Segments, filters and topics

In Smartletter, a segment is one newsletter with its own list. Your first one is created during setup.

A contact belongs to one segment. The same address in two segments counts as two separate contacts.

When you import, you choose the Destination segment: the newsletter the contacts join.

A topic is a themed newsletter inside a segment. Readers choose which topics they get on their preference page.

Each segment starts with one topic: the Main newsletter. Manage topics from Topics.

• Received by default: every subscriber gets it, unless they leave it.
• Opt-in: only people who subscribe to it get it.

The main newsletter can't be opt-in, or nobody would get it by default.

Archiving a topic keeps the issues already sent. Nobody can subscribe to it anymore.

Topic limits by plan (main newsletter included): Free 1, Starter 3, Pro 10, Scale and Agency unlimited.

A filter is a group of subscribers defined by rules. For example: pro customers who opened an email in the last 30 days.

1. Go to Filters and click New filter.
2. Add conditions. Each one is a field, an operator and a value.
3. Group conditions with All conditions (AND) or At least one condition (OR).
4. Watch the contact count update as you go.
5. Click Save filter.

A filter holds up to 30 conditions and 3 levels of groups. Is one of takes up to 20 values.

• Text (email, first name, last name, full name, language, text fields): equals, does not equal, contains, does not contain, starts with, ends with, is set, is empty.
• Number (engagement score, number fields): equals, does not equal, is greater than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is set, is empty.
• Date (signup date, last email received, last open, last click, date fields): is before, is after, in the last N days, older than N days, is set, is empty.
• Yes / no fields: is yes, is no, is set, is empty.
• Choice (status, source, choice fields): equals, does not equal, is one of, is none of, is set, is empty.
• Topic: is subscribed to, is not subscribed to.
• Event: did or never did, at least N times, in the last N days (up to 400).

Statuses: Active, Pending, Unsubscribed, Bounced, Complained, Dormant.

Sources: Lead magnet, Signup form, Import, API, Added manually, Shopify, WooCommerce, Unknown.

Events include email opened, email clicked, email bounced, signed up and unsubscribed. You can also send your own events through the API.

1. Open your issue in Newsletters.
2. Under Send to, choose the topic.
3. In Filter, pick a saved filter. Keep No filter (all subscribers) to reach everyone.

Only contacts of that topic who match the filter get the issue.

Deleting a filter doesn't change issues already scheduled: they keep their own copy of the rules.