Integrations & Imports

How to Tag and Group Contacts

Tags and groups let you organize contacts in flexible, overlapping categories. A contact can have multiple tags (e.g., "VIP", "Trial User") and belong to one group (e.g., "Newsletter", "Customers").

Time: 10 min
Level: Beginner
tags groups contacts organization

What you'll need

Before you start, make sure you have the following ready.

  • An OutSends account
  • A contact list with some data
  • A plan for your tagging structure

Step-by-step guide

Follow these steps to complete the setup.

Create tags

Go to Contacts > Tags. Create tags like "VIP", "Warm Lead", "Trial Expired". Tags can be applied automatically via workflows.

Create groups

Go to Contacts > Groups. Create groups like "Newsletter Subscribers", "Product Updates", "Sales Outreach".

Assign tags and groups

Manually assign from the contact profile, or use bulk actions. Tags and groups are also applied through triggers and automations.

Use in segments

Create dynamic segments based on tag and group membership. Example: "Tags contain VIP AND Group equals Newsletters".

Automate with workflows

Set up workflows that automatically tag contacts based on behavior: opens email → tag "Engaged".

Tips for best results

Pro tips to get the most out of this setup.

  • Use tags for behavior and traits, groups for type/category
  • Limit yourself to 20-30 tags — too many tags become unmanageable
  • Document your tag structure in a shared doc for your team

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between tags and groups?

Tags are flexible labels (multiple per contact). Groups are primary categories (one per contact).

Can I auto-tag contacts?

Yes, OutSends workflows can apply tags based on any trigger or condition.

Do tags affect deliverability?

No, tags are internal labels. Recipients never see them.

Related guides

Explore more how-to guides for OutSends.

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