Building and Managing Segments

A segment is a saved filter applied to your Database that groups contacts by shared characteristics. This article explains how to create a segment, preview the results, save it, and manage your saved segments.

Segments let you divide your Database into groups based on what your contacts have in common, so you can send the right content to the right people.Once saved, it updates automatically as new contacts are added and can be used across all sections of Oomiji, including Interaction.

Before You Start

Before creating a segment, confirm two things:

  1. The fields you want to segment by are set up in your Dashboard. If not, see Setting Up Standard and Custom Fields in the Dashboard.
  2. You have collected data for those fields from at least some contacts. A segment built on an empty field will return zero results.

For background on collecting Primary Interest data specifically, see Primary Interests: Foundational to Segmentation.

Creating a Segment

To create a segment:

  1. Click Database
  2. Click the Segments button
  3. A drop down menu will appear with: Folder Categories; +Create Segment; View All Segments
  4. Click the + Create Segment

Building the Segment

The builder has three components: a match rule, one or more conditions, and a View button to preview results.

Setting the Match Rule

At the top of the segment builder, you will see: "If a contact matches [Any/All] of the following conditions."

All means every condition must be true for a contact to be included. Use this when you want to narrow your results. For example, "Country is United States AND Primary Interest is Food Pairings" returns only contacts who match both criteria.

Any means at least one condition must be true. Use this when you want to broaden your results. For example, "Country is United States OR Country is Canada" returns contacts from either country.

Or simply, 

  • All is intersection
  • Any is union

If you are using a single condition, this setting has no effect.


Adding Conditions

Click the Select Field dropdown on the left side. This list contains all of your standard and custom fields.

After selecting a field, a Select Condition dropdown appears. The available conditions depend on the field type you chose when the field was created.

  • For Text fields: Contains, Does Not Contain, Starts With, Ends With, Is Exactly, Is Different To, Is Blank, Is Not Blank.
  • For Date fields: On, After, On Or After, Before, On Or Before, Between, Is Blank.
  • For Selection fields (including Primary Interest): Is Equal To, Is Not Equal To, Is Blank, Is Not Blank.
  • For Yes/No fields: Is Equal To, Is Not Equal To, Is Blank, Is Not Blank.

After selecting a condition, enter or select the value you want to filter by in the field to the right.

To add more conditions, click "+ Add Condition." You can combine as many conditions as needed. There is no limit to the number of conditions in a segment.


Previewing Results

Before saving, click the blue View button at the bottom left of the segment builder. This runs your filter against the Database and displays the total number of contacts that match your conditions.

Review this count to confirm the segment is returning the results you expect. 

If the count is zero or unexpectedly low, check that your conditions and values are correct. If a field has no data for most contacts, the segment may appear empty even if the logic is correct. 

Also check that the Any/All match rule is set correctly. Using All when you intended Any will narrow results significantly.

Saving and Viewing Saved Segments

After previewing your results, click the Save button in the upper right corner of the segment builder. A dialog will appear asking you to name the segment.


Use a clear, descriptive name that identifies the criteria. Examples: "Primary Interest: Food Pairings," "US Contacts," "VIP Members," "DOB: 21 and Over." Descriptive names make segments easier to find and use later, especially as your list grows.

There is no limit to how many segments you can create.


Viewing Saved Segments

To view all saved segments:

  1. Click Database
  2. Click the Segments button
  3. Click "View All Segments"

To organize saved segments into folders, navigate to Database > Segments > View All Segments. Locate the segment you want to move, then click the overflow menu (three dots) to the right of the segment name. Select "Move to Folder" and choose an existing folder or create a new one. Folders appear in the Segments dropdown alongside "+ Create Segment" and "View All Segments," making it easier to find specific segments as your list grows.

On a new site, only "+ Create Segment" and "View All Segments" will appear. Folders are created by you and will appear in this dropdown as you add them.

Using Segments

Saved segments can be used across all sections of Oomiji. When creating content in the Interaction section, you can select a saved segment as a mailing list to deliver targeted messages based on shared characteristics. Mailing lists created from segments update automatically. If new contacts match the segment criteria after the list is created, they are included in the list.

What's Next?

Now that you have saved segments, you can use them to deliver targeted content. See Creating and Managing Mailing Lists for instructions on selecting a segment when creating a mailing. 

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