---
title: Create standard audiences
slug: data-platform/docs/create-standard-audiences
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-10T12:05:19.000Z
---

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

The terms *audiences* and *segments* are interchangeable. Optimizely has updated all *segments* to *audiences* on the **Audiences** page and is updating the UI on other pages. See  [Understand audiences](docId\:v-gHiL9jfINBey-4QNtFM) to get information on audiences.
:::

An audience is a subset of your customers described by who they are or what they have done. The following principles help you build a standard audience.

- **Who is a customer?** – A customer can have specific attributes, insights, and observations denoting who they are, such as email, likelihood of ordering, and acquisition source.
- **What has the customer done in the past?** – A customer can have different engagements with your business (known as [behaviors](docId:8wk10DD3yd2H4V7wDC8LM)), such as ordering, opening emails, and visiting your website.
- **Does the customer belong to another audience or list?** – You can re-use any audience or [lists](docId\:FJXMh19xD_TJhhcr3Yvck)[ ](docId\:FJXMh19xD_TJhhcr3Yvck)you have built.
- **Does the customer match an existing filter?** – You can reference an existing [filter](docId:1SXrAMaLAz-2u_TTw4U82).

Standard audiences can access customer data greater than 28 days old and are also accessible in ODP reports, data sync activations, and one-time and behavioral campaigns.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

If you want to access fresher data and use your audiences in web campaigns or other Optimizely products, use the real-time audience builder on the **Customers > Audiences** page (see [Build real-time audiences in ODP](docId\:chCPcgJQ5k5t6nUgnnd43)).
:::

## Create a standard audience

1. Go to **Customers** **>** **Audiences**.
2. Select **Standard Audience** from the **New Audience** drop-down list.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/XiR7WmQWc8j2jsCeLY8S3-20260720-145612.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="757" height="475" darkWidth="757" darkHeight="475"}
3. Enter the **Audience Name**.
4. Click **Select** and select who you want in the audience.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/UjPEyCfk486TrMN8fYqWc-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Segment-select-who.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="879" height="172" darkWidth="879" darkHeight="172"}
5. Click **Select** and select what you want the customers to have done.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/o1m1vLEO9cNeU8T5gRTyx-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Segment-select-what.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="879" height="172" darkWidth="879" darkHeight="172"}
6. Click **At least 1 time** and select how many times a customer should perform the action.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/8nJoxjTbxuFiVg6x8UfRm-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Segment-select-how-many.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="880" height="250" darkWidth="880" darkHeight="250"}
7. Click **In the last 7 days** and select when you want the customer actions to have occurred.
8. Click **Done**.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/z44DxAh9T8YyS_KF8XsRD-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Segment-select-when.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="880" height="393" darkWidth="880" darkHeight="393"}
9. Click **Save** to save the audience.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/m2zD5yrUe_lc_6K0HkCAX-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Segment-select-done.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="902" height="138" darkWidth="902" darkHeight="138"}

### Recreate an example audience

When you create an audience, you can use the **And** operator and the **Or** operator to make your audience more complex and targeted. The following example reviews how these options can build on each other to create a more robust audience. 

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

Following an edit, select **Preview** to update the audience's current size and information. Edits to the audience do not update this information automatically.
:::

The initial audience expression lets you establish the foundation of your subset of customers. In this example, a small boutique retailer decided to celebrate the holidays with a special event in Boston. At the highest level, the retailer would like to target their Boston customers.

![and-or-example-1.PNG](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/nEiR7yTP-M9-WDKHP_vMX-20260720-145612.png)

The **And** operator lets you use multiple rules. In this example, the retailer wants to contact their most engaged Boston customers–the ones who have opened an email within the last 3 months. The retailer also removes any campaigns concerning sales, applying a **Where** filter to the **Customers who have done** rule.

![and-or-example-2.PNG](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/h88KNvv-ar5NGk-hkCF9A-20260720-145612.png)

The **Or** operator provides a separate rule. In this example, the retailer's audience is too small to make the event financially feasible, so the target audience is expanded to all engaged customers from Massachusetts.

![and-or-example-3.PNG](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/9Z8HJPjpDtCnYqN2Yn8K--20260720-145612.png)

Audience metrics update after you preview or save an audience. The following example shows metrics for **At least 1 Order**.

