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How to Create Email Segments for Better Deliverability

Use segments to send more relevant email to the right contacts.

Use this guide to build Patch email segments that support better targeting, cleaner audiences, and healthier deliverability.

In this article

Why segments improve deliverability

Segments help you send the right message to the right people. This improves engagement and reduces the chance that people ignore, unsubscribe from, or mark your email as spam.

A smaller, better-matched audience usually performs better than a broad send to every contact.

Use the segment rules below with Patch AI from the Contacts page to build your email segments for better deliverability.

Segment 1: Engaged email contacts

Create this segment for your safest marketing sends.

Example rules:

  • Email is not blank
  • Contact is not opted out
  • Has opened or clicked recently, if available
  • Has recent purchase, booking, check-in, or form activity
  • Email is valid, if validation is available

Use this segment first for important offers and larger sends.

Segment 2: Recent customers or visitors

Create this segment for people who have recently interacted with your business.

Example uses:

  • Review requests
  • Return visit offers
  • Membership upsells
  • Event follow-ups
  • Birthday party rebooking

Recent activity makes the email feel more relevant.

Segment 3: Inactive contacts

Create this segment for contacts who should not receive regular marketing email until they re-engage.

Example rules:

  • No recent purchases
  • No recent bookings
  • No recent check-ins
  • No recent clicks
  • Created more than a set number of days ago

Use this segment for re-engagement only, not for every promotion.

Segment 4: New leads who need confirmation

If you use double opt-in, create a segment for leads who submitted a form but have not confirmed.

Use this segment to send a confirmation reminder if appropriate. Do not include these contacts in regular marketing sends until they confirm.

Segment 5: Exclusion segments

Exclusion segments keep the wrong contacts out of a campaign, such as inactive contacts, invalid emails, or contacts who are not a good fit for the message.

This improves engagement signals like opens and clicks, which can help email providers like Gmail and Apple Mail trust future emails from your business.

Examples:

  • Exclude active members from a new member discount.
  • Exclude current party bookings from a party promo.
  • Exclude sunset contacts from regular newsletters.
  • Exclude invalid emails from every email send.

Before sending a Blast, review both who is included and who is excluded.

Review segment counts before sending

Before clicking send, look at the audience count. If it is much larger than expected, stop and review the rules.

  1. Open the segment.
  2. Review each rule.
  3. Check whether rules are using AND or OR logic correctly.
  4. Preview sample contacts if available.
  5. Save and re-check the final count.

This step helps prevent accidental broad sends.

Customer Support

If you need help or are not sure which step to take next, contact Patch Customer Support at success@patchretention.com or 888.605.4429.