How to Transition Static Segments from Outbound Marketing to Real Time Journeys

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Posted on by Elliot Poole

What is the best way to transition static segments in Outbound Marketing to Real Time Journeys?

As far as I can tell from the documentation, only 100 contacts can be manually added to a segment in Real Time Journeys. We have a large segment for emailing a newsletter which contains roughly 9500 contacts, each of which have either been manually added or added by a query to a static segment in outbound marketing.

I know that outbound marketing segments are currently able to be used in Real Time Journeys, however the documentation says this:

Outbound marketing segments won't be removed but won't be usable.

The segment table itself doesn't contain the actual list of members; this information is stored in an internal table that will be removed. If you want to retain segment member data, you must export the segment data before outbound marketing services are removed.
Outbound marketing segments are currently available for use in real-time journeys. This functionality won't be supported once outbound marketing is removed. Any journey that uses outbound marketing segments will stop working.

I can't lose this segment as we use it extensively, but can't see a viable solution to transition it to Real time Journeys.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Elliot

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Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys

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Angela MP 28 on at

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How to Transition Static Segments from Outbound Marketing to Real Time Journeys

Thanks for bringing this up.

I read the answers but I wonder how I can export the segment members in a static segment in Outbound Marketing. This option does not show for me.

Can someone answer this or show me in a screenshot where I find this option?

Angela

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Daivat Vartak (v-9d... 7,827 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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How to Transition Static Segments from Outbound Marketing to Real Time Journeys

Hello Elliot,

You've identified a critical challenge when transitioning from Outbound Marketing to Real-Time Journeys, especially with large static segments. The limitations of manually adding contacts to Real-Time segments and the impending deprecation of Outbound segments in Real-Time Journeys require a strategic approach.

Here's a breakdown of the best way to transition your large static segment:

Understanding the Challenges:

Manual Addition Limit:

The 100-contact limit for manual addition in Real-Time segments is a significant bottleneck.

Outbound Segment Deprecation:

Relying on Outbound segments in Real-Time Journeys is a temporary solution that will cease to function.

Data Preservation:

You need to preserve the segment membership data to maintain your newsletter distribution.

The Recommended Approach: Leveraging Query-Based Real-Time Segments:
The most effective way to transition your static segment is to recreate it as a query-based Real-Time segment. This method overcomes the manual addition limitation and ensures long-term compatibility.

Here's a step-by-step process:

Export Segment Members from Outbound Marketing:

Before Outbound Marketing services are removed, export the member data from your static segment.

This will provide you with a list of all the contacts in the segment.

Export the data to a CSV or Excel file.

Analyze and Recreate the Segment Logic:

Examine the criteria used to build your static segment in Outbound Marketing.

This might involve manual additions, query-based additions, or a combination of both.

Translate this logic into a query that can be used in a Real-Time segment.

Create a Query-Based Real-Time Segment:

In Real-Time Journeys, create a new segment.

Use the query builder to define the segment criteria based on the logic you analyzed in the previous step.

If your original static segment included manual additions, you may need to find a queryable attribute that represents those users. For example, if you have a custom field that is set to a specific value for those manually added users, you can query that field.

Real-Time segments support complex queries based on contact attributes, interactions, and other data points.

Validate the Real-Time Segment:

After creating the query-based segment, validate it to ensure that it accurately reflects the members of your original static segment.

Compare the member count and sample members to your exported data.

Transition Your Newsletter Journey:

Update your newsletter journey in Real-Time Journeys to use the new query-based segment.

Thoroughly test the journey to ensure that it functions correctly.

Decommission the Outbound Marketing Segment:

Once you have successfully transitioned to the Real-Time segment, you can decommission the Outbound Marketing segment.

However, keep the exported data as a backup.

Key Considerations:

Query Complexity:

If your original static segment was based on very complex logic, you may need to break it down into multiple query-based segments in Real-Time Journeys.

Data Synchronization:

Ensure that your Dataverse data is up-to-date to ensure accurate segment membership.

Testing:

Thoroughly test your Real-Time journey after transitioning to the new segment.

Advantages of Query-Based Real-Time Segments:

Dynamic Membership:

Query-based segments automatically update their membership based on the defined criteria.

Scalability:

They can handle large volumes of contacts efficiently.

Future-Proofing:

They are compatible with the future direction of Dynamics 365 Marketing.

By following these steps, you can successfully transition your large static segment to Real-Time Journeys and ensure the continuity of your newsletter distribution.

If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.

Best Regards,
Daivat Vartak

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Dharanidharan 636 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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How to Transition Static Segments from Outbound Marketing to Real Time Journeys

Hi Elliot,

You're absolutely right to be thinking ahead about transitioning your Outbound Marketing static segments to Real-Time Journeys, especially given Microsoft's plans to phase out Outbound Marketing.

Best Approach to Transition Your Static Segments to Real-Time Journeys

1. Export Your Existing Outbound Marketing Segment

Since outbound marketing segments will no longer be supported, it’s critical to export your segment data before the transition. You can do this by:

Navigating to Outbound Marketing > Segments

Selecting your static segment

Exporting the contact list as a CSV file

2. Create a Marketing List (Optional for CRM Integration)

If you're using Dynamics 365 CE, you can create a static marketing list with the same contacts and sync it with Real-Time Journeys.

3. Create a New Real-Time Marketing Segment

Go to Real-Time Marketing > Segments

Choose "Static Segment" (Note: Currently, manual additions are limited to 100 contacts, so this might not be feasible for your large segment.)

Alternatively, use "Dynamic Segment" to filter contacts based on common criteria (e.g., a custom field or tag).

4. Use a Custom Field for Segment Membership (Best Option for Large Segments)

Since static segments in Real-Time Marketing have a 100-contact manual limit, a good workaround is to:

Create a custom Yes/No field (e.g., NewsletterSubscriber) in the Contact entity.

Bulk update all contacts in your exported list to set this field to "Yes."

Create a Real-Time Marketing segment based on this field:

Filter contacts where NewsletterSubscriber = Yes

5. Automate Future Segment Additions

If new contacts should be added dynamically, set up a Power Automate flow or a workflow to update the NewsletterSubscriber field when contacts meet specific conditions.

This will ensure your segment stays up to date without manual intervention.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you need more details.

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