Adding contacts to segments using filter criteria

You can use filter criteria to dynamically build your segment. For example, you can build a segment based on contact fields, lead score, digital body language, and so on.

Good to know

  • Existing Oracle Eloqua customers can have the option to enable Segment Configuration for TimeZone. This feature evaluates date/time field filters in the executing user's timezone. Previously, all filtering was based on Eastern Standard Time (UTC -5:00).
  • To enable Segment Configuration for TimeZone, log a service request with My Oracle Support. Once you enable this feature, it cannot be reversed.
  • Newly provisioned Oracle Eloqua instances will have Segment Configuration for TimeZone enabled by default.
  • Filter operators are divided into two categories: Static Operators (before, after, on or before, on or after, on, within) and Dynamic Operators (dynamically equal to, dynamically before, dynamically after, dynamically on or before, dynamically on or after, within the last, within the next).
  • If Segment Configuration for TimeZone is enabled, Static Operators will use the filter creator's time zone to convert criteria and store it in the database. Segment filter execution is based on these database values, which are already converted into Eastern Standard Time (EST). No Conversion is done during execution.

    Example: A contact's DateCreated operator is before 2021-04-03. If the user who created the filter is from Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), Oracle Eloqua converts the date entered from 2021-04-03 12:00:00 AM in AEST to 2021-04-02 9:00:00 AM in EST to store in the database. When executing the filter, the segment finds all contacts with the created date before 2021-04-02 9:00:00 in EST.

  • If Segment Configuration for TimeZone is enabled, Dynamic Operators will use the executing user’s time zone to calculate results.

    Example: A contact's DateCreated operator is dynamically equal to "today". If a user executing the filter is from AEST and "today" in AEST is 2021-04-22 5:00 AM, Oracle Eloqua finds all contacts with the created date 2021-04-22 in AEST, which is from 2021-04-21 10:00 AM to 2021-04-22 9:59:59 AM in EST. Conversion is done during filter execution with the executing user's time zone.

To add contacts using filter criteria:

  1. Navigate to Audience An image of the Audience icon, then click Segments.

  2. Open an existing segment, or create a new one.

  3. Click Add An image of the Add icon in the left pane, then click Filter Criteria An image of the Filter Criteria icon.. A list of filter criteria opens on the right pane.

  4. In the right pane, double-click the filter criteria you want to add to the segment.

    An image of a filter type added to the central segment editor.

  5. Double-click the criteria you added to configure it. Click outside the window to close it.

    Important: When you filter by activities, the filter can only select dates that are within the last year, and a filter can only return one year of data in total. Additionally our data retention will only retain data from activities for up to two years. However, for Subscription and Bounceback activities, filters can search up to 10 years.

    For instance, if today is January 5th, 2025:
    • If you filter for activities before January 5th, 2025, the filter will search from January 5th 2024, to January 4th 2025.
    • If you filter for activities before April 22, 2022, the filter will search from January 5th 2023, to January 5th, 2024.
    • If you filter for activities within January 5th 2023 to January 4th 2024, the filter will return no data.
    Each filter will display a visual bar with the date range that it will be returning.

    An image of a criteria's configuration window.

    Some filter criteria can be configured to use a list as part of the comparison. For example, to filter on a list of countries or based on a couple of sales reps. To build a list for one time use, you can use a quicklist. To be able to reuse the list throughout Oracle Eloqua, use a picklist. Quicklists are great for short lists that are only intended for one time use. But if you want to build a long list or reuse the list, it is best to use a picklist. See Creating picklists for more information.

  6. Add additional filter criteria as needed. When you add filter criteria, you join the filters using a Boolean AND or OR comparison. To switch between AND or OR, click the operator label on the canvas.

    An image of two segment filters connected by the AND operator

    When you use the AND operator, all filter criteria must be met in order to be included. In the example above, the segment would include only contacts whose salesperson is Michael Gruber and who have also opened an email within the time frame specified.

    When you use an OR operator, any of the filter criteria could be met in order to be included. So, in the same example above, the segment would include contacts whose salesperson is Michael or if they opened an email.

  7. To give your filter a descriptive name or brief description, in the left pane, double-click the filter name or description. This will help you easily identify the segment's criteria.

    An image of a filter being renamed.

  8. Click Save.

Tip: If you want to view the contacts in a Filter Criteria, but it's been more than 24 hours since the segment was last calculated, click An image of the calculate button to refresh the segment first. You can then view the filter's contacts in your segment by right-clicking the Filter Criteria then clicking View Contacts...

After you finish: If you want to share the filter, see Sharing filters and lists

Learn more

Segments

Creating segments

Shared filters

Sharing filters and lists