Summary
Excluding bot clicks in Klaviyo impacts email click rates and segmentation with several considerations. Initially, it seems to improve click-through rates by removing inflated metrics; however, aggressive exclusion can inadvertently filter out genuinely interested users, reducing overall engagement and audience size. A/B testing segments with and without exclusions is crucial to determine which approach yields better conversions. Analyzing performance by acquisition source helps identify channels prone to bot activity. A nuanced approach is recommended, combining bot click data with other engagement metrics like time-on-page and purchase history for more informed segmentation and frequency decisions. Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) can enrich customer profiles, reducing reliance on bot click data alone. Klaviyo's NHI detection is per event and recommends not excluding people. Finally, accurate metrics contribute to improved email deliverability.
Key findings
- Improved CTR Initially: Excluding bot clicks initially seems to improve click-through rates by removing inflated metrics.
- Reduced Engagement Risk: Aggressive exclusion can inadvertently filter out interested users, reducing engagement and audience size.
- More realistic metrics: Excluding bot clicks allows marketers to work with more realistic click through rates.
- NHI detection: Klaviyo's NHI detection is per event and recommends not excluding people but scoping it so it looks at clicks that are confirmed human.
- Acquisition Source Impact: Performance varies by acquisition source, indicating that some channels are more prone to bot activity than others.
Key considerations
- A/B Testing: Conduct A/B testing to determine which approach yields better conversion rates.
- Segmentation by Acquisition: Segment by acquisition source to refine targeting.
- Nuanced Approach: Combine bot click data with other engagement metrics for informed decisions.
- CDP Integration: Integrate CDPs to enrich customer profiles.
- Content Engagement: Analyse content engagement in correlation with click rates to validate authenticity of clicks.
- Frequency Adjustments: Adjust email frequency based on engagement data to optimize campaign performance.
- Balance Exclusion: Balance the exclusion of bot clicks with a comprehensive understanding of genuine user behavior.
- Data Validation: Correlate Klaviyo data with external tools to validate click authenticity.
- Monitor Metrics: Closely monitor metrics after implementation to ensure the effectiveness of bot click exclusion.
- Consider Early Engagement: Be cautious not to exclude legitimate early engagement.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Excluding bot clicks in Klaviyo impacts email click rates and segmentation in nuanced ways. Initially, it appears to improve click-through rates by removing inflated metrics. However, aggressive exclusion can inadvertently filter out genuinely interested users who click quickly, reducing overall engagement and audience size. A/B testing segments with and without bot click exclusions is crucial to determine which approach yields better conversion rates. Segmenting by acquisition source helps identify channels prone to bot activity, improving targeting. A nuanced approach is recommended, combining bot click data with other engagement metrics like time-on-page and purchase history to make informed decisions about audience segmentation and email frequency. Customer Data Platforms can enrich customer profiles, reducing reliance solely on bot click data. Klaviyo's NHI detection is per event and recommends not excluding people but scoping it so it looks at clicks that are confirmed human.
Key opinions
- Initial CTR Improvement: Excluding bot clicks initially improves click-through rates by removing inflated metrics.
- Potential for Reduced Engagement: Aggressive exclusion can filter out genuinely interested users who click quickly, reducing overall engagement and audience size.
- More realistic metrics: Excluding bot clicks allows marketers to work with more realistic click through rates.
- NHI detection: Klaviyo's NHI detection is per event and recommends not excluding people but scoping it so it looks at clicks that are confirmed human.
Key considerations
- A/B Testing: Conduct A/B testing with and without bot click exclusions to determine which approach yields better conversion rates.
- Segmentation by Acquisition: Segment by acquisition source to identify channels prone to bot activity and refine targeting.
- Nuanced Approach: Combine bot click data with other engagement metrics (time-on-page, purchase history) for informed segmentation decisions.
- CDP Integration: Integrate Customer Data Platforms to enrich customer profiles and reduce reliance solely on bot click data.
- Content Engagement: Analysing content engagement in correlation with click rates can validate authenticity of clicks.
- Frequency Adjustments: After excluding bot clicks, adjust email frequency based on revised engagement data to optimize campaign performance.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum says that it's crucial to A/B test segments with and without bot click exclusions to determine which approach yields better conversion rates. If segments without exclusions generate more revenue, then those contacts should not be excluded.
