Build a segment by combining rules in the segment builder. You can target contacts by how they engage with your campaigns, the data you hold about them, the lists and preferences they belong to, what they buy, and their predicted behaviour. Combine rules with AND and OR logic to make your segment as broad or as specific as you need.
You can also build a segment by describing it to Segment Agent, which is in private preview. Learn more in Use Segment Agent to build and edit segments.
Create and name your segment
Go to Audience > Segments, and select New segment.
Choose Blank template to build your segment from scratch, or choose one of our pre-built templates.
For Segment name, enter a name.
Expand the Segment location drop-down menu and choose a folder.
If you don't choose a folder, the segment is saved in the top-level Segments folder.Select Continue.
Set the rules for your segment
A new segment starts by including all your subscribed contacts, which are the contacts in your account's Contacts master list. Add rules to narrow it down.
Drag a rule block from the left side of the segment builder into the Include or Exclude dropzone.
Select the rule block.
In the popup, configure the rule criteria.
The criteria available depend on the rule type.
Learn more in Types of segment rules.Select Okay.
To move a rule, drag the rule block title to another position in the Include or Exclude dropzone.
To combine rules, drag an AND or OR group from the left-hand menu into the builder.
Rules in a group are combined with AND by default, so contacts must match every rule. Select OR to find contacts who match any rule.
Exclusion rules only apply to contacts who have already made it through your include rules.
Learn more in the How rules combine section of Understand segments.
View contacts
Select Generate segment above the segment builder canvas.
The segment count is displayed.
Select View to see a list of the contacts in the segment.
The saved count isn't live. To update it, refresh the segment.
Learn more in Refresh, delete, or export a segment.
Before you use the segment, check that it contains the contacts you expect. If you added test-only rules, such as a specific email address, remove them before you save.
Before you edit a segment
Make copies of segments before editing
Duplicate segments you plan to modify to preserve your original settings.
Deactivate programs before edits
Deactivate any active program that uses the segment before you change its rules. A program refreshes its own copy of the segment as contacts reach each node, so a rule change can take effect part-way through a contact's journey.
Take a random sample
You can take a random sample of the contacts in a segment, to create a test group or a control group. The sample is saved as a new list, not as a segment.
Each sample is drawn at random from the whole segment, so a contact taken into one sample can be taken into the next one as well. To split a segment into samples that don't overlap.
Take your first sample.
In the segment, add the new sample list to the Exclude dropzone.
Refresh the segment, then take your next sample.
Repeat until you have all the samples you need.
Remove the exclusion rules from the segment, then refresh it.
Learn more in Create a test audience.