# How to Build Recipient Segments in Email Campaigns

> Learn how to build recipient Segments for GHL Customer Care email campaigns using filters like tags, activity, and more to keep audiences updated automatically.

- Source: https://docs.ghlcustomercare.com/docs/marketing/campaign-settings-functionalities/how-to-build-recipient-segments-in-email-campaigns
- Section: Marketing / Campaign Settings/Functionalities
- Reading time: 3 min
- Images: 4, each explained below

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This article will walk you through how to build Segments in GHL Customer Care for use in your email campaigns. Segments let you filter contacts based on live conditions like tags, activity, or location. They automatically update in real-time, ensuring your audience list is always relevant and up to date.

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**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

-   [What is a Segment?](#what-is-a-segment)
-   [Key Benefits of Using Segments](#key-benefits-of-using-segments)
-   [How to Build a Segment](#how-to-build-a-segment)
-   [Step-by-Step Instructions:](#step-by-step-instructions)
-   [Smart Lists vs Segments](#smart-lists-vs-segments)
-   [Frequently Asked Questions](#frequently-asked-questions)
-   [Next Steps](#next-steps)

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# **What is a Segment?**

Segments are dynamic contact groups created using filters such as email activity, tags, contact fields, or engagement. Unlike static lists, Segments update automatically as contacts enter or exit the defined criteria.

This makes Segments incredibly useful for email marketing—allowing you to target specific groups of contacts who meet certain behaviors or demographics at any given time.

## **Key Benefits of Using Segments**

Segments help you personalize and automate email campaigns with precision. They ensure your messages go to the most relevant audience—boosting open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

-   Automatically refresh based on contact behavior and attributes
    
-   Save time by reusing Segments across different campaigns
    
-   Reduce bounce rates by excluding inactive or unqualified leads
    
-   Combine multiple filter conditions with AND/OR logic
    
-   Increase email relevance through better targeting
    
-   Eliminate the need for manual contact updates
    

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## **How to Build a Segment**

Building a Segment allows you to create a dynamic group of contacts using filters like tags, activity history, and location—so you always email the right people at the right time.

### **Step-by-Step Instructions:**

1.  **Navigate to**: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. **Create** a new campaign or click on an existing one to edit
    
    
![Step 1 of 6: Navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or…](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.freshdesk.com/data/helpdesk/attachments/production/155062565516/original/fTq8SsZVIopDDEdyMX6mqzJK3hNoowRNPw.png)

**Step 1 of 6: Navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or…**

This screenshot accompanies step 1 of 6 in the "Step-by-Step Instructions:" section of "How to Build Recipient Segments in Email Campaigns". At this point in the walkthrough you navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or click on an existing one to edit. The navigation path used here is Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. This part of the guide covers 2 fields, listed below. The next step is to click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder.

- Path: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns
- Where to go: Navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or click on an existing one to edit
- Fields: Tag is “Compliant”, AND Pre-Built Segment is Contacts Engaged in Last 7 days
- Controls: Navigate to, Create, “Send Or Schedule”, “Add Filter”, “Add OR Filter”, Save, Review and Send
- Next: Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder

Full procedure:

1. Navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or click on an existing one to edit  <- this image
2. Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder
3. Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"
4. Choose your filters. You can combine logic like for example:
5. Use “Add Filter” or “Add OR Filter” to build complex conditions
6. Click Save or Review and Send

    
2.  Click **“Send Or Schedule”** from the Top right in the Email Builder
    
    
![Step 2 of 6: Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.freshdesk.com/data/helpdesk/attachments/production/155062565552/original/RJg8GTSM3r1BUWygeEEyEVNoEj_wPSCj6Q.png)

**Step 2 of 6: Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder**

This screenshot accompanies step 2 of 6 in the "Step-by-Step Instructions:" section of "How to Build Recipient Segments in Email Campaigns". At this point in the walkthrough you click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder. The navigation path used here is Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. This part of the guide covers 2 fields, listed below. The next step is to scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments".

- Path: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns
- What to click: Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder
- Fields: Tag is “Compliant”, AND Pre-Built Segment is Contacts Engaged in Last 7 days
- Controls: “Send Or Schedule”, Navigate to, Create, “Add Filter”, “Add OR Filter”, Save, Review and Send
- Next: Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"

Full procedure:

1. Navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or click on an existing one to edit
2. Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder  <- this image
3. Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"
4. Choose your filters. You can combine logic like for example:
5. Use “Add Filter” or “Add OR Filter” to build complex conditions
6. Click Save or Review and Send

    
3.  Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"
    
    
![Step 3 of 6: Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.freshdesk.com/data/helpdesk/attachments/production/155062565596/original/j7Ye4xZ0nh8R8v0hZvgG1BB3trM3jpENyg.png)

**Step 3 of 6: Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"**

This screenshot accompanies step 3 of 6 in the "Step-by-Step Instructions:" section of "How to Build Recipient Segments in Email Campaigns". At this point in the walkthrough you scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments". The navigation path used here is Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. This part of the guide covers 2 fields, listed below. The next step is to choose your filters. You can combine logic like for example.

