Create Segment Lists

Build a library of segment lists that enable targeted marketing, accurate reporting, and proper suppression. These lists form the foundation of segment-based operations.

Prerequisites

• A HubSpot service key (HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN in .env; an existing legacy private app token also works) with crm.lists.read and crm.lists.write scopes
• Python 3.10+ with uv
• ICP tier property created (run /create-icp-tiers first)
• Lifecycle stages cleaned up (run /fix-lifecycle-stages first)

Interview: Gather Requirements

Before executing, collect the following information from the user:

Q1: What are your key customer segments?

• Examples: Industry verticals (Manufacturing, Professional Services, Retail, Education, Logistics), company size tiers (Enterprise, Mid-Market, SMB), geographic regions (North America, EMEA, APAC)
• Default: Core business segments (Customers, Partners, Competitors, Internal) plus ICP tiers and engagement-based segments

Q2: What engagement criteria define "active" for your business?

• Examples: Email open or click in last 90 days, website visit in last 60 days, form submission in last 30 days, meeting booked in last 90 days
• Default: Any email engagement (open or click) within the last 90 days

Recommended Segments

Core Business Segments

ICP-Based Segments

Industry Segments

Engagement Segments

Step-by-Step Instructions

Stage 1: Plan

1. Run the requirements interview above and decide which segments are relevant to the business.
2. Check for existing lists that overlap — merge or rename rather than creating duplicates.

Stage 2: Before

1. Confirm the properties these lists depend on are populated (ICP tier, lifecycle stage, industry).
2. Inventory existing lists (POST /crm/v3/lists/search) and record the baseline count.

Stage 3: Execute — Create Lists

Use the Lists API (v3) to create active (smart) lists:

import os, requests
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()
TOKEN = os.environ["HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN"]
BASE = "https://api.hubapi.com"
HEADERS = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {TOKEN}", "Content-Type": "application/json"}

# Example: Create "All Customers" list
resp = requests.post(f"{BASE}/crm/v3/lists", headers=HEADERS, json={
    "name": "All Customers",
    "objectTypeId": "0-1",  # contacts
    "processingType": "DYNAMIC",
    "filterBranch": {
        "filterBranchType": "OR",
        "filterBranches": [{
            "filterBranchType": "AND",
            "filterBranches": [],
            "filters": [{
                "filterType": "PROPERTY",
                "property": "lifecyclestage",
                "operation": {
                    "operationType": "ENUMERATION",
                    "operator": "IS_ANY_OF",
                    "values": ["customer"],
                },
            }],
        }],
        "filters": [],
    },
})
resp.raise_for_status()

Create each list, verify member count, and document the list ID.

For static lists (Competitors), create the list and manually add contacts or import from a CSV.

Stage 4: After

1. Check member counts for each list — do they match expectations?
2. Verify no contacts appear in mutually exclusive lists (e.g., both Customer and Competitor).
3. Confirm lists are visible to the appropriate teams.

Rollback

• Lists can be deleted via the API or UI.
• Deleting a list does not affect the contacts in it — only the list definition is removed.
• Check if any workflows or emails reference the list before deleting.

Tips

• Use a consistent naming convention: [Category] - Segment Name (e.g., [ICP] - Tier 1, [Industry] - Manufacturing).
• Review segment membership quarterly — segments should grow or shrink in expected ways.
• Use these lists as building blocks for email sends, ad audiences, and workflow enrollment triggers.