---
title: Personalize a digital experience with audiences
slug: cms-13/docs/personalize-a-digital-experience-with-audiences
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-30T20:22:11.358Z
---

Audiences let you show different content variants to different visitor segments on the same page. Criteria such as visit count, location, role, or referrer define each segment. CMS evaluates the criteria for every visitor and renders the matching content from a content area. See [Create audience criteria](docId\:S_j4MPA95bd6panupVuEt) for the full criteria list.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
Audiences work only on **traditional (in-process) sites**, where CMS manages both content authoring and frontend rendering. Audiences do not work on **headless sites**, where the frontend is an independent application that consumes content through APIs.
:::

The following example builds a page with three banner variants. Returning visitors see *Welcome back!* First-time visitors see *New here? Get started.* Visitors who match neither audience see a default fallback banner.

The example introduces the block-level personalization pattern used across CMS. Audience-specific blocks sit in a content area, each bound to an audience definition. The same pattern applies to other use cases, such as geographic targeting, campaign-driven offers, or role-based content access.

Select **View as Audience** to preview content as it displays for each audience without publishing.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/diJwY4Fo7_2aiQkXxctUN_77a92a1611f43e7791246ed1d3b40ac4418f7752cc0efc6e44df3397204b5f36-image.png)

## Example: create audience views

This walkthrough builds the audiences, blocks, and personalization assignments end to end.

### Prerequisites

- You have administration or editor access to CMS 13.
- You have the **VisitorGroupAdmins** role (required to access the **Audiences** tab and apply personalization).
- Your page has a content area that supports blocks.

### Create the audiences

For complete information, see [Manage audiences](docId:07J8Do2syzLuqJLJeSJfp) and [Create audience criteria](docId\:S_j4MPA95bd6panupVuEt).

1. Select the **Audiences** tab in the CMS editor.
2. Select **Create Audience** and enter the name *Returning Visitors*.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/LmPSd3S-VgPQx0GIThxmV_913628a455f2f8492c021d86150e6f3edb65e21df5fc8ca7c6f3bbb2c04ca4b0-image.png)

:::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"}
Select **Add Criteria**, then select **Number of Visits** > **More than** > `1`.
:::

:::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"}
Select **Create Audience** to save. (Select **Save Audience** when editing an existing audience.)
:::

3. Repeat to create a second audience, *New Visitors*, with criteria **Number of Visits** > **Equal** > `1`.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/HlqmR6-nV3iwLr4ig1AeY_4fcb18963cc4c43aa1521592a8ec2c802de53539577cac3a6463f13db86b7442-image.png)

### Create the blocks

Create three blocks: one for each audience variant (New Visitor and Returning Visitor) and one default fallback. Create the default block first. It displays to all audiences.

1. Select the **Shared Blocks** tab in the assets panel.
2. Select **Create New Block** and choose a block type, such as a teaser block.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/Mz31VVWtD1Oe5Cf3DWANh_798a95fc84fd47680f5516bbd0a9d3c4ad39b5912c8b65af1a732ece58431f49-image.png)

:::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"}
**Name** – *Banner – Default*.
:::

:::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"}
**Heading** – *Explore our latest updates.*
:::

:::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"}
**Body** – *Open the door to ... meaningful value.*
:::

:::Paragraph{listStyleType="disc" indent="2"}
**Image** – Select an image from your media assets.
:::

3. Click **Create**.
4. Click **Publish**.
5. Repeat these steps for the **Banner – New Visitor** block. This block displays only when a visitor matches the **New Visitor** audience.
   - **Name** – *Banner – New Visitor*.
   - **Heading** – *New here? Get started.*
   - **Body** – *Discover everything you can do with our platform.*
   - **Image** – Select an image from your media assets.
6. Repeat these steps for the **Banner – Returning Visitor** block. This block displays only when a visitor matches the **Returning Visitor** audience.
   - **Name** – *Banner – Returning Visitor*.
   - **Heading** – *Welcome back!*
   - **Body** – *Great to see you again. Here's what's new.*
   - **Image** – Select an image from your media assets.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
Save blocks under **For All Applications** or **For This Block** to reuse them elsewhere. Blocks saved under **For This Page** are available only on the current page. Drag blocks between folders to reorganize.
:::

