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Creating segments

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Jamila Kheil • 7 May 2026

Engagement Studio manual›Segments›Creating segments

You create segments as user segments in your community. Once a segment is synced, you can use it in Engagement Studio for campaigns and focus items. Looking for ideas? See the segment recipes.

Before you start

  • You need a role that may manage user segments, usually Site manager.
  • Decide who should be in the segment, and give it a clear name that says what it is for, for example "Onboarding – new members EU".

Create a segment: step by step

  1. In your community, go to Dashboard (the gear icon in the admin menu) > People > User segments.
  2. Click Create new segment.
  3. Fill in the basics:
    • Label (required): the segment name. This is also the name you will see in Engagement Studio.
    • Description: a short note for your colleagues on what the segment is for.
    • Status: keep it Enabled. A disabled segment matches no one.
  4. Build the rules that decide who belongs to the segment, for example a profile field, a role, or membership of a group or organisation. Click Create Rule to add each rule. A rule you don't create is not added.
  5. Combine rules. By default all rules must match (AND). To make an OR, drag one rule onto another. To go back to AND, drag it to the area at the bottom.
  6. Under Outcome configuration, tick Sync this segment to Engagement Studio.
  7. Click Save.

Within about 5 minutes the segment appears in Engagement Studio under Segments, with the same name and members. From then on, members who join or leave the segment in your community are updated in Engagement Studio automatically.

Changing a segment

  1. In the user segments list, choose Edit rule for the segment.
  2. Change, remove or add rules, and click Update Rule. The preview shows the result.
  3. Click Save at the bottom of the page. Changes only apply once the whole segment is saved.

Always change the segment in your community, not in Engagement Studio. Your community is the source of truth, and changes made in Engagement Studio are not sent back.

Good practices

  • Name segments by purpose, so anyone can see what they are for.
  • Start simple: one or two clear rules work better than many overlapping segments.
  • Test with a colleague's account that should, and one that shouldn't, be in the segment.
  • Disable before you delete. A segment can be in use for content visibility or a running campaign.

If something doesn't work

SituationWhat to check
You can't find User segmentsYour role may not have permission. Ask a site manager.
The segment doesn't appear in Engagement StudioCheck that Sync this segment to Engagement Studio is ticked and the segment is enabled, then wait 5 minutes.
Members don't match as expectedCheck the rules against the members' actual profile and group data.

Good to know: Engagement Studio also has its own segment builder (Segments > New). Segments made there exist only in Engagement Studio, so build your segments in your community. The one exception for now is activity, such as join date or last visit: those rules are on the roadmap for your community, so until then you build activity-based segments in Engagement Studio. See the segment recipes.

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