Create a Segment

While contact lists are created by manually adding contacts to a static list, segments are dynamic lists of contacts created by defining contact criteria and selecting filters.

When you create a segment, you can filter using any field in the Contacts (contacts) table, including custom fields, and by joining the Contacts table to other tables. For example, some segments might include all contacts who live in Montana, all contacts between the ages of 18 and 24, or all contacts who live in Montana and are between the ages of 18 and 24. You can also filter contacts by whether they have submitted an incident related to a certain product.

After you create a segment, it can be used in mailings and surveys and the group of contacts is constantly adjusted and updated as contact data meets or falls outside of the segment requirements. For example, a segment that selects customers based on their age produces a different result every time it is used for a mailing, assuming that customer contact data changes.

Note: The following procedure assumes that you access the Segments explorer from the Audiences navigation list. However, this explorer may reside in a different navigation list.

1. Click Audiences on the navigation pane.
2. Double-click Segments Explorer.
   The Segments explorer opens on the content pane.
3. Click New on the ribbon.
   Tip: You can also create a segment from an open segment by clicking New. Additionally, if your navigation set is configured to add segments from the file menu, click File > Audience > Segment. See Configure the File Menu.
   1. To create a segment from scratch, click New Segment.
      The Segment editor opens on the content pane.

      The content pane is divided into sections to group common functions and help make creating the segment easier. At the top is the current count of contacts meeting the segment criteria. The tabs let you define the segment filters and data set, preview a list of contacts belonging to the segment, and view the audit log.

   2. To create a segment by copying an existing segment, click Choose Existing Segment.
      The Choose Existing Segment window opens where you can select the segment you want to use.
   3. To import an XML segment, click Import Segment.
4. Enter field information to define the segment filters on the Criteria tab.
5. To preview the contacts belonging to the segment, click the Preview tab.
6. To refresh the audience count, click Refresh in the Count section.
7. To view the details of an audience count, click Details in the Count section after the count has been performed.
   A window opens showing you the number of contacts belonging to the segment, along with how many of those contacts have an invalid or duplicate email address or no address.
8. To view a list of actions taken on the segment, click the Audit Log tab.
9. Click Save.
   The Save As window opens.
10. Select the folder you want to save the segment in and enter the name of the segment in the Name field.
11. Click Save.