### Add the blocks to the content area

1. Open the page you want to personalize in the CMS editor.
2. Select **All Properties** view.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
Personalized blocks do not display in the standard edit view. Use **View as Audience** to preview how each audience sees the page.
:::

3. Locate the content area where the banner should display.
4. Find **Banner – Default**, **Banner – New Visitor**, and **Banner – Returning Visitor** in the assets panel. Drag the three blocks into the content area. All three blocks display in the content area.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/DpAZTatr3hjsY8utVZvmG_37e1f66eb761846824b45d71b360ec3c3a6290c7668407a4a8585c5224a74185-image.png)

### Apply audience personalization

1. Select a shared block in the content area (such as **Banner – New Visitor**).
2. Click **Audiences**.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/bORsPWP6IxqyKdufzdV2c_8105968c9cd5c6acfbca03556ad529f1c6900e7f18539ec97b3883e6be28344f-image.png)

3. Start typing the audience name in the **Select Audiences** field of the **Personalization Content** window. Select the audience (for example, *New Visitors*). Repeat to add more audiences.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/6M0pZdE7uW2PRYrtqw_iK_4981b50a9aaca66ff62a05b1ea68969ca08457748831123007fa701187f545c8-image.png)

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
Leave `Banner – Default` with **no audience applied**. This makes it the fallback for all other visitors.
:::

4. Click **Save**.
5. Repeat for the other block (**Banner – Returning Visitor**).

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/oGcCs9_JGAuVgBqM47QTD_50eabad155f0a8c201ab93dce7d156e82bc5669fa3426c31a45225776a38bedf-image.png)

### Preview each audience view

- In Visual Builder, select **View as Audience** > **Everyone** to see the default.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/DuWFjmlafaV_EMCYCrFxF_01a1c44f7af403ced13e55f7d865a531dc37c7c1825942199b4508a8a65ea969-image.png)

- Select **New Visitors** to view the new-visitor variant. The default block displays after the new-visitor block in the order placed on the page.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/2cDG4W1LPmptzw_PRfOGP_d2a402d5c7dd0e757ed71fc177ec2414a70a2deca0c71118d784fb30fb3b10f3-image.png)

- Select **Returning Visitors** to view the returning-visitor variant. The default block displays after the returning-visitor block in the order placed on the page.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/3-zRZL03xi83ch7jXRC9h_6ad5ef28972fa744c7af29cf6292fb741a759db5d27af6eff4e8a75faad3c52a-image.png)

Publish the page when you are satisfied with the personalization preview.

### Key points to remember

- **Personalization is block-level, not field-level** – Individual text properties on a page are not personalized directly. Use blocks within a content area instead.
- **Block order matters** – CMS evaluates blocks top to bottom. Place audience-specific blocks before the default fallback block.
- **One audience per block** – Assign each block in a content area to one audience only.
- **Shared blocks update everywhere** – Editing a shared block applies the change to every page that uses the block. Create page-specific blocks when you need isolated content.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/dSuoyOIRO5KUWf3ldahM4_9c69c94acbd10f31a45ed077ff8fae37628345ffd81e2a8291521fc7158c7dc5-image.png)

## Search engine index and audiences

Search engines crawl your website to index content. CMS evaluates the crawler against audiences like any other visitor.

For an audience named *Visitors from the UK*, the crawler indexes personalized content only when the crawler's IP resolves to the United Kingdom. Otherwise, the content is not indexed. For a *weekend-only* audience, the crawler indexes content only when the crawl occurs on a weekend.

Use *Everyone* content in a group when an area of the page must display for all visitors, including crawlers.

## Restrict content access with audiences

Administrators grant access to specific content with audiences. For example, an administrator restricts a page or block to audiences from the UK. See [Access rights](docId:4kWUjQMSpNV6ESmDRKadn).