How to Create and Manage Segments Across Your Lists

Segments help you group contacts by shared characteristics or behavior so you can target messages, build automation, and report on specific audiences. This article explains how segmentation works in Act-On, the methods you can use, and the steps to build your own segments from any list.

Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to Expand

Go to All Contacts or any list and select Create segment or Create subsegment.
Choose a segmentation method: Search, Direct Selection, or Query.
Build criteria using Profile fields, CRM data, Form behavior, Web activity, Lead Score, or Subscription Preferences.
Save the segment. It updates automatically as contacts match or no longer match your criteria.

Try it like this: Build a segment of contacts whose Lead Score is between 30 and 60 so your next campaign targets the most active prospects.

What You Can Segment

You can segment on many types of data stored in your lists, including:

Profile information such as job title, region, or industry
Behavior such as email clicks, page visits, or form submissions
Lead Score or any scoring field you maintain
CRM data synced into All Contacts
Subscription Preferences
Custom Touch Points when enabled

Start a New Segment

You can create segments from the All Contacts list or from any Marketing List, Form Submission List, or Webinar List.

Create a segment.

Create subsegment

This opens the Manage Segment page where you can name your segment, choose a segmentation method, and build criteria.

Segmentation Methods

Every segment is built using one of three methods. Choose the one that best matches what you want to accomplish.

Search

Search returns contacts based on simple filters such as matching a specific value or keyword. This is helpful when you need something quick or broad, such as “all contacts with Company contains ‘Act-On’.”

Direct Selection

Direct Selection lets you manually select contacts from the list. Use this when you want a fixed group, such as adding internal colleagues to a test segment.

Query

The Query method gives you the most control. You can combine multiple conditions across Profile fields, Behavior, CRM objects, or scoring values. Queries update dynamically whenever contacts meet or stop meeting your criteria.

Build Your Segment Criteria

In the Manage Segment page, choose Search, Direct Selection, or Query, then define what this segment should include.

Profile Criteria

Select the profile icon and choose fields such as Industry, State, or Account Manager. Add operators and values such as equals, contains, or is between or equals.

Behavior Criteria

Add conditions based on email activity, form activity, landing page visits, media downloads, webinar attendance, or other tracked behaviors. You can segment by “viewed forms in the last X days,” “clicked any email,” or “visited a specific landing page.”

Lead Score Criteria

Use this when you want segments such as “hot leads” or “inactive contacts.” Choose Profile › your Lead Score field › is between or equals and enter your range.

CRM Data Criteria

If your account is connected to a CRM, you can build queries on CRM objects and fields. For example, you can segment on Accounts, Owners, Campaign membership, or Opportunity attributes.

Some CRM objects have one-to-many relationships, which can affect query results. See the CRM segmentation article for detailed guidance.

Save and Use Your Segment

When your criteria are complete, select Save. The segment appears under the list it was created from. You can now:

Use the segment in an email send
Use the segment in Automated Programs
Export the contact list
Create subsegments for deeper filtering