The Tool Desk
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How to create a segment in Constant Contact
- In the desktop interface, open Lists and segments and select Create new.
- Choose Segment, then select Continue.
- Enter a recognizable name so you can identify the segment when choosing an audience for a campaign.
- Select + Add Criteria. Choose a category in the first column, then select a specific criterion in the next column, or search for one.
- Choose the operator and enter or select the value that describes who should qualify. For example, set a location field to match a place, or include or exclude a particular tag.
- Add any other necessary criteria and choose AND or OR to define how they work together.
- Save the segment, then review the contacts that match. Adjust the rules if the results are empty or broader than you intended.
- When preparing a send, select the saved segment as the audience. Constant Contact refreshes the criteria-based group before a send.
Constant Contact also documents a mobile-browser route (not a mobile-app workflow): open the menu, select Contacts, use the three-dot menu to choose View contact lists, select Create new, choose Segment, add criteria, and save. See Constant Contact’s guide to creating lists and segments.
Choose between a list, a segment, and a tag
| Tool | How it works | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| List | A manually assembled group. A contact can belong to multiple lists. | You want to manage a named audience or collect sign-ups into a particular group. |
| Segment | A group calculated from criteria; qualifying contacts can change as underlying details, list membership, or tracked activity changes. | You want a reusable audience defined by contact traits or behavior. |
| Tag | A reusable internal label that can be applied across lists and used as a campaign or segment filter. | You want to label a shared interest, event attendance, or another organizing detail. |
A segment can be sent to directly, or its current contacts can be added to a list. Tags organize contacts internally; contact details and custom fields can instead support email personalization. See Constant Contact’s Segments Overview and its guide to creating and managing tags.
What criteria can a segment use?
Available criteria depend on the account’s plan and connected features, so check the options in your own Segment Builder rather than assuming every account has every rule. Categories documented by Constant Contact include:
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- Contact profile: standard fields such as location or birthday, as well as custom fields. Collect the necessary information through a sign-up form or contact management before relying on it. The sign-up form guidance recommends asking for the field needed to make the distinction.
- Email activity and engagement: sent, opened, or clicked behavior and engagement level, when available.
- List membership: include or exclude contacts from selected lists. Constant Contact’s criteria guide documents selecting up to 10 specific lists for a segment.
- Tags: include or exclude contacts with a particular internal label.
- Shopping activity: order or abandoned-order activity when a shopping connection and the relevant criteria are available.
- SMS status: include or exclude contacts by SMS status when that criterion is available.
- Sources and providers: use information about how or when a contact was added or updated, where offered.
- Website tracking: use visits or website engagement if Constant Contact’s tracking code has been installed.
See Constant Contact’s criteria and AND/OR guide for criteria details and availability.
Use AND and OR to control who qualifies
- AND requires every joined condition to be true, so it narrows the audience. For example, a local event segment could require a matching city and a webinar-interest tag.
- OR allows any joined condition to be true, so it broadens the audience. For example, a message for two nearby areas could include contacts whose city matches either location.
Separate criteria groups can also be combined with AND or OR. Read the completed rule as a sentence before saving: does a contact need to meet every condition, or is meeting any one of them sufficient?
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Examples of useful segments
Invite contacts near a local event
Collect a city or postal code, then build a segment using the relevant location value. If you need to distinguish an organization-specific attribute that is not a standard contact field, collect it in a custom field first.
Reach people interested in a topic
Apply a consistent tag, such as “webinar attendee” or “product interest,” and use that tag as a segment criterion. Because tags can be used across lists, the label is not limited to one list.
Find less-engaged contacts
Use an available prebuilt engagement group or create a segment based on engagement, adding another criterion only if it serves the audience definition. Constant Contact says email sent less than 24 hours ago is not factored into engagement level; see its engagement-level segmentation guide.
Follow up on abandoned orders
If shopping activity is connected and the relevant criterion is available, use abandoned-order activity and choose a date range that fits the follow-up. Do not assume this criterion is available without the required account setup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check the audience before sending
- Review the contacts who match after saving; do not rely on the segment name alone.
- If the result is empty, consider whether too many conditions are joined with AND, or whether the needed profile data or activity is missing.
- If the result is unexpectedly large, check for an OR rule or an included list or tag that is broader than intended.
- Recheck a saved segment when you use it later: its membership can change as its underlying criteria inputs change.
Constant Contact cautions that too many conditions on a smaller list can produce a segment with no contacts. Its advice on choosing lists, tags, or segments by list size is in the list-size guidance.
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