Segment Not Working

Your segment rules aren't matching visitors as expected? Here's how to diagnose and fix visitor targeting issues.

Issues and Solutions

UTM Parameters Not Matching

Visitors with UTM parameters in their URLs aren't being routed to the correct variants.

Solution:

1. Verify exact spelling in your segment rules:

   • UTM parameters are case-sensitive
   • utm_campaign=Summer is different from utm_campaign=summer

2. Confirm you're using the correct UTM parameter type:

   • utm_source — Traffic source (google, facebook, newsletter)
   • utm_medium — Marketing medium (cpc, email, social, display)
   • utm_campaign — Campaign identifier (summer-sale, product-launch)
   • utm_content — Content variant (banner-1, text-link, header-cta)
   • utm_term — Search keywords for paid campaigns

3. Test with your actual marketing URLs:

   • Copy the complete URL from your ads, emails, or social posts
   • Verify UTM parameters use correct format: ?utm_source=value&utm_medium=value
   • Ensure parameters aren't being stripped by redirects or link shorteners

4. Open your campaign in preview mode

5. Append test UTM parameters to the preview URL

6. Verify visitors route to the expected variant

Device Targeting Not Working

Desktop, mobile, or tablet targeting rules aren't filtering visitors correctly.

Solution:

1. Navigate to the Flow tab

2. Click the segment node with device targeting

3. Review the device selection in the configuration panel

4. Verify all intended device types are selected

5. Understand device detection limitations:

   • Detection is based on browser user-agent strings
   • Some tablets may be detected as mobile or desktop
   • Browser developer tools simulate devices but may not be 100% accurate

6. Test on actual devices:

   • Preview mode device simulation differs from real devices
   • Test on physical phones, tablets, and desktops when possible
   • Check analytics to see actual device distribution

Geographic Targeting Issues

Country or region targeting rules aren't matching visitors from specific locations.

Solution:

1. Understand location detection:

   • Visitor location is determined by IP address
   • VPN users will appear from VPN server locations
   • IP geolocation has 95-98% country-level accuracy but isn't perfect

2. Verify country selection:

   • Click the segment node in your flow
   • Confirm correct countries are selected in the configuration
   • Check for alternate country codes (e.g., UK vs GB)

3. Test with a VPN:

   • Connect to a VPN server in your target country
   • Visit your campaign in preview mode
   • Verify the segment routes correctly

4. Review analytics to see actual visitor locations

5. Consider broader geographic targeting if precision is an issue

Browser Detection Not Working

Browser-based targeting rules aren't matching correctly.

Solution:

1. Understand browser detection limitations:

   • Detection is based on user-agent strings
   • Many browsers identify as Chrome for compatibility
   • Edge, Brave, and Opera all use Chromium and may appear as Chrome

2. Use broad browser categories:

   • Target browser families (Chrome-based, Firefox, Safari) rather than specific versions
   • Avoid targeting specific browser versions unless absolutely necessary

3. Combine with other targeting criteria:

   • Use browser detection with other rules (device, location, UTM) for better accuracy

All Visitors Go to Default Path

No visitors match your segment rules, and everyone is routed to the default variant.

Solution:

1. Review rule operators in your segment configuration:

   • Equals: Requires exact match (use for specific values)
   • Contains: More flexible, matches partial strings
   • Is not: Excludes matching visitors
   • Is empty / Is not empty: Checks if parameter exists

2. Check rule combination logic:

   • Multiple rules typically use AND logic (all conditions must match)
   • Overly restrictive combinations may exclude all visitors
   • Start with a single rule and add additional conditions gradually

3. Verify required data exists:

   • UTM parameters only exist if added to visitor URLs
   • First-time visitors don't have referrer data
   • Cookie data requires previous visits

4. Test with a simple "match all" segment:

   • Create a test segment that should match all visitors
   • Verify routing works correctly
   • Gradually add targeting conditions

Segments Work in Preview But Not Production

Targeting rules work correctly in preview mode but fail with real production traffic.

Solution:

1. Check environment differences:

   • Preview uses a different URL structure than production
   • Production uses your custom domain, preview uses a Firebuzz subdomain
   • Test with production-style URLs in preview when possible

2. Verify UTM parameter preservation:

   • Some redirect services strip UTM parameters
   • Link shorteners may remove query parameters
   • Test the complete user journey from ad/email click to landing page

3. Monitor actual traffic patterns:

   • Real visitor behavior differs from manual testing
   • Review analytics to see which segments receive traffic
   • Allow time for sufficient data collection (at least 100 visitors)

4. Check for conflicts:

   • Ensure segment rules don't contradict each other
   • Verify no upstream redirects modify URLs or parameters

Debugging Strategies

Use preview mode — Test segments with different parameters before publishing

Monitor analytics — Review which segments are receiving traffic

Simplify rules — Start with one rule, verify it works, then add complexity

Check visitor data — Verify what parameters and data you're actually receiving

FAQ

Related Resources

• Segments and Targeting
• UTM Parameters
• Campaign Analytics