Creating Filters

You can use filters within Adestra to select groups of contacts for inclusion in a campaign based on their behaviour or status. You can only use one filter at a time for a campaign, but the filter may include multiple rules.

The most common reason to create a filter is to define the contacts who will receive a campaign. There are two types of filter for this purpose.

  • Saved filters - created and saved at the workspace level and can be applied to multiple lists at the same time.
  • Dedicated filters - created within a campaign and only applied to the data associated with that campaign.

Tip: you can create a filter from a blank template or copy an existing filter.

Contacts can also be filtered whenever you are using the data viewer, e.g. to segment your data directly from your core table by creating a new list using filtered contacts and then launching to this list.

Another way of using filters is with the recurring campaigns feature, which can be used to automate regular campaign launches to particular lists.

Creating a saved filter

  1. Open the data menu and select the filters option.

  2. On the filters screen, select the + create saved filter link.

  3. On the filter creation form:

    • Enter a name for your filter. This is how the filter will be referred to elsewhere in the system so it should be distinctive.

    • Enter a description (optional) to record additional information about the filter.

    • Add any tags you want associated with the filter.

    • Select an owner user by pressing the select user button and choosing from the list of users. This value defaults to your ID so you only need to change this if building a filter for another user.

    • Select a core table by pressing the select core table button and choosing from the list of tables. The filter will only be able to be applied to lists that are associated with the same core table.

    • Note: the selected core table cannot be changed once the filter has been created.

  4. Admin users only - the form may also show the permissions options, which allow you to define where this filter can be viewed.

    Restrict the filter to the current workspace or make the filter available in the same workspaces as the selected core table.

    Note: once you have saved the filter, the permissions settings cannot be changed.

  5. Press the save button to proceed to the filter overview page and begin adding rules.

    Note: Adestra automatically adds the first rule of your filter in the editor pane. Any rules with a red border are incomplete and need defining.

  6. Define your first filter rule.

    • Select a rule category from the dropdown list, e.g. field text match.

      Tip: if the new rule pane is not visible, first select the rule to edit.

    • Select a rule type from the dropdown list, e.g. field equals.

    • Press the OK button.

    • Enter the rule settings according to the rule type, e.g. for a field text match rule, select the field you wish to match and enter the text you want to match.

      Note: filter rules are not case sensitive and require the date format: YYYY-MM-DD.

      Tip: you can convert a rule to a NOT rule by selecting the negate rule checkbox, i.e. select everyone that does not meet the selected criteria.

    • Press the OK button.

      If the rule is completed correctly, the border will turn blue.

  7. Press the save filter button.

    Note: if you have any rules with red borders, you cannot save the filter. Verify all rules are completed correctly.

    If you are creating a simple filter with a single rule, e.g. select all students in the core table, you can now apply your filter.

    For more complex filters, e.g. select all students and teachers living in Birmingham, you will need to add additional rules.

Creating a dedicated filter

Dedicated filters are created within a campaign, and are used for that campaign only.

  1. From the target step of a campaign, select the + create dedicated filter button.

    The list section will display the filter as dedicated campaign filter followed by the campaign ID number.

  2. In the filter pane, define your first filter rule.

    • Select a rule category from the dropdown list, e.g. field text match.

      Tip: if the new rule pane is not visible, first select the rule to edit.

    • Select a rule type from the dropdown list, e.g. field equals.

    • Press the OK button.

    • Enter the rule settings according to the rule type, e.g. for a field text match rule, select the field you wish to match and enter the text you want to match.

      Note: filter rules are not case sensitive and require the date format: YYYY-MM-DD.

      Tip: you can convert a rule to a NOT rule by selecting the negate rule checkbox, i.e. select everyone that does not meet the selected criteria.

    • Press the OK button.

      If the rule is completed correctly, the border will turn blue.

  3. Press the save filter button.

    Note: if you have any rules with red borders, you cannot save the filter. Verify all rules are completed correctly.

    If you are creating a simple filter with a single rule, e.g. select all students in the core table, you can now apply your filter.

    For more complex filters, e.g. select all students and teachers living in Birmingham, you will need to add additional rules.

Adding additional rules - complex filters

You can only use one filter at a time for a campaign, but the filter may include multiple rules to capture all criteria for your filtered group. There are two ways to combine rules:

  • AND - contacts must meet both rules to be selected by the filter.

  • OR - contacts can meet either rule to be selected by the filter.

To combine rules:

  1. Select a rule you have already defined. You should see an arrow to the right of the rule (the OR rule relationship) and an arrow to the bottom of the rule (the AND rule relationship).

  2. Select the relationship you want your two rules to have, e.g.

    • Select the OR arrow if you want to select contacts who are from UK or Ireland.

    • Select the AND arrow if you want to select contacts who are on your newsletter mailing list and opened your last campaign.

  3. A new rule box will appear.

  4. Enter the criteria for your rule in the same way as creating your first rule.

  5. Press the save filter button.

    Note: if you have any rules with red borders, you cannot save the filter. Verify all rules are completed correctly.

  6. Continue to add rules as required to build your filter and capture your intended audience.

Tip: when you combine AND, OR and NOT relationships to build complex filters it is helpful to think of a filter as a vertical path with the goal being to get from top to bottom. Rules act like gates, and contacts must match the rules in order to pass through the gates.