Creating and Using Subscriber Segments

Segments are dynamic groups of subscribers defined by rules you set. Unlike static lists that you manually maintain, segments update automatically as your subscribers change. When a subscriber matches your rules, they are in the segment. When they no longer match, they drop out. No manual work required.

Why Segments Matter

Targeted emails consistently outperform bulk sends. When subscribers receive content that is relevant to their interests, behavior, or stage in your funnel, they open more, click more, and unsubscribe less. Segmentation is how you deliver that relevance at scale.

Instead of sending every broadcast to your entire list, you can send product updates only to customers, onboarding tips only to new signups, and re-engagement campaigns only to subscribers who have gone quiet. The result is higher engagement, better deliverability, and subscribers who actually look forward to hearing from you.

How Segmentation Rules Work

Segments are built from rules organized into groups. Here is how the logic works:

  • Rules within a group are combined with AND logic — a subscriber must match every rule in the group to qualify.
  • Multiple groups are combined with OR logic — a subscriber needs to match any one group to be included in the segment.

This AND/OR structure lets you build anything from simple single-rule segments to sophisticated multi-condition targeting.

Creating a Segment

  1. Navigate to Segments in the main menu
  2. Click New Segment
  3. Give your segment a descriptive name (you will thank yourself later)
  4. Add one or more rules to define who belongs in this segment

As you add rules, Broadcast evaluates them in real time so you can see how many subscribers currently match.

Available Rule Types

Broadcast offers a wide range of rule types to target subscribers precisely.

Tag-Based Rules

  • Has tag — Include subscribers who have a specific tag
  • Does not have tag — Include subscribers who are missing a specific tag

Tags are one of the most flexible building blocks for segmentation. Apply them manually, via sequences, through the API, or with automation triggers, then use them in segment rules to slice your audience however you need.

Activity-Based Rules

  • Is active — Subscribers who are currently active in your channel
  • Is inactive — Subscribers who have been set to inactive
  • Is unsubscribed — Subscribers who have opted out

These rules let you target (or exclude) subscribers based on their subscription status.

Date-Based Rules

  • Subscribed before / after — Filter by when the subscriber joined
  • Created before / after — Filter by the subscriber record creation date

Date-based rules are essential for time-sensitive campaigns. Target subscribers who joined in the last 30 days for a welcome offer, or reach out to long-time subscribers with a loyalty perk.

Source-Based Rules

  • API — Subscribers added through the Broadcast API
  • Import — Subscribers added via CSV or file import
  • Opt-in form — Subscribers who signed up through an embedded form

Knowing how a subscriber found you helps you tailor your messaging. Someone who signed up through your website form has a different context than someone imported from a purchased list.

Custom Data Rules

Match on values stored in a subscriber’s custom data fields. Broadcast stores custom data as JSON, so you can filter on any key-value pair you have set — plan type, company size, location, purchase history, or anything else you track.

Email Engagement Rules

  • Opened a specific broadcast — Target subscribers who opened a particular email
  • Clicked in a specific broadcast — Target subscribers who clicked a link in a particular email

Engagement-based rules are powerful for follow-up campaigns. Send a deeper dive to people who opened your announcement, or a reminder to those who did not click your call-to-action.

Combining Rules

The real power of segments comes from combining multiple rules.

Within a single group (AND logic):

Subscriber has tag “customer” AND is active AND subscribed after January 1, 2026

This matches active customers who joined after the start of the year.

Across multiple groups (OR logic):

Group 1: has tag “vip”
OR
Group 2: has tag “customer” AND custom data plan = “enterprise”

This matches anyone who is a VIP, or anyone who is a customer on the enterprise plan.

You can add as many rules per group and as many groups per segment as you need.

Using Segments

Once you have created a segment, you can put it to work in several areas of Broadcast.

In Broadcasts

When creating a broadcast, go to the Audience tab and select one or more segments to target. Only subscribers who match the segment rules at send time will receive the email. You can select multiple segments — the audience will be the union of all selected segments (duplicates are automatically removed).

In Sequences

Attach a segment to a sequence as a segment trigger. Any subscriber who matches the segment rules will be automatically enrolled in the sequence. Segment triggers sync approximately every 15 minutes, so new matches are picked up regularly without any manual intervention.

This is a powerful way to build behavior-driven automation. For example, create a segment for “subscribers who opened the product launch email but did not click the signup link,” then attach it to a follow-up sequence with a different angle.

For Analytics

Compare broadcast performance across different segments to understand which groups engage most. This insight helps you refine your content strategy and segmentation rules over time.

Viewing Segment Members

Open any segment to see the list of subscribers who currently match. The count updates dynamically — what you see is always the current state, not a stale snapshot. This makes it easy to verify that your rules are working as expected before using the segment in a broadcast or sequence.

Example Segments

Here are a few practical segment configurations to get you started.

Engaged Subscribers

Find subscribers who are both active and recently engaged:

  • Rule 1: Is active
  • Rule 2: Opened a broadcast within the last 30 days

Use this segment to target your most responsive audience for important announcements or premium content.

Premium Customers

Identify high-value subscribers using tags and custom data:

  • Rule 1: Has tag “premium”
  • Rule 2: Custom data plan = “enterprise”

Send exclusive content, early access offers, or dedicated support communications to this group.

New Signups This Month

Target recent additions from organic channels:

  • Rule 1: Created after the first day of the current month
  • Rule 2: Source is “opt_in_form”

Perfect for sending a special welcome series or gathering feedback from new subscribers while your brand is fresh in their minds.

API Access

You can create, update, and query segments programmatically through the Broadcast API. This is useful for integrating segmentation with your application logic — for example, updating custom data from your app and letting segment rules automatically re-evaluate. See the Segments API documentation for endpoints and examples.

Best Practices

Use descriptive names. A segment named “Q1 2026 - Active Enterprise Customers” is far more useful than “Segment 14” when you are choosing an audience six months from now. Future you will appreciate the clarity.

Review segments regularly. Subscriber behavior changes over time. A segment that was meaningful three months ago might need updated rules or might no longer be relevant. Audit your segments quarterly to keep them useful.

Combine segments with tags. Tags and segments complement each other well. Use tags for explicit categorization (applied manually or via automation) and segments for dynamic, rule-based grouping. Together, they give you precise control over your audience.

Avoid over-segmenting. It is tempting to create dozens of highly specific segments, but too many segments create complexity without proportional benefit. Start with a handful of high-impact segments — engaged vs. disengaged, new vs. established, customer vs. prospect — and add more only when you have a clear use case.

Test with small segments first. When trying a new type of campaign or messaging approach, create a small test segment and send to that group before rolling out to a broader audience. This limits risk and gives you data to optimize before scaling up.

Want to manage subscribers programmatically? Explore the API documentation for full access to segments, subscribers, and more.