> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://alguna.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Customer Segments > Saved groups of customers, defined by rules on account data, by hand, or both, that collections playbooks can target A customer segment is a saved, reusable group of customers. Its members are defined by conditions on account data, picked by hand, or both. Segments let different groups of customers follow different collections policies without copying the same rules into each policy. For example, strategic accounts can get a slower, warmer cadence and long-tail accounts a firmer one. Create a segment when a set of customers needs to be treated differently from the rest. See [How Alguna works](https://alguna.com/docs/concepts/how-alguna-works.md) for how the customer record connects to everything else. Segments are configured in the dashboard only, under **Customers → Segments**. The public API has no segment endpoints. ## Segment modes Every segment has one of three modes, which decide how customers join it. | Mode | How customers join | | - | - | | **Rule-based** | Membership is computed from conditions. A customer is a member while its account data matches the conditions. | | **Manual** | Membership is curated by hand. Conditions are not used. | | **Hybrid** | A customer is a member if it matches the conditions or has been added by hand. | Rule-based and hybrid segments follow current account data. A customer that stops matching the conditions leaves the segment unless it was added by hand. ## Conditions A rule-based or hybrid segment needs at least one condition. **Match when** sets how the conditions combine: * **All match**: the customer must satisfy every condition. * **Any match**: the customer must satisfy at least one condition. * **None match**: the customer must satisfy no condition. Each condition compares one account property with a value. | Property | Comparisons | | - | - | | **Active subscriptions** (the customer has at least one active subscription) | is true, is false | | **Autopay** | is true, is false | | **Currency** | is, is not | | **Tax country** | is, is not | | **Payment terms** | is, is not | | **Default payment method** | is, is not | | **Tag** | contains, does not contain, has no tags, has any tag | | **Sales owner** | is set, is not set, is, is not | | **Customer success manager** | is set, is not set, is, is not | | **Parent customer** | is set, is not set, is, is not | | **Created date** | is after, is before | | **Last updated** | is after, is before | Tags are often the simplest way to build a segment from a grouping that is not one of the properties above. Tag the customers, then match on **Tag**. See [Customer management](https://alguna.com/docs/customers/customer-management.md) for tags and the other customer fields. ## Create a segment **1. Open segments** Go to **Customers → Segments** and select **New Segment**. **2. Name it** Enter a **Name** and, optionally, a **Description** that says what the segment represents. The name is what operators see when they pick a segment in a playbook. **3. Choose the mode and conditions** Pick **Rule-based**, **Manual** or **Hybrid**. For rule-based and hybrid segments, choose how conditions combine and add the conditions. **4. Set priority and status** Set **Priority** and leave **Enabled** on. Select **Create segment**. **5. Add members by hand (manual and hybrid)** In the segment's row actions, select **Manage members**. Search for customers, check the ones to include, and select **Save members**. Unchecking a customer removes it from the segment. The segments list shows each segment's **Name**, **Mode**, **Priority**, whether it is **Enabled**, and, for manual and hybrid segments, the number of customers added by hand. To change a segment later, choose **Edit** in its row actions. ## Priority and overlapping segments A customer can belong to several segments at once. **Priority** settles which segment takes effect when a customer matches more than one of them. Give overlapping segments distinct priorities so that the outcome for a customer in both is clear. ## Disabling a segment Turning **Enabled** off stops the segment from matching any customer. Its name, conditions and hand-picked members are kept, and it can be turned back on at any time. ## Using segments in collections playbooks Segments decide which [collections playbook](https://alguna.com/docs/collections/agentic-collections.md) applies to a customer. Each playbook under **Settings → Workflows → AI Collections → Playbooks** has a **Segment binding** setting: * **All accounts**: the playbook is not restricted to a segment. * A segment's name: the playbook applies only to customers in that segment. When the collections agent picks a playbook for a customer, an enabled playbook bound to one of the customer's segments takes precedence. If no segment-bound playbook matches the customer, the playbook marked **Default** applies. The **Segment** column in the playbooks list shows each playbook's binding. This makes it possible to run, for example, a `suggest` playbook with a `professional` tone for an enterprise segment while every other customer follows the default playbook. ## Permissions Two permissions control access: * **View Customer Segments**: see segments and their members. * **Manage Customer Segments**: create and edit segments and change their members. Users without the view permission do not see the **Segments** tab. ## Merging duplicate customers When two [duplicate customers](https://alguna.com/docs/customers/duplicate-customers.md) are merged, the hand-picked segment memberships of the merged customer move to the customer that remains. ## FAQ > [accordion] Do I need to update a rule-based segment when customer data changes? > > No. Rule-based and hybrid segments are evaluated against current account data, so customers join and leave as their data changes. > [accordion] Can a customer be in more than one segment? > > Yes. Priority decides which segment takes effect when segments overlap. > [accordion] Can I add a customer by hand to a rule-based segment? > > Use a hybrid segment to combine conditions with customers added by hand. > [accordion] Are segments available through the API? > > No. Segments are managed in the dashboard only. 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