How to group customers into segments and see what each is worth

Save groups of customers by what they bought and when, export them, and see each customer's value group.

Updated 2026-10-18

A segment is a saved group of customers, such as "Big spenders gone quiet" or "Regulars". Otto keeps the count up to date as your records change, and you can send a campaign to a segment or take it away as a spreadsheet.

Otto also works out what each customer is worth from their paid invoices and store orders, and puts each one in a value group. Everything is worked out from your own records, in plain arithmetic.

Make a segment

1. Open Contacts and press Segments at the top.
2. Press New segment.
3. Type a name, for example "Big spenders gone quiet".
4. Press a filter to add it, such as Spent at least, Quiet at least (days since their last purchase), Tag or City or area, and set its value.
5. Each filter is Must by default. Switch one to Or to say "any of these": a customer then needs every Must filter and at least one Or.
6. Watch the count at the top, for example "3 match · 3 can be emailed", and the list of people underneath, which update as you go.
7. Press Save segment.

With no filters, a segment is everyone. To remove a filter, press the cross beside it.

The filters offered depend on what you use: the money filters only appear for people whose position sees money, the purchase filters only when invoices or the store are switched on, and Bought product only with a store.

Use and export a segment

Your segments are listed under Segments, each with how many people are in it and how many can be emailed.

• Press a segment to change its filters, rename it or Delete it.
• Press CSV to download everyone in it, with their value figures. Only someone who manages the business can export.
• When you send an email campaign, pick the segment under Segment. The campaign's own consent rules still decide who is written to: someone who has not agreed to email is not sent it. See how to send an email campaign.

See what a customer is worth

Open a customer's card. Above their details you see their Group, Spent, Orders, Last purchase and Next expected purchase. Next expected is only worked out once someone has bought 3 or more times; until then it shows "—".

For the whole business, open Analysis and choose Value groups. Customers by value group shows how many customers are in each group and what each group has spent. With a store, Which products bring buyers back shows, for each product, how many buyers came back within 90 days and how many days it took.

The groups are:

• Champions: bought recently, often, and spent the most.
• Loyal: buy often and fairly recently.
• New: one purchase, made recently.
• At risk: used to buy often or spend well, but not lately.
• Hibernating: have not bought in a long while.
• Needs attention: everyone else who has bought.

Each customer is scored against your other customers, so the groups describe your business, not a fixed rule. A customer who has never bought has no group.

Good to know

• Values are worked out again once a day, the first time a page needs them.
• A business keeps up to 100 segments, each with up to 20 filters.
• Money figures are only shown to positions that see money. Others see "—".

If it doesn't work

• "Give the segment a name." — type a name before saving.
• "There is already a segment called “Regulars”." — pick another name.
• "A business keeps 100 segments at most. Delete one first."
• "A segment holds 20 conditions at most."
• "Contacts are switched off for this business, so there are no segments."
• "Neither invoices nor the store is switched on, so there are no purchases to read." — value groups need at least one of them.