Create a Derived Segment
Connect allows you to combine your existing segments within a given audience to create a brand-new derived segment with our Segment Creator. With derived segments, you don't have to make cumbersome new data files just to generate segments based on data you've already uploaded to us.
Once you're familiar with using the Segment Creator, you can jump to the "Steps to Create a Derived Segment" section of this article for simplified instructions.
Tip
Plan ahead! Depending on the complexity of your desired derived segment, you might want to plan your segment before using the Segment Creator to build your derived segment.
Caution
Derived segments can only be built from the segments contained within one audience. A derived segment cannot be built using segments from multiple audiences.
Note
Derived segments are different from custom segments, which are Data Marketplace segments that a data provider makes for a specific data buyer.
Use this section when you want to familiarize yourself with the Segment Creator. The Segment Creator is the tool you use within Connect to build derived segments.
On the left is the list of available fields, in the middle is the Rule Groups area, and on the right is the Estimated Matches area.
Note
Want to watch? Go to "Connect Video: Create Derived Segments" to watch a short video overview of using the Segment Creator.
Segment Creator Topics
In the Segment Creator, you create a derived segment by creating one or more rule groups. A rule group is simply a set of one or more segment rules that your derived segment must adhere to. All of the segment rules within a given rule group builder in the Segment Creator make up a rule group.
For example, you might have an existing segment for all of your customers who are male and you might have a separate segment for all of your customers who own a dog. You might want to create a derived segment that contains only records for your customers who are male AND who own a dog.
The image below shows one example of how you might achieve this by creating two rule groups and linking them with "AND."
Alternatively, you might want to create a derived segment that contains only records for your customers who are male OR who own a dog. The image below shows one example of how you might achieve this by changing the Match Type tab from "ALL" to "ANY."
These are fairly simple examples, but you can create very complex derived segments utilizing rule groups, operators, and the Match Type selector (which determines whether the derived segment should match ALL or ANY of the rule groups).
Once you've added all your segment rules and rule groups, you can use the Estimated Matches drop-down list to get an estimate of the number of devices that would match to the derived segment at your destinations.
To open the Segment Creator:
From the Connect navigation menu, hover over Audiences and then select the audience that contains the segments you want to use to build the derived segment.
Click + Create Segment to open the Segment Creator popup.
Once you're within your desired audience, create a segment rule by dragging a field from your audience into the segment rule builder. Select an operator (such as "equals" or "is greater than") and then select or enter the desired value to use in conjunction with the selected operator.
To create a segment rule that contains only consumers who are male (as in the example above):
Drag the "Gender" field into the Segment Creator builder.
Click on the drop-down list that appears after you drag the field into the builder and select the "=" ("equals to") operator.
Select the value "Male" to use in conjunction with the "equals" operator you selected.
Once you've created the first segment rule, you can either add an additional segment rule or create a new rule group.
Within each segment rule, the available operators include:
"Any Value Except"
Equals (=)
Does Not Equal (≠)
"is present"
"is not present"
Greater Than (>), Greater Than or Equal To (≥)
Less Than (<), Less Than or Equal To (≤)
"Among"
Note
Not seeing all operators? The operators that display are determined by the type of content in the selected field. For example, if the field contains numeric values or dates, the "greater than" and "less than" operators are displayed. If the field does not contain numeric values or dates, those operators are not displayed.
See the "Available Operators for Matching Rules in the Segment Creator" section of this article for more details on how each operator functions.
The way you assign the field value to use in conjunction with the selected operator depends on whether the field you've selected is an enumerated field:
If you selected an enumerated field, use the "Select a value..." drop-down list to select the desired value.
If the field you selected is not an enumerated field, enter the desired value in the "Enter value here..." box.
Think of a rule group in the same way you'd think of a parenthetical expression in a mathematical equation, such as the parenthetical expression in the equation "(18-15) x 3."
For example, if you want to create a segment that includes consumers who made a recent purchase and who own a dog or consumers who made a recent purchase and who are male, you might construct a derived segment that looks like this:
Rule Group 1: (segment rule: Consumers who made a recent purchase)
AND
Rule Group 2: (segment rule 1: males OR segment rule 2: dog owners)
To add additional segment rules to an individual segment rule, drag another field within the same segment rule builder, and then add the desired operator and value. This creates a "rule group."
The rules within a give rule group can be either be linked by an "AND" operator (to include only consumers that are contained in all of the rules within that rule group) or by an "OR" operator (to include any consumer that is contained in at least one of the rules within that rule group).
You can also add additional rule groups, which also can be linked to the other rule groups by either an "AND" or an "OR" operator. Click + New Rule Group to open up a new rule group builder to contain new segment rules.
Use the Match Type selector to toggle back and forth between the "AND" and "OR" options.
