Segments
Updated August 24, 2026
A segment is a named group you put contacts into, so you can find them and message them together — VIP, Lunch regulars, Complained in March. A contact can belong to as many segments as you like. Segments are the audience for one-time campaigns and the entry condition for automations. Almost every targeted message you send starts with one.
Before you start
- Assigning a segment to a contact needs full Contacts access, because it is part of editing a contact.
- Creating, renaming and deleting segments also needs full Contacts access. With restricted access the picker shows your segments, but hides the search box, the Manage button and the create option. See Users and permissions.
- Segments are shared across the account. The same list appears in the picker on every contact, wherever the picker is shown.
Where to find it
There is no separate segments page. The Segment picker appears wherever contacts are created, edited, bulk edited or filtered.
Managing the list itself — renaming and deleting — happens inside the picker, so open any contact for editing to get to it.
Create a segment
- Open a contact for editing, or select Create to start a new one.
- Select the Segment field.
- Type the new name into Search or create new segments.
- Select Create new segment.
The segment is created immediately, before you save the contact, and is assigned to the contact you have open. It is available everywhere in the account from that moment.
Assign and remove segments
- On one contact — open Edit, add or remove chips in the Segment field, then select Save changes. Clearing every chip removes all of the contact’s segments; the empty field is saved, not ignored.
- On many contacts — select the rows on the Contacts page and choose Edit. A segment held by some but not all of the selected contacts appears in a distinct “partly assigned” style. Leave it alone to preserve the mixed state, select it again to apply it to everyone, or remove it to take it off everyone. See Managing contacts.
Two routes into Contacts cannot set segments at all:
- CSV import has no segment column and leaves existing segments untouched. Import first, then filter the new contacts and bulk edit them.
- Merging two contacts combines both sets of segments and removes the duplicates.
Rename a segment
- Open the Segment picker on any contact.
- Select Manage.
- Edit the name in place.
- Select Done.
A rename applies everywhere the segment is used — no contact loses it. Two renames are refused without an error message: an empty name, and a name that already belongs to another segment. If your change does not stick, check that you are not reusing an existing name.
Delete a segment
- Open the Segment picker on any contact.
- Select Manage.
- Select the bin icon next to the segment.
- Confirm at Confirm deletion. The action cannot be undone.
Deleting a segment removes it from every contact that carries it. The contacts themselves are untouched.
While an automation uses the segment in its entry conditions, deletion is refused with This segment is used by an automation. Remove it from the automation before deleting. Open the automation, change its entry conditions, then delete the segment — see Automations.
Protected segments
Segments named Promoter, Neutral and Detractor are protected. They behave like any other segment when you assign them, filter by them or remove them from a contact, but they cannot be renamed or deleted.
Use segments to target messages
| Where segments are used | How |
|---|---|
| One-time campaigns | The campaign audience is one or more segments. Everyone in the segment who is not unsubscribed receives the message — see One-time campaigns |
| Automations | Entry conditions match on segments, so contacts joining a segment can trigger a flow — see Automations |
| Contacts → Filters | Narrow the contacts list to one or more segments before a bulk edit, export or delete |
Two limits show up when you build a campaign audience:
- There are no contacts in the selected segment — the segment is empty, or everyone in it is unsubscribed.
- Unable to create a campaign with more than 1000 contacts — a campaign audience cannot exceed 1000 contacts. Split a large segment into smaller ones, or add a location filter to narrow the audience.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No search box, Manage button or create option in the picker | You have restricted Contacts access | Ask an administrator for full access — see Users and permissions |
| A rename does not save | The name is empty, or another segment already uses it | Choose a different name |
| No bin icon next to a segment | It is one of the protected Promoter, Neutral or Detractor segments | These cannot be deleted or renamed |
| This segment is used by an automation. Remove it from the automation before deleting. | An automation’s entry conditions reference the segment | Edit the automation’s entry conditions first, then delete the segment |
| Searching the contacts list by segment name returns nothing | Search covers name, phone, email and external ID only | Use Filters → Segment instead |
| Imported contacts have no segments | Import cannot assign segments | Filter to the imported contacts and use bulk Edit |
| There are no contacts in the selected segment when building a campaign | The segment is empty, or every contact in it is unsubscribed | Check the segment on the Contacts page and look at the Unsubscribed status of its members |
| Unable to create a campaign with more than 1000 contacts | The audience exceeds the campaign limit | Split the segment or narrow the audience by location |