If you use Keap for marketing or managing customers, you’ve probably heard that “tags” and “segments” are magic. But in reality? They’re just tools—powerful when used right, a nightmare when they’re messy. This guide is for anyone who wants their Keap contact list to stay clean, organized, and actually useful—not a graveyard of duplicate tags and mystery labels.
Let’s cut through the noise. Here’s how to tag and segment contacts in Keap without making things complicated, plus what to ignore if you want sanity down the road.
Why Tagging and Segmenting Matter (and Where People Go Wrong)
Tags and segments let you group your contacts based on what actually matters—like who’s a customer, who downloaded your ebook, and who never opens your emails. When you get this right, you send better emails, automate smarter, and stop annoying people with irrelevant stuff.
But most folks mess it up by:
- Creating a new tag for every tiny thing (“Webinar August 2023 RSVP”... then “Webinar September 2023 RSVP”)
- Using tags for stuff that should be a field (like “First Name: John” as a tag… don’t do this)
- Forgetting to clean up old tags, so the list becomes a junk drawer
Let’s fix that.
Step 1: Decide What Tags Are For (and What They Aren’t)
Before you slap tags on everything, set some ground rules:
Use tags for:
- Behaviors: Downloaded a PDF, attended a webinar, clicked a specific link
- Lifecycle stages: New lead, customer, repeat buyer
- Interests: Wants “SEO tips,” prefers “monthly updates”
- Source: Came from Facebook ad, referral, or trade show
Don’t use tags for:
- Permanent data: First name, company, phone number (use custom fields instead)
- One-off notes: “Talked to Bob about pricing” (use the contact record’s notes)
- Expiration dates: Don’t create a tag for “2022 Sale” if you’ll never use it again
Pro tip: If you’re not sure if something should be a tag or a custom field, ask: Will this change often, or do I just need to know it at a glance? Tags are for “yes/no” labels, not detailed info.
Step 2: Build a Naming System (So You Don’t Hate Yourself Later)
The biggest pain with tags is when you have 300 of them and can’t remember what any of them mean. Avoid this by:
Creating a naming convention
- Start broad, get specific:
Source: Facebook Ad,Interest: SEO,Status: Customer - Use colons or dashes:
Event: Webinar - 2024-03-15 - Keep it short, but clear:
Lead Magnet: Checklist Download - Never use vague tags: “New Tag 1” helps no one.
Example:
| Good Tag Name | Bad Tag Name | |-----------------------------|----------------------------| | Source: Google Ads | google | | Status: Repeat Customer | repeat | | Event: Webinar - 2024-06-01 | WebinarAttendee |
A few minutes up front saves hours later.
Step 3: Segment Contacts with a Purpose
Segmentation means grouping people so you can talk to them differently. Here’s how to do it in Keap without overthinking:
Common, actually useful segments
- Hot leads: Tagged “Status: Hot Lead”
- Recent buyers: Tagged “Status: Customer” and purchased in last 30 days
- Inactive contacts: No opens/clicks in 6 months, tagged “Status: Inactive”
- Event attendees: Tagged “Event: [Name]”
How to actually segment in Keap
- Use saved searches with tag filters to create dynamic lists (e.g., all “Interest: SEO” + “Status: Lead”)
- For automation, trigger sequences based on tag application or removal
- Regularly review and prune segments—if you’re not emailing to a segment, do you need it?
What to ignore: Don’t get sucked into creating 50 tiny segments that you never use or email. If you’re not acting on it, it’s clutter.
Step 4: Automate Tagging—But Don’t Go Overboard
Automation is where Keap shines, but it’s easy to go tag-crazy. Here’s how to keep it sane:
- Automate adding/removing tags based on actions (form submissions, purchases, email clicks)
- Remove temporary tags after they’ve done their job (e.g., “Webinar Registered” becomes “Webinar Attended” or is removed if they no-show)
- Use tag goals in campaigns sparingly—don’t use tags just to trigger every tiny action, or you’ll drown in them
Pro tip: Review your automations quarterly. If a tag is being added by a sequence but never used in a search or email, kill it.
Step 5: Clean Up—Less Is More
Once a quarter (or at least twice a year), clean house:
- Merge duplicate tags: “customer” and “Customer” are not different
- Delete outdated tags: If you haven’t used it in 12 months, it’s probably junk
- Archive before deleting: If you’re nervous, export your tag list first
Reality check: You will never use every tag forever. That’s normal.
Step 6: Train Your Team (or Your Future Self)
If you’re not the only one in Keap, document your tag rules somewhere everyone can see:
- Share the naming convention (even if it’s a one-pager in Google Docs)
- List what’s a tag vs. a custom field
- Show examples of good/bad tags
If you’re solo: Still write this down. You will forget why you made “Promo-2023” next year.
What Actually Works (and What’s Overhyped)
- Simple wins: A handful of well-used tags beats 100 “just in case” ones.
- Automate, but review: Let Keap do the grunt work, but check your automations don’t breed useless tags.
- Don’t treat tags as a spreadsheet: If you’re using tags to store data, you’re doing it wrong.
- Ignore “best practice” templates that promise to solve everything: Your business is unique—build tags that match how you actually work.
The Bottom Line: Keep It Simple, Iterate As You Go
Tagging and segmenting in Keap isn’t about being perfect—it’s about staying organized enough that your contact list stays useful. Start simple, stick to your naming rules, and clean things up when you outgrow them. Don’t stress about getting it 100% right from day one. You can always tweak as you learn what actually helps you reach the right people, at the right time.
If you’re ever in doubt, ask yourself: Will this tag help me take action, or is it just noise? If it’s noise, skip it. Your future self will thank you.