The "Match Type" selector determines whether the derived segment should contain only values that are present in all segment rule groups (by selecting "ALL") or values that are present in any of the segment rule groups (by selecting "ANY").
Selecting the "ALL" match type, changes the operator outside of the rules groups to "AND" and changes the operators inside the rule groups to "OR."
Selecting the "ANY" match type, changes the operator outside of the rules groups to "OR" and changes the operators inside the rule groups to "AND."
Use this section when you're already familiar with the Segment Creator and simply want basic instructions on how to create a derived segment.
To create a derived segment:
From the Connect navigation menu, hover over Audiences and then select the audience that contains the segments you want to use to build the derived segment.
Click to open the Segment Creator popup.
Create rules and rule groups:
From the fields that appear on the left side of the popup, drag the desired field into the segment rule builder.
Select the desired operator.
Enter or select the desired value.
If you want to add additional rules to the rule group, repeat the above steps.
If you want to add additional rule groups, click + New Rule Group and then repeat the above steps for creating a rule.
Note
In most cases, you can only use a maximum of 100 previously uploaded segments to create a single derived segment.
Select the desired setting for the Match Type selector:
Select the "ALL" match type to change the operators outside of the rule groups to "AND" and change the operators inside the rule groups to "OR."
Select the "ANY" match type to change the operators outside of the rule groups to "OR" and change the operators inside the rule groups to "AND."
To check the reach for your derived segment, select a destination from the drop-down list under Estimated Matches. After some computation, LiveRamp Connect will display approximately how many records or devices will be matched to your derived segment for that destination.
Note
If your segment is very complex or only targets very few records, we might be unable to provide you with an estimate.
Once you're satisfied with your segment configuration, enter a name for your derived segment and then click Create.
Your derived segment will appear in your list of fields and segments within that audience as a blue link (to differentiate it from other fields and segments).
Any segment you create will be available for distribution within 24 hours. Input record counts for derived segments will also be available 24 hours after the segment is created.
Note
What if the derived segment shows 0 input records? It could mean that there is no overlap between the included segments, or it could indicate that one of the segments originally used in the derived segment has since been deleted.
Caution
"Locked" segments: Once a derived segment has been distributed to a destination account, the segment is "locked" (a lock icon is displayed in the row for that segment) and cannot be modified in any way. A locked segment can still be distributed to other destination accounts.
Caution
Make sure to keep within the limits of the number of derived segments per audience your contract allows.
The operators listed below can be used when building rules to create derived segments.
Operator | Function | Usage Example |
Equals (=) | Matches any record with the segment value specified in the rule. | [GENDER = Male] matches records with [GENDER:Male] but not [GENDER:Female]. |
Does Not Equal (≠) | Matches any record where this segment's value is different from the specified value; this includes blank or null segment values. | [GENDER ≠ Male] matches records with [GENDER:Female], and records where [GENDER] is blank or null. It doesn't match [GENDER:Male]. |
Greater Than (or Equal To) (>, ≥) | Matches any record where this segment's value is greater than (or equal to) your selection. | [AGE > 42] matches records with [AGE:100] but not [AGE:42]. [AGE ≥ 42] matches both [AGE:100] and [AGE:42]. |
Less Than (or Equal To) (<, ≤) | Matches any record where this segment's value is less than (or equal to) your selection. | [AGE < 42] matches records with [AGE:30] but not [AGE:42]. [AGE ≤ 42] matches both [AGE:30] and [AGE:42]. |
Any Value Except | Matches any record where this segment's value is different from the specified value; this does NOT include blank or null segment values. | [GENDER any value except Male] matches records with [GENDER:Female], but not [GENDER:Male]. It also doesn't match records where [GENDER] is blank or null. |
Is Present | Matches any record that has a value for this segment—any value, as long as it is not blank or null. | [GENDER is present] matches [GENDER:Male] and [Gender:Female] but not records where [GENDER] is blank or null. |
Is Not Present | Matches any record that does not have a value for this segment | [GENDER is not present matches records that are blank or null. |
Among | Matches any record with a value for this segment that matches one of the values in the specified list (this operator is shorthand for “is any of the following options”). | [GENDER among Female, Other] matches [GENDER:Female] and [GENDER:Other], but not [GENDER:Male] or records where [GENDER] is blank or null. |
Not all operators are suitable for all field types: for instance, it doesn't make sense to use a "less than" or "greater than" relation on a gender segment (which is a string field). Here’s a table that lists all the field types alongside their available operations:
= | ≠ | > or ≥ | < or ≤ | Any Value Except | Is Present | Among | |
Enumerated numeric field (a list of allowed numbers) | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Enumerated string field (a list of allowed options) | YES | YES | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |
Raw numeric field (any number) | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Raw string field (no restrictions) | YES | YES | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES |