How the Multi-Table Data Model Works in Brevo (Explained Simply)

SEO Meta Title: How the Multi-Table Data Model Works in Brevo | Simple Explained Guide

SEO Meta Description: Learn how Brevo’s multi-table data model actually works. A clear, simple, and practical breakdown of entities, relationships, segmentation, syncing, and analytics for high-quality data decisions.

Brevo’s multi-table data model is one of the most underrated but powerful features inside the entire platform. Most marketers don’t understand it, sales teams underutilize it, and business owners don’t realize how much money they’re losing by running everything from a flat, messy contact list.

In reality, the multi-table model is the foundation that powers clean segmentation, stronger automation, unified analytics, and reliable customer insights. If you want better targeting, better triggers, and more profitable campaigns, this is the structure that makes it possible.

Why the Multi-Table Model Matters (Even if You’re Not Technical)

The biggest mistake beginners make is assuming all contacts belong in one list with endless custom fields. That approach works only if your business is small, simple, and unscalable. The moment you add:

• multiple products
• multiple sales funnels
• multiple customer types
• multiple events or behaviors

Your “single-table” contact list becomes impossible to manage.

The multi-table model fixes all of that by separating your data into meaningful entities. Instead of stuffing everything inside one contact, you structure it like a real business.

The Core Elements of Brevo’s Multi-Table Data Model

Think of the model as multiple connected tables that each store one type of information. The main components are:

1. Contacts Table

This contains your main subscribers, leads, and customers. Every person gets one row. This is the “center” of the data model.

2. Companies Table

If you run B2B, each company gets its own row. One company can be linked to multiple contacts.

3. Deals / Pipelines Table

Every ongoing opportunity is its own row. A deal belongs to one contact or one company.

4. Events Table

All behaviors—page visits, purchases, email opens, automation triggers—are stored here.

5. Conversations / Inbox Table

Every chat, email, or conversation thread is stored separately but linked to the contact.

How These Tables Connect (The Relationship Model)

Brevo uses three relationship types:

1. One-to-One

A contact may have ONE associated default field group. Example: contact → address.

2. One-to-Many

This is where the magic happens. Examples:

• One contact → many deals
• One contact → many events
• One company → many contacts

3. Many-to-Many

Brevo uses tags and segments to simulate this relationship.

Why the Multi-Table Model Is Better Than a Simple List

This is the difference between running a “newsletter list” and running a real marketing engine.

Practical Example: An E-commerce Store

Let’s say you have 10,000 buyers. With a simple list, you’d only see email + a few custom fields. But with a multi-table setup:

• Contact record → name, email, opt-in info
• Events table → each purchase is a separate row
• Products table → each SKU is structured
• Deals table → high-value orders are tracked
• Segments → created automatically from behavior

This means you can automatically create a segment like:

Practical Example: A SaaS Business

SaaS companies benefit even more:

• Contact → user account
• Company → corporate customer
• Events → feature usage, logins, trial start
• Deals → upgrades and renewals

Now your automation becomes powerful:

• “User hasn’t logged in for 7 days → send activation email.”
• “User triggers event X → unlock onboarding steps.”
• “Deal moves to ‘Negotiation’ → notify sales.”

The Real Power: Segmentation + Automations + Analytics

Once your data is structured, the real fun begins.

1. Advanced Segmentation

You can create segments like:

• users who viewed 3 product pages
• customers who made 2+ purchases
• leads who requested a demo but didn’t convert

2. Event-Driven Automation

Automations can be triggered from table-level events.

3. Unified Analytics

You get dashboards that actually make sense—because the data model is organized.

How to Actually Set Up the Multi-Table Model in Brevo

STEP 1: Clean Your Existing Contacts

• Remove duplicates
• Fix incorrect fields
• Standardize naming

STEP 2: Build Your Entities (Tables)

• Contacts
• Companies (if B2B)
• Deals
• Events

STEP 3: Map Fields Properly

This is where most people mess up. Every field MUST belong to the correct entity.

STEP 4: Sync Your Data Sources

Integrate:

• Shopify / WooCommerce
• CRM
• Payment platform
• SaaS backend

STEP 5: Build Segments From Your Table Logic

Use:

• events
• tags
• deal stages
• company filters

What NOT to Do (Beginner Mistakes)

• Creating too many tables
• Using custom fields instead of events
• Mixing personal + business data
• Not using tags and segments together

Final Verdict

Brevo’s multi-table data model is the backbone of every clean, scalable, profitable marketing system. Whether you’re running e-commerce, SaaS, coaching, B2B, or services — this structure gives you predictable, clean, and automation-ready data.

If you want better segmentation, stronger automation, and real analytics, the multi-table model is not optional. It’s required.

Your Next Steps

• Map your contact + company structure
• Define events you want to track
• Create segments from behaviors, not guesses
• Rebuild automation using event triggers