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Build Custom Segments

When you create a Segment in FirstHive CDP, reports use raw data from the last 30 days by default. If you need reports that include data older than 30 days, contact FirstHive Support to initiate this process. Once requested, reprocessing can take a few hours, depending on the volume of data.

Note: The FirstHive team is working on enhancing this process to make data reprocessing more efficient for cloud users.

For On-Premise deployments, you can manage data reprocessing beyond 30 days by adjusting the configuration file.

1. Open the Segment Editor

To create a new segment within the FirstHive dashboard, click on the All Customers / All Profiles dropdown in the data selector section. This label always reflects the current segment, which by default includes your entire customer base.

Clicking the selector opens a dropdown with a list of available segments, including the default All Customers, plus any custom segments shared with you or created by your team. To build a new segment, click the green Add New Segment button to launch the Segment Editor.

2. Segment Configuration

Within the Segment Editor, you’ll see configuration options at the top:

  • The first dropdown allows you to toggle between creating a new segment or editing an existing one.
  • The remaining dropdowns show segment configuration settings, with current selections highlighted in bold.

In most cases, you won’t need to modify these defaults, but it’s useful to know where to adjust visibility and scope.

Sharing a segment with all users

By default, any segment you create is only visible to you and Super Users. At the top of the Segment Editor, you’ll see the default “This segment is visible to me.” To share a segment with the entire team, select “This segment is visible to all users.” Shared segments then appear in everyone’s dashboard. (Note: only Super Users can enable this setting.)

Reusing segments across business units or properties

By default, a segment is tied to the specific business unit or property you’re viewing. You can expand its scope by selecting “This segment is processed across all properties.” When enabled, the segment becomes available across every property you manage in FirstHive. (Note: only Super Users can enable this setting.)

Performance settings

Segments can be processed in real-time or pre-processed (via scheduled jobs). Real-time processing works for most accounts, but if you manage very high-volume data, pre-processing ensures reports load faster.

3. Defining Your Segment

Now you can define the segment itself. Start by giving it a clear, descriptive Name (e.g., High-Value Customers or Returning Buyers).

To define the criteria:

  • Use the dropdown menu to select data points such as Customer Profile > Demographics, Channel > Source, or Transaction > Purchase Status.
  • Combine conditions using AND / OR logic.
  • Use the search box to quickly find the right attribute if you already know what you want to filter by.

Example: To create a segment for Returning Customers from the UK:

  1. Set the first dropdown to Customer Type > Returning
  2. Add an AND condition → Location > Country = United Kingdom

Once you’ve set up your filters, press TEST to preview which customers match the criteria. If the results look correct, click Save & Apply to finalize.

Processing New Segments

When a segment is created in FirstHive Cloud, the oldest raw data included by default goes back 30 days. Requests to extend this can be sent to support@firsthive.com.

When a segment is created in FirstHive On-Premise, there is no such limit — all raw data is referenced for segmentation. To configure this, edit the config file:

By default, the relevant line in your global config file (config/global.ini.php) is set as:

process_new_segments_from = “beginning_of_time”

To change this:

  1. Open config/config.ini.php in an editor (create the file if it doesn’t exist).
  2. Add or edit the [General] property following the instructions in config/global.ini.php.

Additional details on customizing configurations are provided in FirstHive On-Premise documentation and inline comments within the configuration files.