Sending the same message to every contact in your database rarely works well. Customers have different needs and preferences — what is relevant to one group may not resonate with another. Segments let you divide your contact list into meaningful groups so you can target the right people with the right message.
What Are Segments?
A segment is a defined group of contacts organized around specific criteria. Instead of picking contacts one by one every time you want to send a broadcast, you create a segment that collects contacts based on conditions you define — either manually or automatically.
Segment List
When you open the segments page, you see a table with the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Segment | Icon and segment name |
| Description | Segment description (clipped to a maximum of 2 lines) |
| Contacts | A count badge showing the number of contacts in the segment |
| Type | A badge indicating the segment type: "Dynamic" (purple) or "Static" (green) |
| Actions | Edit and Delete buttons |
Creating a New Segment
To create a segment:
- Navigate to the Segments page from the sidebar or the Segments tab on the Contacts page.
- Click the Add Segment button.
- The "Add Segment" modal appears with the following fields:
Available fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Segment Name | The name of the segment (required). Placeholder: "e.g., VIP Customers" |
| Description | A description of the segment (optional). Placeholder: "Describe your segment..." |
| Segment Type | A radio selection between Static and Dynamic |
Static Segments
If you select the Static type (labeled "Manually select contacts"), the next step is selecting contacts manually:
- An Add Contacts field appears as a searchable multi-select.
- Search for contacts by name, then check the checkbox to add them.
- The contact list supports pagination for navigating large datasets.
Dynamic Segments
If you select the Dynamic type (labeled "Auto-update based on criteria"), you need to define the criteria:
- A Criteria field appears as a text input for tags, separated by commas.
- Entered tags are displayed as removable filter tags.
- Contacts that have matching tags are automatically included in the segment and automatically removed if their tags change.
- After filling in all fields, click Create Segment to save, or Cancel to discard.
Choose clear, specific segment names. A name like "Segment 1" will not be helpful once you have dozens of segments. Use descriptive names such as "VIP Customers" or "Trade Show Leads 2026" that immediately communicate the segment's purpose.
Dynamic vs. Static Segments
Chatmo supports two segment types with different behavior:
| Type | Badge | Behavior | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamic | Purple | The contact list updates automatically based on tag criteria. Contacts matching the criteria are included automatically and removed when they no longer match. | Recurring broadcasts, segments tied to changing conditions |
| Static | Green | The contact list is fixed — it only changes when you manually add or remove contacts. | One-time campaigns, manually curated lists |
If you are not sure which to choose, dynamic segments are usually the more practical default. They maintain themselves as contact data changes over time.
Editing a Segment
To modify an existing segment:
- Navigate to the Segments page and find the segment you want to edit.
- Click the Edit button in the Actions column of that segment's row.
- The "Edit Segment" modal appears with the same fields as the creation modal, pre-filled with the existing data.
- Update the name, description, type, or contacts/criteria as needed.
- Click Save to apply the changes, or Cancel to discard.
You can change the segment type from Static to Dynamic or vice versa when editing. Changing the type adjusts the available fields accordingly (manual contacts or tag criteria).
Deleting a Segment
To remove a segment that is no longer needed:
- Navigate to the Segments page and find the segment you want to delete.
- Click the Delete button in the Actions column of that segment's row.
- A confirmation dialog appears displaying the segment name.
- Read the warning about permanent deletion.
- Click Delete to confirm, or Cancel to go back.
Deleting a segment does not delete the contacts within it. The contacts remain in your database — only the group definition is removed. However, any scheduled broadcasts targeting that segment may be affected, so check for active campaigns before deleting.
Using Segments with Broadcasts
Segments and broadcasts work hand in hand. When you create a new broadcast, one of the first steps is choosing your audience — and that is where segments come in.
- Create a new broadcast from the Broadcast page.
- In the audience selection step, choose one or more segments as your target.
- Chatmo calculates the number of contacts who will receive the message based on the selected segments.
- Continue by selecting a template, filling in variables, and sending or scheduling the broadcast.
For a full walkthrough, see Create a Broadcast.
What's Next?
- Broadcast Overview — Understand how broadcasts work and when to use them.
- Create a Broadcast — Send targeted broadcast campaigns to your segments.
- Import Contacts — Need more contacts in your segments? Learn how to bulk-import them.