Audience Segmentation — Frequently Asked Questions
Creating Audiences
Section titled “Creating Audiences”What is an audience in CustomerLabs?
Section titled “What is an audience in CustomerLabs?”An audience (also called a segment) is a group of users who match a set of defined criteria — based on their behavior, traits, demographics, or technology. Audiences can be synced to ad platforms for targeting, used for cohort analysis, or to trigger automated workflows.
Can I create an audience without writing any code?
Section titled “Can I create an audience without writing any code?”Yes. Audiences are created entirely through the CustomerLabs UI using a visual query builder. You select conditions based on events, user traits, UTM parameters, demographics, or technology — no code required.
Are there naming restrictions for audiences?
Section titled “Are there naming restrictions for audiences?”Yes. Audience names must be in lowercase with underscores only. Spaces and special characters are not allowed. For example, use abandoned_checkout_30d instead of Abandoned Checkout (30d).
I added an attribute condition but it is not being applied — why?
Section titled “I added an attribute condition but it is not being applied — why?”After selecting an attribute value, you must click the green + icon to add it to the query. If you select the attribute and move on without clicking +, the condition is visible in the UI but not applied to the query.
What is the difference between “AND” and “OR” conditions?
Section titled “What is the difference between “AND” and “OR” conditions?”- AND — the user must match all conditions. Use this to narrow the audience (e.g., viewed a product AND did not purchase).
- OR — the user must match at least one condition. Use this to broaden the audience (e.g., visited the pricing page OR clicked a signup button).
Static vs Dynamic Audiences
Section titled “Static vs Dynamic Audiences”What is the difference between a static and a dynamic audience?
Section titled “What is the difference between a static and a dynamic audience?”| Type | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Static | Built for a fixed date range. No users are added or removed after creation. Refresh interval does not apply. |
| Dynamic | Built with a rolling date range (e.g., last 30 days). Users are continuously added and removed as they enter or exit the criteria window on each refresh. |
When should I use a static audience vs a dynamic audience?
Section titled “When should I use a static audience vs a dynamic audience?”Use a static audience for one-time campaigns targeting a fixed historical cohort — for example, all users who purchased in Q4 last year.
Use a dynamic audience for ongoing retargeting — for example, users who viewed a product in the last 30 days but have not purchased. These need to stay current and should refresh regularly.
What events are generated when a dynamic audience refreshes?
Section titled “What events are generated when a dynamic audience refreshes?”Each time a dynamic audience refreshes:
added_to_segmentis fired for users entering the audience.removed_from_segmentis fired for users leaving the audience.
These events can be used in destination workflows and as triggers for platform-specific audience sync.
Refresh Intervals & Event Consumption
Section titled “Refresh Intervals & Event Consumption”What is the refresh interval?
Section titled “What is the refresh interval?”The refresh interval determines how often CustomerLabs re-evaluates the audience criteria and syncs the updated list to connected destinations. For dynamic audiences, this keeps the audience current with users who have recently matched or no longer match the criteria.
How does audience refresh consume events?
Section titled “How does audience refresh consume events?”Each refresh consumes events equal to the total audience size at that point. For example, an audience of 5,000 users refreshing every 3 days will consume 5,000 events every 3 days.
What refresh interval should I start with?
Section titled “What refresh interval should I start with?”Set the refresh interval to 1 day for the first 3 days after creating a new audience. This ensures the initial population is accurate. After that, switch to a less frequent interval based on how quickly your audience changes.
Does the refresh interval apply to static audiences?
Section titled “Does the refresh interval apply to static audiences?”No. Static audiences are calculated once at creation and are not refreshed regardless of the interval set.
Audience Sync
Section titled “Audience Sync”What is the difference between List Sync and Event Sync?
Section titled “What is the difference between List Sync and Event Sync?”| Sync Method | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| List Sync | Sends a customer list of known users (with identifiers like email or phone) to the destination | Known users with PII |
| Event Sync | Sends added_to_segment / removed_from_segment events to the destination | Both anonymous and known users |
Which sync method should I use for anonymous users?
Section titled “Which sync method should I use for anonymous users?”Use Event Sync. List Sync requires at least one user identifier (email, phone, or device ID) and cannot match anonymous users. Event Sync works with browser cookies and click IDs, which are available even for unidentified users.
What schema fields do I need to add before syncing?
Section titled “What schema fields do I need to add before syncing?”The required fields depend on the destination:
| Destination | Recommended Identifiers |
|---|---|
| Meta Ads | Email, phone, first name, last name |
| Google Ads | Email (primary), phone, CRM ID |
| LinkedIn Ads | Email, first name, last name |
| TikTok Ads | Email, phone |
| Google DV360 | Email, phone, device ID |
| Klaviyo | Email (for email subscriptions), phone (for SMS) |
How long does it take for an audience to appear in the destination after Instant Sync?
Section titled “How long does it take for an audience to appear in the destination after Instant Sync?”Most platforms reflect the audience within 10–15 minutes of Instant Sync. GA4 event sync may take 30–40 minutes to populate. TikTok requires a minimum 30-minute wait between consecutive Instant Syncs.
I see “Error Fetching Data” when syncing an audience — how do I fix it?
Section titled “I see “Error Fetching Data” when syncing an audience — how do I fix it?”This error means the destination authentication has expired. Navigate to Destinations → [Destination Name] → Configuration Settings and re-authenticate your account.
Managing Audiences
Section titled “Managing Audiences”How do I deactivate an audience without deleting it?
Section titled “How do I deactivate an audience without deleting it?”Toggle the Status switch off on the Active tab. The audience moves to the Archived tab. It will stop refreshing and stop syncing to destinations.
Can I restore a deleted or archived audience?
Section titled “Can I restore a deleted or archived audience?”Yes. Go to the Archived tab, click the edit icon on the audience, update the query if needed, click Run Query, and click Save & Active with a name and refresh interval.
What is the difference between unlinking and deleting an audience from a destination?
Section titled “What is the difference between unlinking and deleting an audience from a destination?”- Unlink — stops the audience from refreshing on the destination but keeps the existing audience data there.
- Delete — removes the audience from the destination entirely.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”My audience count is 0 after running the query — what should I check?
Section titled “My audience count is 0 after running the query — what should I check?”- Verify that the events used in the conditions are actually being tracked. Check Events in the CustomerLabs dashboard.
- Confirm the date range is correct. If using a dynamic range like “last 30 days”, ensure events were tracked within that window.
- Check that the green
+button was clicked for all attribute conditions.
The audience is not syncing to the destination after enabling the toggle — what could be wrong?
Section titled “The audience is not syncing to the destination after enabling the toggle — what could be wrong?”- Confirm the destination is active and authenticated under Destinations.
- Ensure the audience has been run (click Run Query) and is in Active status.
- For List Sync, confirm that the required schema fields (e.g., email) are mapped and populated for a sufficient number of users. Destinations typically require a minimum list size before the audience becomes active.
- Check the Logs tab on the audience for any sync errors.