- Path: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns
- What to choose: Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"
- Fields: Tag is “Compliant”, AND Pre-Built Segment is Contacts Engaged in Last 7 days
- Controls: Navigate to, Create, “Send Or Schedule”, “Add Filter”, “Add OR Filter”, Save, Review and Send
- Next: Choose your filters. You can combine logic like for example:

Full procedure:

1. Navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or click on an existing one to edit
2. Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder
3. Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"  <- this image
4. Choose your filters. You can combine logic like for example:
5. Use “Add Filter” or “Add OR Filter” to build complex conditions
6. Click Save or Review and Send

    
4.  Choose your filters. You can combine logic like for example:
    
    -   Tag is “Compliant”
        
    -   AND Pre-Built Segment is Contacts Engaged in Last 7 days
        
5.  Use **“Add Filter”** or **“Add OR Filter”** to build complex conditions
    
6.  Click **Save** or **Review and Send**
    
    
![Step 6 of 6: Click Save or Review and Send](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.freshdesk.com/data/helpdesk/attachments/production/155062565644/original/uB8U7-rq2mgtS4XYrc7jDGFqNm-YgTWQSA.png)

**Step 6 of 6: Click Save or Review and Send**

This screenshot accompanies step 6 of 6 in the "Step-by-Step Instructions:" section of "How to Build Recipient Segments in Email Campaigns". At this point in the walkthrough you click Save or Review and Send. For context, this section explains: Navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or click on an existing one to edit Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments" Choose your filters. You can combine logic like for example…. The navigation path used here is Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. This part of the guide covers 2 fields, listed below.

- Path: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns
- How to confirm: Click Save or Review and Send
- Fields: Tag is “Compliant”, AND Pre-Built Segment is Contacts Engaged in Last 7 days
- Controls: Save, Review and Send, Navigate to, Create, “Send Or Schedule”, “Add Filter”, “Add OR Filter”

Full procedure:

1. Navigate to: Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or click on an existing one to edit
2. Click “Send Or Schedule” from the Top right in the Email Builder
3. Scroll down to "Recipient (To)" section and select "Build Segments"
4. Choose your filters. You can combine logic like for example:
5. Use “Add Filter” or “Add OR Filter” to build complex conditions
6. Click Save or Review and Send  <- this image

    

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## **Smart Lists vs Segments**

While both Smart Lists and Segments help you group contacts, they are used in different areas of GHL Customer Care and serve distinct purposes.

Smart Lists are found in the Contact Manager and allow you to save custom views based on filters. Segments, on the other hand, are used in the email campaign builder to dynamically select contacts at the time of sending.

| 
**Feature**

 | 

**Smart Lists**

 | 

**Segments**

 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 

Location

 | 

Contact Manager

 | 

Campaign Builder

 |
| 

Auto-Updating?

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✅ Yes

 | 

✅ Yes

 |
| 

Manual Inclusion?

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✅ Yes (via Tag)

 | 

❌ No (logic only)

 |
| 

Reusable?

 | 

✅ Yes

 | 

✅ Yes

 |
| 

Workflow Compatible?

 | 

❌ No

 | 

✅ Yes

 |

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## **Frequently Asked Questions**

**Q: Can I reuse the same segment in different campaigns?**

Yes. When you save a Segment, it becomes available for use across multiple campaigns.

**Q: Are Segments live-updating or static?**

Segments update in real time. As contact data changes, Segments automatically reflect those changes.

**Q: Can I use OR logic in Segments?**

Yes, use the **“Add OR Filter”** button to include OR conditions alongside AND logic.

**Q: What’s the difference between Smart Lists and Segments?**

Smart Lists are CRM-based and can be used for general filtering. Segments are campaign-focused and ideal for live filtering during email sends.

**Q: Can I manually add or remove contacts from a Segment?**

No. Segments only include contacts that meet your defined filter criteria. For manual grouping, consider using **Tags** or Smart Lists.

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### **Next Steps**

-   Reuse Segments in other email campaigns to scale your efforts
    
-   Add more conditions to fine-tune audience targeting
    
-   Combine Segments with email A/B tests for better results
    
-   Explore how Segments can trigger automations in Workflows
    
-   Tag contacts based on Segment inclusion using automation rules

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Documentation for GHL Customer Care. Support: support@ghlcustomercare.com