Segments are a powerful tool for understanding subscriber engagement that organizes your audience based on attributes and activity. You can use segments in a variety of ways to gain valuable insights into your subscribers and create personalized, bespoke content.
We’ll start with some quick tips and helpful resources to get you oriented. Then, we’ll guide you through a video tutorial on creating and using segments, followed by an overview of beehiiv segment types. Finally, we’ll provide written instructions for creating segments and address some common FAQs.
Quick tips to get you started
- We have compiled a list of use cases, examples, and conditions to help guide you through your segment creation process.
- You can create a re-engagement campaign to determine who is no longer engaging with your content. Then, you can remove the unengaged users from your list by managing your subscribers.
- You have the ability to enroll users in automations based on when they enter or exit a segment.
- You can add subscriber tags to your audience in bulk by utilizing segments.
- If you want to send a newsletter to only a select group of subscribers, you can do so using a segment.
- If you create a poll, you can create a segment based on poll results.
- You can use custom fields as segments to personalize your content for your readers.
Watch and learn: How to create and use segments in beehiiv
The beehiiv platform has evolved since the filming of this video so parts of the user interface featured in the video will be slightly different than what you see in your account. In particular, to access the segments area in your beehiiv account, from the left panel Dashboard go to Audience > Segments.
Types of beehiiv segments
When creating your segments, you can choose from 3 types based on how subscribers are added and whether it updates over time.
- Static: This type of segment forms a fixed group of subscribers based on the conditions you set at the time of creation. A static segment doesn't update on its own; instead it’ll remain unchanged until updated as stipulated.
- Dynamic: A dynamic segment continually updates based on the conditions you set. It automatically refreshes daily, adding or removing subscribers as their activity or attributes change over time.
- Manual: This option allows you to upload a list of subscribers manually. Unlike dynamic segments, manual segments are not automatically updated. They are based on a specific list of subscribers you choose to import and do not change over time.
How to create a segment
- From the left panel Dashboard, go to Audience > Segments.
- Click Create Segment in the upper right corner.
- A New Segment form will open. Provide a Name (required) and an optional Description for your segment.
- Choose your segment type: Static, Dynamic, or Manual. (Descriptions of each are provided above.)
Static and Dynamic Segments
- For a Static or Dynamic segment, select your choice and then click Define Conditions.
- This is where you’ll customize your segment by specifying the conditions. You can refer to our Segment Conditions Chart for full details on available options.
Add as many conditions as needed, then click Save segment when done.
- Once saved, you’ll be taken to the segment’s dashboard.
- For dynamic segments, you'll see data immediately upon creation.
- For static segments, data will start to aggregate after the segment runs.
Manual Segments
- For a manual segment, select Manual, then click Add subscribers.
- You’ll be prompted to select an import method. Choose from a CSV file or copy and paste a list of email addresses.
- If using a CSV file, click Choose File and upload the file from your device.
- For copy and paste, input the email addresses into the provided text box.
- If you'd like to send a welcome email to newly imported subscribers, check the Send welcome email box; doing so will automatically send your welcome email to any new subscribers from the list.
All subscribers added to your segments must have provided explicit consent to receive emails from you, in order to be in compliance with our terms of use and privacy policy.
- After adding subscribers, click Save segment.
- You will see a confirmation message verifying that the new subscribers have consented to receive your emails. Click Import to confirm.
- Once saved, you’ll be brought to the new segment’s dashboard.
Segments dashboard rundown
Each of your segments will have their own dashboard organized into 3 tabs for Overview, Email this segment, and Configure.
Overview: On the Overview tab you’ll find at-a-glance metrics for the segment including its Open Rate, Click Through Rate, and a tally of Unsubscribes. You can also easily export the segment details by clicking Quick Export.
Configure: The Configure tab allows you to update the segment, add new subscribers, include the segment in automations, or delete the segment entirely.
Email this segment: Although this option still appears in your account, it has been deprecated. You can no longer create emails from here. Any existing segment emails will eventually be converted to email-only posts. To send an email to a specific segment, use the regular post builder instead.
Frequently asked questions about segments in beehiiv
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The frequency of updates depends on the type of segment you're using:
- Static: Subscribers are aggregated at the time of creation and the segment does not update automatically.
- Dynamic: Updates daily as subscribers meet or no longer meet the segment conditions.
- Manual: Based on a list of specific subscribers you manually import and does not update over time.
Dynamic segments update daily. You can also manually trigger a refresh by making a change to any condition within the segment and clicking Update Segment. However, note that simply clicking Update Segment without making any changes will not refresh the segment.
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Occasionally, due to the growing number of users on the platform, segment processing times may be slower than usual. These delays should resolve automatically.