Describe the customers you're looking for in plain English, such as "Retirees who golf in Florida", and OuterSignal builds the segment for you. You type the description into the search bar at the top of the Signal Feed, and OuterSignal finds the customers and prospects who match. After you save, OuterSignal keeps finding new matches as they arrive.
Previously you had to build a segment by hand, one filter at a time, or ask our team to add new custom criteria, now you can do it in seconds yourself with Signal Builder.
Before you start
Signal Builder is on for every paid plan. You do not need to turn it on.
Viewer user accounts cannot create or change segments with Signal Builder.
Step 1: Describe the customers you want
Open the Signal Feed. Under "Who are you looking for?", type a description in the search bar, such as "Founders on the West Coast".
Press Enter. The Describe with AI panel shows how OuterSignal reads your description. Click Apply.
Review the Audience preview: the rules OuterSignal made and the approximate audience. To change a rule, click Edit rules.
Click Save as segment.
Parts of your description that match a filter you have become that filter, and the rest becomes a custom filter. For "Founders in New York", OuterSignal makes a rule for "Founder or co-founder of a company" and a rule for "State is New York".
To add filters on top of a description, such as how many times someone has ordered, open Filter rules beside the search bar.
After you save, OuterSignal finishes the full search, keeps finding new matches as they arrive, and sends an email when your segment is ready.
Step 2: Put the segment to work
A described audience saves as a segment, next to the segments you build with filters. Start a playbook from it to send those customers where you need them: an email segment in Klaviyo, a Meta custom audience to build lookalikes from in Meta, or VIP gifts through Superfiliate.
Click Create playbook on the segment you saved, or click Create Playbook on the segment's card on the Playbooks page.
Choose an action and create the playbook. Saving Segments & Creating Playbooks walks through each step.
What you see in the Signal Feed
The search bar. Under "Who are you looking for?", one search bar lets you search a name, open a segment, or describe a new one.
The rules. Each part of your description shows as a rule above the Audience preview, so you can check how OuterSignal read it.
The Audience preview. An approximate audience shows before you save, with the line "Save this audience to find everyone who matches."
The email. When the full search is done, OuterSignal sends an email with the subject Your segment "segment name" is ready.
FAQ
What kind of description works best?
One kind of person, such as "retirees who golf in Florida", "NYC influencers", or "celebrity assistants". Describe each kind of person on its own, and add filters on top, such as how many times someone has ordered.
How many people will I get?
The count before you save is approximate. The full count fills in after you save.
How do I know when the full results are in?
OuterSignal sends an email when your segment is ready. After that, it keeps finding new matches as they arrive.
Can I describe anyone?
No. Wordings that group people by a protected trait are refused, and one named person cannot become an audience.
Who on my team can create one?
Anyone on your team except viewers. Viewers cannot create or change them.
Can I still build segments with filters?
Yes. Open Filter rules beside the search bar to add rules with the filters you already use.