Segmentation in marketing involves organizing customers into groups (segments) based on shared characteristics, such as gender, location, or purchase history.

Omnisend lets you segment contacts based on profile data, shopping behavior, campaign activity, etc. This guide will help you understand what segments are and how to build them.

Before You Begin

Segmentation is available on all Omnisend plans.
You can segment all contact types, but campaigns can only be sent to subscribed contacts. Learn what messages can be sent based on subscription status.
Some filters may not be available depending on your eCommerce platform and the data it syncs with Omnisend. If you're using an API-connected store, learn how to pass all key events here.
Once you save a segment, it updates automatically in real time. Read about segment update timing.

Access Segmentation

To create a segment, go to the Audience → Segments → click on the Create segment button.

From there, choose a prebuilt segment or click Create from scratch to build your own segment.

💡 Omnisend makes segmentation easier with AI

Use the AI Segment Builder to describe the audience you want (e.g., "customers who ordered more than once"). The tool converts your prompt into precise segment rules.

Not sure about your prompt? The chatbot will guide you. If your prompt is clear, it shows a preview. If more detail is needed, it asks follow-up questions.

Segment Filters

Each filter in the segmentation menu helps you target your audience. Filters are organized from broad (contact properties) to specific (behavior, custom events).

Omnisend's segment filters cover:

Contact profile;
Engagement history;
Subscription and channel preferences;
Website interactions;
Shopping behavior, and more.

💡 Explore all Omnisend segment filters.

Segment Structure

A segment can have a simple or complex structure based on the following:

Filter Group: One or more filters connected with AND or OR operators.
Filter: An individual condition (e.g., "Placed an order").
Subfilter: Additional conditions that refine a filter (e.g., "Product is X").

On the scheme below, you can see a more detailed description of the parts of the Segment by name.

💡 Operators connect filters to build more advanced segments.

AND and OR Operators

AND and OR operators combine different filters and filter groups.

AND makes segments more exclusive. All conditions must be true.
- Example: "Subscribed to email AND placed an order in the last 30 days" returns only contacts who meet both filters.
OR makes segments more inclusive. At least one condition must be true.
- Example: "Placed an order OR added to cart" returns contacts who did either.

When a filter has multiple subfilters, Omnisend applies the same operator (AND or OR) to all of them.

Between two filters, you can choose one operator: AND or OR.

⚠️ Important: When you add a contact property filter (e.g., subscription status) to another filter (e.g., placed order), it's automatically connected using the AND operator. Contact property filters always default to AND logic.

If you want OR logic, place the contact property filter in a separate Filter Group and connect the groups using OR.

Combine Segment Groups

To mix different types of filters or two segments while staying flexible with AND or OR logic, create multiple Filter Groups. Each group will have its own operator.

Create the first group → click the arrow icon → Add a group of filters → create another set of rules.

💡 Learn how to combine two segments.

Segment Update Timing

Segments update in real time. When a contact's data changes, Omnisend adds or removes them based on the filters you set.

When you set up a segment, you define who enters and exits. Contacts enter when they meet the filters. They exit when they no longer meet them.

There are two types of updates:

Conditional segments update instantly when a contact meets the filters.
Date-based segments update daily at 12:00 AM based on time filters.

💡 Learn more about segment update timing.

Edit and Update Segments

Edit a Segment

If you want to update an existing Segment, open your segment → change or add a filter → click Update segment.

Update a Segment Used in Automation

If a segment is used in an automation (for entry/exit triggers, splits, or audience filters), you'll see a notice when you edit it. The notice shows which workflow uses the segment.

If you update the segment, the automation sends messages to contacts who meet the new rules by entering or exiting the segment.

If contacts are already in the middle of a flow (e.g., they've received 2 out of 5 messages) and still meet the updated segment conditions, they continue receiving the remaining messages.
If contacts no longer qualify, they exit the flow and won't receive the remaining messages.

FAQ

What happens if a contact no longer meets the segment criteria?
They are automatically exited from the segment. Segments update in real time, so contacts are added or removed based on their current data.

How do I create a segment for contacts who haven't performed an action (e.g., not purchased)?
Use negative filters, such as "haven't placed an order," to filter contacts who haven't placed any orders yet in your store.

What is the best way to segment users based on their country?

Segmentation based on the country uses the "country" property in contact data. You can also see their geolocation based on the contact's IP address and segment based on the last detected city and country.

The screenshot below shows you how to view geolocation and country information on the contact page.

To ensure accuracy, we recommend using the following filter combination:

“Country exists” AND “Country is/is not [Country Name]”

You can also segment contacts based on their geolocation, which is detected through their IP address during tracked events (e.g., viewed page or placed order). This allows you to segment contacts based on the last detected country or city.