Creating smart segments

Introduction

Smart segments in Deskwoot are saved contact groups defined by filter conditions (last activity, email, phone, company, conversation count, creation date), automatically refreshing as new contacts match the criteria, so you target the right audience for outreach without manual tagging. Instead of manually tagging or sorting contacts, you define a set of filter conditions and Deskwoot automatically groups matching contacts together. This makes it easy to target the right audience for follow-ups, monitor key customer groups, and keep your contact list organized as your business grows.

Creating a Segment

Follow these steps to create a new smart segment:

1. Navigate to Contacts in the main sidebar.
2. Find the Segments list next to the contact list (above it on small screens).
3. Click New Segment below the list (+ New on small screens).
4. Define one or more filter conditions. Each condition picks a contact field (Last Activity, Email, Phone, Company, Conversation Count or Created At) and a condition (for example Equals, Contains, Is present or Within last ... days). A contact has to match every condition.
5. Give your segment a descriptive name (the description is optional) and click Create Segment.
6. Click the new segment in the list to see the contacts that match and check that it looks right.

You can combine multiple filter conditions to create highly targeted groups. For example, you might create a segment of contacts whose company contains "Acme" and who were created within the last 30 days.

Saving your own segments needs the Business plan or higher. The built in segments (All Contacts, Active (7 days), Active (30 days), Missing Email, Missing Phone, VIP (5+ conversations) and New (last 7 days)) are always in the list.

Dynamic Segments

Segments are dynamic by default. This means contacts are automatically added to or removed from a segment as their data changes and they meet,or no longer meet,the defined criteria. You never need to manually update membership; Deskwoot works out the members from the current data every time you open the segment.

Best-Practice Tips

• Use clear naming conventions. Name segments descriptively (e.g., "VIP Customers. US" or "New Leads. Last 7 Days") so your team can quickly identify them.
• Start simple. Begin with one or two filter conditions and refine from there. Overly complex segments can be harder to maintain and troubleshoot.
• Keep contact data clean. Segments rely on accurate contact attributes. Regularly review and update your contact information to ensure segments stay meaningful.
• Review segments periodically. As your business needs evolve, revisit your segments to ensure the criteria are still relevant.

Common Pitfalls

• Empty segments: If your segment returns zero contacts, double-check your filter conditions. A small typo or overly restrictive combination of rules is usually the cause.
• Overlapping segments: Multiple segments with similar conditions can cause confusion. Audit your existing segments before creating new ones to avoid unnecessary duplication.
• Missing attributes: If a contact's attribute field is empty, it won't match conditions that expect a value. Make sure the relevant fields are populated for the contacts you want to capture.

Frequently asked questions