSignal only creates the single "tags contains X" condition), and for tags that change per customer, where no segment is created and the action shows a note saying so.
​

Building a tag segment manually

  1. In Klaviyo, navigate to Audience → Lists & Segments.

  2. Click Create New → Create Segment.

  3. Give your segment a clear, descriptive Name (e.g., "VIP Influencers — OuterSignal").

  4. In the segment builder, click into the field that reads Begin typing or click to select a condition.

  5. Select Properties about someone.

  6. In the property dropdown, search for and select outersignal_tags.

  7. Choose contains the text as your operator, then enter the exact tag name you used in your OuterSignal Playbook (e.g., vip-influencer).

  8. Click Create Segment in the top right of the screen.


Tip: Match the tag name exactly as you entered it in OuterSignal. If you used vip-influencer in your Playbook, that's exactly what you need to enter as the value here.
​

⚠️ Renaming a persona with a Tag playbook. Klaviyo segments that OuterSignal created are not renamed automatically. After a rename, the old OuterSignal: Old Name segment stays in Klaviyo and empties out as profiles get the new name. To fix it: (1) in OuterSignal, turn the playbook's Klaviyo Tag action off and back on to create OuterSignal: New Name; (2) in Klaviyo, point any flows, campaigns or Meta/direct mail syncs at the new segment; (3) delete the old segment once nothing uses it.
​

Using Your Segments in Klaviyo Flows

Once your segment is saved, it's a standard Klaviyo segment, and you can use it the same way you'd use any other:

  • Trigger automated flows when customers enter the segment

  • Send one-off campaigns to the segment

  • Layer the segment into A/B tests or send-time optimization

  • Combine with native Klaviyo conditions for more granular targeting (e.g., "OuterSignal persona is X and placed an order in the last 30 days")

  • Sync the segment to Meta as a custom audience for lookalike campaigns

Troubleshooting

I can't find OuterSignal properties in the Klaviyo segment builder.

Properties only appear in the dropdown after they exist on at least one profile in Klaviyo. If your Playbook was just created, give it a few minutes to sync. You can also open any individual customer profile in Klaviyo and check under Custom Properties to confirm the OuterSignal data is flowing through.
​

My segment is empty or smaller than expected.

Make sure you enabled Run for existing members when you created your OuterSignal Playbook. If you didn't, only future entrants will receive the property or tag, and existing customers won't be backfilled. You can edit the Playbook in OuterSignal to apply it retroactively.
​

My persona segment was working and is now empty or shrinking.

Check whether the persona was renamed in OuterSignal. If you built the segment on outersignal_persona, update the condition to the new name. If OuterSignal created it from a Tag playbook, turn the Klaviyo Tag action off and on to create the new segment, then repoint your flows.
​

Need Help?

If you run into issues finding OuterSignal data in Klaviyo or building your segments, reach out to your OuterSignal CSM or email us at [email protected].

Did this answer your question?