Create and save segments

This article explains how to create and save a segment. Learn how to get started with segments to ensure you’re familiar with using them.

Take note

• When scheduling a campaign, the segment includes all contacts in your account who meet the segment conditions when the campaign is sent
• Updated segment names or conditions are reflected in all past campaign reports. We recommend creating a new segment instead of editing a current one for campaign sends so that your reports remain accurate
• If a segment is deleted, all its data is permanently removed and cannot be restored. It is no longer visible in campaigns or anywhere else in the ActiveCampaign platform

Segment condition limitations

There are limitations around the number of conditions you can use when creating a segment:

• Segments can have up to 20 conditions
• Segments can contain up to five “Action” conditions (any condition listed under "Actions" in the segment builder)
• The "Contains" operator can be used for up to three conditions

Use Active Intelligence to create segments

Instead of building segment conditions from scratch, you can have Active Intelligence do it for you. 

To do so:

1. Click Contacts on the left menu.
2. Select “Segments” on the left panel.
3. Type your prompt into the field at the top of the Segments page.
4. Click the arrow button. 

Active Intelligence then translates your prompt into segment conditions and executes the search. You can see your segment conditions by clicking the “Build with segment conditions” dropdown. 

For example, you can use prompts such as:

• Show me contacts who visited my website in the last 30 days
• Find contacts who opened [campaign name]
• Who completed the [automation name] 

How to create a segment from scratch

Step 1: Navigate to the segment builder

The segment builder is available in multiple features within ActiveCampaign. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on the segment builder available with the Segments page, Advanced Search, and Campaign creation.

Create a segment on the Segments page

1. Click Contacts on the left menu. 
2. Click Segments on the left panel. 
3. Click “Start from scratch instead.”
4. Complete the segment name and description fields.

Create a segment from an advanced search

1. Click Contacts on the left menu.
2. Click the "Advanced Search" button.
3. Click “Build with segment conditions.”

Learn more about Advanced Search.

Create a segment during campaign creation

1. Click Email on the left menu.
2. Create a new or edit an existing campaign. Note that you can only update campaigns that have not been sent to contacts. In the “Recipient Selection” box, use the “Subscribe to list(s)” dropdown to select the list(s) you want to send the email campaign to.
3. Use the “Send to” dropdown field to select a segment or create a new one. 
4. Set your conditions in the modal window that appears. 

Step 2: Build and save a segment 

Once you are in the segment builder, you can use it to create and save your segment conditions. All saved segments are located on the Segments page in your account.

1. Click the “Build with segment conditions” option to show the segment builder.
2. Click the conditions field (left-most field). This displays your condition categories. 
3. Click any category to expand it, then click the segment condition you want to use.  
4. Depending on the condition you select, you may or may not need to choose an operator when defining your criteria. To choose an operator, click the middle field and click the operator you want to use.
5. As the final step, you'll need to provide a value for your search condition. Click the value field (right-most field) and click one of the options listed. You can also type the value to search and select it.
   
   Here is an example of the “Segment Conditions” filled out:
   
   
6. Save your segment. 
   • If you are on the Segments page, click “Save” 
   • If you are creating a segment from an advanced search, click “Save as Segment” then provide a segment name in the modal window that appears, then click “Save” again
   • If you are creating a segment from the Campaign Creation modal, click “Save”

Step 3: (Optional) Add multiple conditions to your segment

You can add multiple conditions to your segment to make it more complex When doing so, you can decide if the segment should look for contacts that match all or one of the requirements.

To add another condition to your segment, click the "+ Add another condition" option in the segment builder. This displays another row to define a second condition.

Note that there is a toggle to specify whether the additional condition is added with "And or Or" logic:

• "And"
  This option looks for contacts who match all conditions.
• "Or"
  This option displays contacts who match any condition.

Learn more about using "And" and "Or" logic with searches and segments.

Step 4: (Optional) Create condition groups

Condition groups let you combine multi-dimensional conditions with "And” and “Or" logic. You may want to use condition groups to mix "And and Or" statements when creating an Advanced Search or Segment.

For example, you might have one condition group that finds contacts that have a specific tag and are subscribed to a particular list and another condition group that looks for contacts that went through a certain automation or visited a page on your site. 

(red callout box) You cannot combine "And" with "Or" logic when using multiple conditions in a single condition group. You must create a new condition group to combine "And" with "Or" logic in a segment. 

To add a condition group, click the "Add Condition Group" button. Then, follow the steps above to create the segment conditions.

Step 5: (Optional) Add conditions from saved segments to create new segments

You can add saved segment conditions when creating new segments. This includes segments you’ve created as well as suggested segments from Active Intelligence. 

To add existing segment conditions to a new segment, click the “Add conditions from a saved segment” button, then select the saved segment you want to use.