How to Create List Segments with SMS criteria

  • Updated

You cannot send an SMS directly to the SMS Opt-In List - sends go to a Segment or Marketing List. That means using segmentation on SMS-specific criteria is how you build useful audiences, whether it is "engaged opt-ins in the US" or "everyone who has not opted in yet." This article covers the SMS Behaviors and SMS Metadata criteria available in the Segment Builder.

Who does this: Marketing ops and demand gen building SMS audiences
Time needed: 5-10 minutes per segment
Why this matters: Good SMS lists pay twice - you waste fewer Credits on invalid or opted-out numbers, and your engaged audience sees you as relevant rather than noisy. Segmenting on SMS Behavior and opt-in state lets you both refine who receives campaigns and spot who you could win over next.
In plain English: Open the Segment Builder and pick from two SMS-flavoured criteria groups - what contacts have done with SMS (Behavior) and what's true about their SMS state (Metadata). Combine them to get the audience you want.
Availability: The SMS Add-on is required to create segments that use SMS criteria.

Create a segment

Start a new segment from one of these places:

  • All Contacts: go to Audience Center > All Contacts and click New Segment, or hover an existing segment, click ellipsis, and pick Create subsegment.
  • Marketing Lists: go to Lists > Marketing Lists, click the down arrow next to a list, and pick Create a Segment.
  • Form Submissions or Webinar Lists: go to Lists > Other Lists, open the list, click the down arrow, and pick Create a Segment.

Segment on SMS Behavior

Four Behaviors are available for SMS:

  • Was sent an SMS
  • Clicked on an SMS
  • SMS send failed
  • Replied to an SMS

Choose Behavior, define a time period, and scroll the behaviours dropdown to find the four SMS options.

SMS behaviors in the Segment Builder

Segment on SMS Metadata

SMS Metadata lets you segment on opt-in state and phone number attributes rather than activity.

Criteria Options Description
Has a Valid Phone Number Yes / No

Whether the phone number is correctly entered. This does not detect landlines or other issues.

Yes = contacts with a valid number.
No = contacts with no phone number or an invalid one.
Is Opted-In to SMS Yes / No Yes = contacts who have opted in.
No = contacts who have not opted in.
Is Opted-Out to SMS Yes / No Yes = contacts who have opted out.
No = contacts who have not opted out.
Phone Number is in Country dropdown Filters contacts based on the country of their phone number.

Examples

Engaged SMS recipients

A segment of contacts who have opted in to SMS, whose phones are based in the US, and who clicked an SMS in the past 30 days.

Engaged SMS recipients segment

SMS opportunities

A segment of contacts who have neither opted in nor opted out - good candidates for an email campaign promoting your SMS channel.

SMS opportunities segment

Next steps

Was this article helpful?

Have more questions? Submit a request