![segment-metrics.png](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/pL--sayd_wj2KXJ1NI4nw-20260720-145612.png)

- **Total reachable audience size, including anonymous and known customers** – Anyone who meets your audience criteria. This number can include customers without contact information, anonymous website shoppers, or unreachable/opted-out customers who cannot receive marketing communications.
- **Reachable customers by channel** – The number of customers in the audience who would receive a message through each channel if sent now. The customer has to be both [reachable](docId:7hxyYvpSUTOJGiYUhUv2Q) (physically able to get a message) and [consented/opted-in](docId:3Hd282m_aW0c1IEaw3klH) (either implicitly or explicitly). A customer can be represented in more than one channel or not represented at all if they are not reachable in these ways.

## Apply a standard audience

After a standard audience is saved, you can apply it to campaigns, profiles, lifecycles, and reports. 

### Campaigns

1. Go to **Activations > Create New Campaign**, and create a new **One-Time** or **Behavioral** campaign or edit an existing campaign. 

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/WcVSqt0i71mGNknO4hoTB-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Create-campaign.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="522" height="220" darkWidth="522" darkHeight="220"}
2. Select a campaign (which you can modify to create a unique campaign) or click **Create From Scratch**.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/_MYDu_M8mZkhNrqB31oqU-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Create-campaign-selection.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="352" height="394" darkWidth="352" darkHeight="394"}
3. Open **Enrollment**.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/7EEH5uJuz4cN71_iMbShl-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Enrollment.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="863" height="338" darkWidth="863" darkHeight="338"}

   - Click **Edit** if you want to customize the audience and click **Save** when done. 

     ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/6oZBRZPzbts5xExe3G6In-20260720-145613.png" size="100" alt="edit-segment.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1028" height="934" darkWidth="1028" darkHeight="934"}
   - Expand **Enrollment Rules** if you want to modify those.

     ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/usutcPGwp-unZmMe1FBGa-20260720-145613.png" size="100" alt="enrollment-rules.PNG" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1025" height="150" darkWidth="1025" darkHeight="150"}
4. Expand **Touchpoints** and edit the existing touchpoint or add new ones to customize your message. Use the breadcrumbs to get back to editing the audience. 

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/XQxHEY1FlTtzJn41tbwYn-20260720-145613.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="985" height="275" darkWidth="985" darkHeight="275"}

### Profiles

1. Go to **Customers** **>** **Profiles > + Segment**.
2. Select the audience you want.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/sPdmdVJHdzUqOWqZGkSsT-20260720-145612.png" size="100" alt="Profile-select-segment.png" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1660" height="646" darkWidth="1660" darkHeight="646"}
3. Click **Apply**. The profiles of customers included in the audience displays. 

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/7hMrn-I7xgEOPORxLr2Vi-20260720-145613.png" size="100" alt="Profile-select-segment-report.png" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="997" height="641" darkWidth="997" darkHeight="641"}

### Lifecycles

1. Go to **Reports > Lifecycle Report**.
2. Click **any Segment** and select an audience.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/3uuJkFyvvOJPtFGudEpRa-20260720-145612.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1026" height="199" darkWidth="1026" darkHeight="199"}

:::Paragraph{indent="1"}
Information updates display.
:::

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/AfEAd1aEOkO0h0-Gva8Jx-20260720-145613.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="985" height="412" darkWidth="985" darkHeight="412" indent="2"}

### Reports

1. Go to **Reports > Custom Reports**.
2. Click **New Report** (or edit an existing report).
3. Click **+ Segment** and select the audience you want.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/ZeqEAlCfqPP6wUaHcDZPJ-20260720-145613.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1464" height="102" darkWidth="1464" darkHeight="102"}
4. Click **Apply** to view the report. (A new date range was selected for this example.) The report's information updates.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/FY4Gl1G93gt6WwSq8mJLw-20260720-145613.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1470" height="201" darkWidth="1470" darkHeight="201"}
5. Click **Save** if you want to keep this version of the report for future review.

## Edit a standard audience

1. Go to **Customers > Audiences**.
2. Either click the name of the audience or select the options menu **(...) > Edit**. If you click the name of the audience, you must click **Edit** to begin editing the audience. If you click **(...) > Edit**, the edit view displays automatically.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/Y4K_y9_Ym4u5sgAoy9vFe-20260720-145613.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="848" height="186" darkWidth="848" darkHeight="186"}
3. Make your changes and click **Save**.

## Delete a standard audience

1. Go to **Customers** **>** **Audiences**.
2. Click the name of the audience that you want to delete. The edit view displays.
3. Select the options menu (**...**) > **Delete**.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/V6PWLaMu9u_4Ysto1Nq04-20260720-145613.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="568" height="134" darkWidth="568" darkHeight="134"}
4. Click **Delete** to confirm.