In Audience Center, create segments—dynamic, always‑up‑to‑date groups of contacts filtered by profile, behavior, score, subscriptions, or CRM data—so every campaign reaches the right people.
Segments automatically refresh as contact data changes. Start with simple filters, then add advanced tools like Groups, Subgroups, and Linked Rows for complex, CRM‑aware targeting.
Quick Reference (Advanced Users) – Click to Expand
Quick Reference: Create a Segment
- Go to Audience Center > All Contacts → Create Segment.
- Name the segment. Include campaign/date identifiers if tracking is needed.
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For each filter row:
- Select Data Type (Profile, Behavior, Score, Subscriptions, CRM/Custom Data).
- Select Field and Condition (options vary by field type).
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Add rows as needed:
- AND = must meet all conditions.
- OR = can meet any condition.
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Mixed logic:
- Create a Group (… menu → Turn into group).
- One Subgroup allowed per group.
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1‑to‑Many data (e.g., CRM Opportunities):
- Use Linked Rows to apply conditions to the same related record.
- Save. Add Name + Description in Settings.
Quick Examples
- Engaged Web Leads: Lead Source contains “Web” AND Email Click ≥ 1 this month.
- Active CRM Accounts: CRM Account Status = “Active” AND Opportunity Stage = “Proposal” in last 30 days (Linked Rows).
- Multi‑Channel Responders: (Email Click OR Form Submit) AND Behavior Score ≥ 50.
Pro Tips
- Use consistent naming conventions for search/reporting.
- Preview results before large sends.
- Favor Groups for Boolean clarity; use Subgroups sparingly.
- Document logic in Description for team handoffs.
Create a Query Segment
From Audience Center > All Contacts, select Create Segment. The Segment Builder opens.
First, give your segment a clear name so you can find it later—for example, Web Leads – Clicked Email. Experienced teams often include campaign codes or date ranges for tracking.
The builder starts with one filter row. Each row is a rule that decides who’s in your segment.
Choose the type of data you want to filter by:
- Profile – contact details like company, location, or job title
- Behavior – tracked actions like email opens, clicks, or form submissions
- Score – lead or behavior score values
- Subscriptions – opt‑in lists or preferences
- CRM/Custom Data – synced data from your CRM or custom tables
Next, pick a field (e.g., Lead Source) and set the condition (e.g., contains “Web”). Condition options depend on the field type: text fields use contains or is, while numeric/date fields include greater than, less than, between, and relative dates (e.g., in the last 30 days).
To add more rules, click Add a row. Each new row lets you narrow or broaden who qualifies.
Example: Row 1 filters contacts whose Lead Source contains “Web” or “Social.” Row 2 adds Email Behavior for contacts who clicked at least 1 email this month.
Transition: Once you’ve set basic rules, use Groups to combine “must have” and “nice to have” conditions in a single segment.
Using Groups
Why use groups? Groups let you mix AND and OR cleanly in a single segment. This is essential for advanced targeting logic and to mirror classic Boolean expressions.
Add a group via Add a row or group at the bottom, or turn an existing row into a group from its … menu on the right hand side.
Plain-language example: Lead Source contains Web or Social AND (Email Click in last 3 weeks OR Form Submission in last 3 weeks).
Name groups to make complex logic easy to scan. You can also add one subgroup inside a group for a deeper AND/OR layer.
Legacy segments: Boolean expressions like 1 AND (2 OR 3 OR (4 AND 5)) still run in the new engine but can’t be edited in that form yet. Convert them into groups/subgroups to modify.
Transition: If your segment uses CRM or other related records (one contact → many records), Linked Rows keep your conditions attached to the same record.
Add Detail criteria for Form & Webinar behavior segments
When segmenting on behaviors that include a form submission or webinar registration, if you choose "A specific one" as your criteria, you'll have the option to Add detail. This lets you further narrow your segment based on any form-specific fields entered on the submission. The form / webinar must be configured to submit to Audience Center, and only "Form" fields will be shown here, as contact profile fields that are on the form can be accessed through the profile factor.
Segment Settings
In Settings, add a Name and a short Description so teammates understand the segment’s purpose. You’ll also see who originally created the segment and who last updated it.
If you've added an email behavior factor to this segment, you may want to exclude security system or privacy system open and click behaviors from contributing contacts to this segment. Learn more about the True Open settings for segmentation.
Tips & Quick Ideas
- Start broad, then refine: Add one or two rows, check the results, then add more detail.
- Name groups: Short labels like “Recent Engagement” make complex logic easier to scan.
- Reuse patterns: Save successful segment structures for future campaigns.
- For experienced users: Standardize naming, document logic in Description, and use Linked Rows for 1‑to‑Many cases.