OneSignal Segmentation: How to Target the Right Users

Digital products, mobile applications, and SaaS platforms no longer struggle with reaching users; the real challenge is reaching the right user, at the right time, with the right message. Project managers, marketing teams, C-level executives, and IT leaders often face similar issues when high-volume communication fails to translate into meaningful engagement and campaigns fall short of expectations:

• Why aren’t our messages being opened?
• Why does the same message perform well for some users but remain ineffective for others?
• Are we truly considering user behavior, or are we sending the same message to everyone?

The common root cause of these challenges is often a lack of segmentation or poorly defined target audiences. This is exactly where OneSignal Segmentation transforms customer communication from a random activity into a strategic growth lever; and Omtera ensures that this transformation is implemented with the right strategy by aligning OneSignal’s technical capabilities with business objectives.

What Is OneSignal Segmentation?

OneSignal Segmentation is an advanced targeting framework that allows you to group users based on demographic information, behavioral data, device attributes, and lifecycle stages. This ensures that every user receives messages that are relevant to their specific context.

Segmentation doesn’t just answer the question “Who should receive this message?” — it also defines:

• When the message should be sent
• Which channel should be used
• What content should be delivered

All of these elements are tied together within a clear and actionable strategy.

The Strategic Importance of Segmentation

For teams just getting started, segmentation is often treated as something to “optimize later.” In reality, segmentation is a core building block of OneSignal usage.

Because:

• Incorrect targeting → Low open rates
• Low engagement → User fatigue
• User fatigue → Churn

When segmentation is properly structured, it enables:

• Higher engagement
• More conversions with fewer messages
• A more sustainable customer communication strategy

At this point, Omtera approaches OneSignal segmentation not as a simple technical configuration, but as a strategy fully integrated with product and business goals.

How Does OneSignal Segmentation Work?

OneSignal builds segments through two primary structures: static and dynamic segments.

1. Static Segments

These are segments created manually based on fixed criteria.

Examples include:

• iOS users only
• Users in a specific country
• Users who registered before a certain date

Static segments may be sufficient for simple campaigns, but they quickly become limiting as scale increases.

2. Dynamic Segments (Behavioral Segmentation)

This is where the real power of segmentation emerges. Users automatically enter or exit segments based on their behavior.

Examples include:

• Users who opened the app in the last 7 days
• Users who added items to their cart but didn’t complete a purchase
• Users who used a specific feature but haven’t upgraded to premium

In OneSignal projects, Omtera places a strong emphasis on supporting dynamic segmentation with proper event design, because poorly structured events can undermine even the most powerful segmentation capabilities.

The Relationship Between OneSignal Segmentation and OneSignal Journeys

Two of the most commonly confused components within OneSignal are segmentation and Journeys. While both aim to enable more accurate and effective communication with users, they serve different purposes. Understanding this distinction is essential to maximizing value from OneSignal.

OneSignal Segmentation answers the question: “Who should receive the message?”
It groups users based on behavior, feature usage, device information, or lifecycle stage. This ensures that communication is targeted rather than generic. Segmentation acts as the foundational filter for campaigns and messaging.

OneSignal Journeys, on the other hand, focuses on “What path should the user follow next?”
Journeys define automated flows that determine which messages users receive over time, in what order, and under which conditions. These flows adapt dynamically based on user behavior, allowing scenarios to progress, pause, or branch.

These two structures are not alternatives; they are complementary. Journeys cannot be initiated without segmentation, because users must first be accurately defined. Likewise, segmentation without Journeys often results in one-off campaigns and prevents teams from fully leveraging OneSignal’s automation potential.

Within Omtera’s approach, segmentation is not merely a filtering tool; it is the first step in an end-to-end customer communication architecture built together with Journeys. Journeys constructed on top of well-defined segments deliver the right message at the right moment, making engagement and conversion sustainable over time.

Segmentation Use Cases by Target Audience

Project Managers

• Feature usage–based segments
• New feature announcements
• User feedback flows

Marketing Teams

• Campaign-driven behavioral segments
• Re-engagement strategies
• Channel-specific messaging (push, in-app, email)

C-Level Executives and Business Owners

• KPI-driven segments
• Revenue-generating user groups
• Churn-risk audiences

IT and Technical Teams

• Event and data accuracy
• Segment performance tracking
• Scalable architecture

Omtera brings these diverse needs together within a single segmentation framework, making OneSignal’s business value clearly measurable and visible.

Common Segmentation Mistakes

• Sending the same message to everyone
• Defining segments too broadly
• Ignoring behavioral data
• Failing to measure segment performance

These issues are not limitations of OneSignal, but results of incorrect usage. Omtera’s OneSignal consulting approach aims to eliminate these risks from the very beginning.

Omtera’s Approach to OneSignal Segmentation

OneSignal is a powerful platform with advanced segmentation capabilities. However, transforming these capabilities into real business value requires more than simply creating segments — it demands the right strategy, the right data structure, and the right execution. Omtera approaches OneSignal segmentation with this holistic mindset.

Omtera positions segmentation not as a tool exclusive to marketing teams, but as a strategic structure that spans product, business, and technology teams.

Omtera’s OneSignal segmentation methodology is built around the following principles:

• Segments aligned with business goals
  Segments are defined not only by technical filters, but by growth, conversion, and retention objectives.
• Behavior-driven structure
  Real user interactions within the product form the foundation of segmentation. No segment is created without first identifying which actions truly matter.
• Correct event and data architecture
  Event structures within OneSignal are reviewed and optimized end-to-end to ensure segmentation works reliably.
• Dynamic and sustainable segments
  Segments update automatically based on user behavior and remain meaningful over time.
• Consistent cross-channel experience
  Segments are designed to work seamlessly across push notifications, in-app messages, email, and automation flows.
• Measurement and optimization focus
  Segment performance is continuously analyzed and improved based on engagement, conversion, and behavioral insights.

With this approach, OneSignal segmentation evolves from a tool used for one-off campaigns into a strategic mechanism that manages the entire user lifecycle.

For Omtera, true value lies not just in targeting the right users, but in guiding them toward the right experience. When OneSignal’s segmentation power is applied through this lens, it becomes one of the strongest pillars of sustainable growth.

Growth Is Not Sustainable Without Segmentation

OneSignal Segmentation transforms customer communication into a measurable, optimizable, and sustainablestructure. However, unlocking this potential requires the right strategy and execution.

This is where Omtera steps in, connecting OneSignal’s technical capabilities with business objectives. For teams that aim not only to use OneSignal but to extract maximum value from it, this approach makes all the difference.

Define the right target audience, deliver the right message at the right time, and build your OneSignal segmentation strategy together with Omtera.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does OneSignal segmentation require technical expertise?
Not for basic usage; however, scalable and effective segmentation requires both technical and strategic alignment.

How is segmentation performance measured?
Through open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and user behavior metrics.

Do dynamic segments update automatically?
Yes. Segment membership updates automatically as user behavior changes.

Can OneSignal be used without segmentation?
Yes, but efficiency and impact will be significantly lower.