Understanding segments

Last updated: June 19, 2025

Overview

Segments can be used to slice your audience into targeted collections of contacts based on dozens of attributes.

Read on to learn more about how segments work.

Before Getting Started

Prior to creating a segment, you need to have created a list that contains contact attribute data.

Attribute data includes a contact's profile properties, engagement history, purchase history, and more.

Check out the complete list of available Segment conditions and options guide.

Segment logic

Check out the Segment conditions and options guide for a complete overview of available segment logic.

Use multiple options by including OR/AND conditions in your Segment:

  • OR condition – Adds Contacts to Segment if they meet any of the logic’s condition.

  • AND condition – Adds Contacts to Segment if they meet all of the logic’s conditions

More conditions result in smaller segments, fewer conditions result in larger segments

Segments are essentially a way to filter your contacts based on attributes or behaviors you select as conditions.

More conditions lead to more filtering, which results in a smaller pool of contacts because conditions are more specific.

Fewer conditions lead to less filtering, which results in a larger pool of contacts because conditions are more broad.

Inverted segment logic

Each segment condition can be inverted by selecting the Inverse of this condition checkbox.

When this checkbox is selected, contacts who do not meet the condition will be pulled into the segment.

When segments update

Segments re-process in the following situations:

  1. If a segment appears on the first page of your list of segments, it re-processes when a user logs into your account

  2. If you click into page two or beyond of your list of segments, the segments on the page you view will re-process

  3. If a segment is used to send a campaign, it will re-process just before the time a campaign is sent

Troubleshooting

My segment is showing 0 contacts!

If a segment you've recently created is showing zero contacts, check the conditions you have in place.

If you have multiple conditions, double check your AND/OR logic. If you have AND selected, both conditions must be met in order for a contact to appear within the segment.

If OR is selected, meeting just one of the conditions will place a contact within the segment.