3 Nov 2023 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view
Email marketer from Marketing Over Coffee Forum details that after excluding bot clicks, adjusting email frequency based on revised engagement data can help optimize campaign performance. Over-mailing segments with low genuine engagement can harm deliverability and unsubscribes, so tailoring frequency is important.
4 Dec 2024 - Marketing Over Coffee Forum
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Excluding bot clicks in Klaviyo, particularly in B2C contexts, can inadvertently remove genuine human engagement, as non-human interaction (NHI) rates are not typically high. Using bot detection data for segmentation requires careful evaluation, as over-aggressive filtering may exclude engaged users. Analyzing email performance by top domains and acquisition sources is crucial for refining targeting. Suppressing sends based on NHI data alone should be approached cautiously, as a human may still interact with the email despite initial bot activity. It's crucial to ensure legitimate early clicks from highly engaged users aren't filtered out.
Key opinions
- NHI Overestimation: Klaviyo's bot click removal might be removing genuine human traffic, especially in B2C, where NHI rates are not typically high.
- Segmentation Risks: Using bot click data for segmentation can be risky if Klaviyo is over-aggressive, potentially excluding real users.
- Holistic analysis: NHI shouldn't be only thing considered for exclusion as a human may still react to mail.
Key considerations
- Re-evaluate Segmentation: Re-evaluate segmentation strategies informed by Klaviyo's bot click data to avoid excluding engaged users.
- Performance Analysis: Check email performance by top domains and acquisition source to refine targeting.
- Cautious Suppression: Approach suppression based on NHI data cautiously, as human interaction may still occur.
- Legitimate Engagement: Ensure legitimate early clicks from engaged users aren't filtered out during bot click exclusion.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that using NHI data to suppress sends requires careful consideration, as legitimate early clicks from highly engaged users should not be inadvertently filtered out. Marketers should consider that a human may also see an react to a mail even if there is NHI traffic on the email.
14 Jul 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that Klaviyo's removal of "bot clicks" might be removing some human traffic as well, as B2C mail doesn't typically have a huge problem with NHI clicks.
25 Aug 2021 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
6 technical articles
Excluding bot clicks in Klaviyo provides more accurate engagement metrics by filtering out automated interactions, preventing skewed click rates and helping marketers focus on genuine human behavior. However, it can lead to underreporting of initial engagement if legitimate users click quickly. This can cause inaccurate segmentation as you may be excluding some real users. Correlating Klaviyo data with tools like Google Analytics can help validate the authenticity of clicks and provide a balanced understanding of user behavior. By presenting a more realistic engagement picture to mailbox providers, it improves email deliverability, reducing the risk of being flagged as spam. Close monitoring of metrics after implementation is important.
Key findings
- Improved Accuracy: Excluding bot clicks provides more accurate engagement metrics by filtering out automated interactions.
- Risk of Underreporting: Excluding bot clicks can lead to underreporting of initial engagement if legitimate users click quickly.
- Improved Deliverability: Excluding bot clicks can improve email deliverability by providing a more realistic engagement picture to mailbox providers.
- Segment Inaccuracy: Bot clicks can lead to inaccurate segmentation
Key considerations
- Balanced Approach: Balance the exclusion of bot clicks with a comprehensive understanding of genuine user behavior.
- Data Validation: Correlate Klaviyo data with tools like Google Analytics to validate click authenticity.
- Monitor Metrics: Closely monitor metrics after implementation to ensure the effectiveness of bot click exclusion.
- Consider Early Engagement: Be cautious not to exclude legitimate early engagement when implementing bot click exclusions.
Technical article
Documentation from Litmus explains that accurate email metrics are crucial for making informed decisions about email marketing strategies. Excluding bot clicks helps in achieving this accuracy, although marketers should be careful not to exclude legitimate early engagement.
8 May 2022 - Litmus
Technical article
Documentation from Klaviyo explains that Klaviyo automatically detects and filters out bot clicks to provide more accurate engagement metrics, helping users focus on genuine human interactions. However, excluding these clicks can lead to underreporting of initial engagement if real users click shortly after a bot.
25 Sep 2022 - Klaviyo
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