Create segments

A segment is a group within a list, defined by rules - location, activity, attributes and more. Segments update themselves as contacts come to match (or stop matching) the rules, so you can always send the right message to the right people. This guide covers building one.

Create a segment

1. Select Audience, then Contacts.
2. Choose your list.
3. Select Create a segment.
4. Give your segment a name.
5. Define its conditions. You can segment on:
   • Contact ID - the number assigned to each contact in order of being added.
   • Email address - the contact's address.
   • Date added - before, after, or on a specific date.
   • Email activity - who received, opened, or didn't open which campaigns.
   • Click activity - which links contacts clicked.
   • Custom attributes - anything you've stored about them (see Add attributes to your list).
6. The number of matching recipients shows next to the segment name as you build.
7. Click Save and exit.

Your segment now sits under the list. Choose View all segments to edit its name and rules or check its size.

Troubleshooting

The segment shows zero contacts - check your rules for conflicts, use the YYYY-MM-DD date format, and remember that combining rules with AND requires contacts to meet every one.

It doesn't update automatically - give the system a moment to process, check whether contacts were added after you built it, and confirm activity tracking is working.

Can't create a segment - check your plan's segment limit, keep the name unique within the list, and try a simpler segment to test.

Email-activity rules aren't working - you need to have actually sent campaigns to generate activity, and tracking can be blocked; allow 24-48 hours for the data.

It's slow to process - simplify complex rule combinations, go easy on OR conditions, and get in touch for very large segments (over 100k contacts).

For an alternative approach, see Use tags to track engagement.