Tags, Interests, or Attributes: Which One to Use
Plan availability
Tags and interests are available on the Growth plan and above.
Why this matters
Tags, interests, and attributes all store information about your contacts, and all three can be used to build segments. They are not interchangeable, though. The main difference is who controls the value: you, or the subscriber. Picking the wrong one means subscribers can change something you wanted to manage yourself, or can't update a preference they should control.
At a glance
| Tags | Interests | Attributes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A label you put on a contact | A content category the subscriber chooses | A piece of information about the contact |
| Who sets the value | You | The subscriber (you can also add or remove it) | You (import, contact details) or the subscriber (form, preference center) |
| Can the subscriber change it in the preference center? | No | Yes, if the interest is visible | Only if the attribute is visible |
| Can be used in a form | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can be used in segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Example | "Member", "VIP" | "Training", "Events", "Product X", "Service Y" | "First name", "City" |
Tags: labels that you manage
Use a tag when you decide who belongs to a group, and subscribers should not be able to change it. For example, tag your paying members "Member" and your best customers "VIP", so you can send them offers that other contacts don't receive.
- Subscribers never see tags in the preference center, so they can't remove them.
- You can offer tags in a form (for example, a "Member" checkbox). The subscriber chooses once when signing up, and after that only you can change the tag.
- You add or remove tags yourself from the contact list (Add or remove tags), during an import, or in an automation (tag actions in automations require the Premium plan).
Interests: preferences that subscribers manage
Use an interest when the subscriber should decide what they want to receive, and be able to change their mind later. For example, the interests "Training" and "Events" let subscribers pick the emails they want to receive. Interests like "Product X" or "Service Y" let them follow only the offers that matter to them.
- When an interest is visible, subscribers can turn it on or off from the preference center, which they reach through the manage/unsubscribe link in your emails.
- When an interest is hidden, subscribers don't see it. You use it only for your own targeting.
- You can offer visible interests in a form, so subscribers choose them at sign-up.
- Interests are created per list, on the Interests tab of Manage lists and attributes.
Attributes: information about the contact
Use an attribute for facts that describe the contact, such as their first name or city. For example, the attribute "City" lets you invite only the contacts in one city to an event, and "First name" lets you personalize the greeting of your emails.
- Attributes are created per list, on the Attributes tab of Manage lists and attributes. See Adding attributes to your list.
- A visible attribute appears in the preference center, where subscribers can update its value. A hidden attribute stays in your list only.
- Attributes can also be used as merge tags to personalize your emails.
- Every user of your account can see all attributes, so store only the information you need to send your emails.
In a form: use tags or interests, not both
When you ask subscribers to make a choice in a form (for example, the kind of content they want), offer it as either a tag or an interest, not both for the same choice. Asking the same question twice confuses subscribers and leaves you with two values to keep in sync.
- Choose a tag if the choice is final once they sign up, and only you should change it afterward.
- Choose an interest if subscribers should be able to change the choice later from the preference center.
Troubleshooting
Subscribers can't change a choice they made in the form
- The choice was probably offered as a tag. Tags don't appear in the preference center. Offer the choice as a visible interest instead.
An interest or attribute doesn't appear in the preference center
- Check that it is set to visible in Manage lists and attributes.
- Check that you are looking at the right list. Interests and attributes belong to one list.
I don't see tags or interests in my account
- Tags and interests require a Growth plan or above.
Related articles
- Using tags to track engagement - Create tags and tag contacts
- Setting up your subscriber preference center - Create interests
- Adding attributes to your list - Create attributes
- Creating a form - Offer tags, interests, and attributes at sign-up
- Creating dynamic segments - Target contacts by tag, interest, or attribute