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Customer accounts and segments

Turn on customer sign-in in Settings > Customer accounts with Show sign-in links4. Then go to Customers > Segments > Create segment, build the conditions in the query editor, click Run and Save segment5. From a saved segment, Use segment sends an email or creates a discount for just those customers3.

BeginnerAbout 35 minGrowChecked Oct 8, 2026

You need: Some customers and orders in your store · An idea of which group you want to reach, such as repeat buyers

Before you start

This guide covers two related jobs. First, customer accounts let shoppers sign in to see their orders and details. By default they sign in without a password: they enter their email and receive a one-time 6-digit code1. Sign-in with Shop needs Shop Pay activated, and connecting your own identity provider needs Shopify Plus1.

Second, customer segments are rule-based customer lists. You write the rules as a query, and Shopify adds or removes customers as they start or stop matching2,3. A customer can be in more than one segment, and test orders and deleted orders are left out of the calculations3.

Shopify's pages on these features do not state which plans include customer accounts or segments, or how many segments you can create. The only plan limits stated are the Shopify Plus requirement for your own identity provider and that saved payment methods in accounts are only for stores on Shopify's Enterprise offering1,4.

A worked example: a candle shop wants to thank customers who have ordered five or more times and agreed to receive emails. It builds that segment, then sends those customers a discount.

Steps

  1. Show sign-in links on your store. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Customer accounts. In the Sign-in links section, turn on Show sign-in links, then click Save4. How the link looks depends on your theme; it is often a person icon or a label such as "Sign in"4.

  2. Choose extra account options. On the same page you can turn on other settings, such as self-serve returns, store credit, an account URL on a subdomain, social sign-in with Google and Facebook, and Sign in with Shop4. Branding for the account pages is set in the checkout and accounts editor, where you can work in a draft before publishing4.

  3. Open the segment editor. Go to Customers, click Segments, then click Create segment5. Click in the query editor to show the default query. It starts with FROM customers and a SHOW line, which you cannot change, and a WHERE line that holds your rules5.

  4. Start from a template, if one fits. Click the Templates icon, optionally narrow the list by Categories, and click a template card. Its filters, operators and values fill the editor, and you can edit them5.

  5. Write the conditions. In the WHERE clause, pick a filter, an operator and a value from the suggestions, or type them5. For the worked example, enter email_subscription_status = 'SUBSCRIBED' AND number_of_orders >= 56. Without brackets, AND is applied before OR, so use brackets when you mix them6.

  6. Run the query. Click Run. Matching customers appear below the editor and the count appears above it5. If the query has an error, the line is underlined in red; hover over it to see a suggested fix5.

  7. Save the segment. Review the AI-generated description and edit it if needed. Click Save segment, enter a name, and click Save5.

  8. Email the segment. Open the segment and click Use segment > Email, then create the campaign in Shopify Messaging3. If the app is not installed, you are asked to install it the first time3.

  9. Give the segment a discount. Open the segment and click Use segment > Discount, then choose Amount off products, Amount off orders, Buy X get Y or Free shipping3.

  10. Export the list if you need a record. Open the segment, click More actions > Export, choose a CSV format and click Export customers3. Shopify suggests exporting to keep a record of who received an email campaign3.

Check your work

  • Open your online store in a private browser window and look for the sign-in link in the header. Sign in with an email that belongs to a customer profile; you should receive a 6-digit code1,4.
  • On Customers > Segments, find your segment and check the share of all customers it holds. Hover over the count to see when it was last updated3.
  • Open the segment and run it again. The list and count update each time5.

Common problems

  • "Customers can't find where to sign in." Sign-in links are off, or your theme hides the account icon. Turn on Show sign-in links in Settings > Customer accounts4. If the links are hidden, customers cannot sign in at all4.
  • "I want to switch off one customer's account." You cannot deactivate a single account. You can delete the customer profile, but a new one is created if they sign in again with the same email4.
  • "Two profiles belong to the same person." Customers cannot merge profiles by changing their email. Merge them yourself in the admin1.
  • "My email reached fewer people than the segment count." Only subscribed customers with valid email addresses receive Shopify Messaging campaigns3.
  • "I can't rename my segment." Check that no other segment shows Draft, then use More actions > Rename3.
  • "I changed a default segment by mistake." When you edit an existing segment, use Save as new segment to keep the original unchanged5.

Further reading

  • Customer segmentation, Shopify Help Center2
  • Managing customer segments, Shopify Help Center3

Sources

Shopify pages this guide is based on. Checked Oct 8, 2026; re-checked at least every 60 days.

  1. Customer accounts, Shopify Help Center. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.
  2. Customer segmentation, Shopify Help Center. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.
  3. Managing customer segments, Shopify Help Center. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.
  4. Setting up and managing customer accounts, Shopify Help Center. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.
  5. Creating customer segments, Shopify Help Center. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.
  6. Customer segment reference guide: components, Shopify Help Center. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.