Manage filters

10 min

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 to get information on audiences.

Filters are a collection of events used to refine the results of audiences, behaviors, and reports, such as device-specific traffic from a particular region. You can share filters with all account users, a specific user scope, or own them individually.

Create a filter

Go to Data Setup > Filters.

Click Create New Filter.

Enter a Name for the filter.

Select the Visibility setting (Account, Scope, Personal).

Select the Engagement Value for the event. To set a specific value, select Static Value and set it to a predetermined value. Static values are commonly used when filtering events like affiliate clicks, customer sign-ups, and form submissions.

Select the Feed (Events, Products) to determine which fields are available in the filter.

Customize the elements of your filter.

Click Save.

Available operators

Number

= (equal)

≠ (not equal)

> (greater than)

≥ (greater than or equal)

< (less than)

≤ (less than or equal)

is empty

is not empty

String

= (equal)

≠ (not equal)

≈ (matches)

≉ (does not match)

is empty

is not empty

Boolean

True

False

Either

Not Set

Non-exact matching and wild cards for strings

You can use wildcards inside of a string by placing an asterisk (*) anywhere in the string when the operator is set to matches (≈). If you want to include an asterisk without it being used as a wildcard, use [*] within your string.

Example filter

When creating filters, you can use the +Value, +And, and +Or options to make them more complex and targeted. Each example below reviews how these options can complement each other.

+Value considers additional values in an individual rule. This example uses +Value to create a filter that qualifies events from iPhones and iPads.

+And requires that multiple rules be considered at once. This example uses +And in conjunction with +Value to create a filter that qualifies events from iPhones or iPads that originated in the USA at least a day ago.

+Or considers a completely separate rule. This example uses +Or to create a filter that qualifies events from iPhones or iPads that originated in the USA at least a day ago or all events from Pixel devices.

Apply a filter

After you create and save a filter, you can apply it to audiences, behaviors, campaigns, and reports.

Apply a filter to a standard audience

Go to Customers > Audiences.

Create or edit an audience.

Create or add a Customers who have done something or Customers who have not done something audience expression.

Select a filter and provide any additional required information. You can have multiple filters.

Click Save.

Apply a filter to a behavior

Go to Data Setup > Behaviors.

Create or edit a behavior.

Click Filter and select your desired filter. You can select multiple filters.

Complete the rest of the settings and click Save.

Apply a filter to a campaign

Go to Activations > Overview.

Create or edit a behavioral campaign.

In Enrollment, click Create New Segment and select Customers who have done something.

Select a filter. In this example, entering mobile displays the Mobile Traffic filter for selection.

Complete the enrollment settings, then click Save and Go Live with the campaign.

Apply a filter to reports

Go to Reports > Custom Reports.

Create a new report or edit a report.

In the report's expression, search for the filter (All Events in the following image).

Click Save.

Enter a Name for the report and select the Visibility.

Click Save again.

Edit or delete a filter

Go to Data Setup > Filters.

Click the name of the filter you want to edit or delete.

Click Edit or Delete.

If editing, make the desired changes and click Save. If deleting, click Yes, delete it to confirm.

You can copy or share the structure of a filter between ODP accounts so that you can use the same filter in each.

Go to Data Setup > Filters.

In the row of the filter you want to share, click the Copy icon.

Select the Account and Scope with which you want to share the behavior. To create a copy instead, select the current account and scope.

Click Copy to confirm.