**To segment automations and campaigns based on specific business data, you can use custom attributes in Papo (https://papo.global/). This feature allows you to create unique data fields for your contacts, such as "Contracted Plan" or "Last Purchase Date," and use this information to create dynamic segments, personalize Flows, and target WhatsApp and email campaigns with high precision.**

While tags are great for general categorizations, custom attributes take your organization to another level. They allow you to store structured information — such as text, numbers, dates, or list options — which can be used as powerful filters. This enables hyper-segmented communication, ensuring the right message reaches the right person at the ideal time.

## What are Custom Attributes?

Custom attributes are information fields you create in Papo's CRM to store data that is not part of the standard fields (like name, email, and phone number). They are fully adaptable to your company's needs, allowing you to enrich each contact's profile with relevant information for your marketing, sales, and service strategies.

Examples of custom attributes include:
*   **For E-commerce:** "Last Purchase Date", "Category of Interest", "Total Spent".
*   **For SaaS:** "Contracted Plan", "Subscription Start Date", "User ID".
*   **For Education:** "Enrolled Course", "Student Status" (e.g., active, inactive), "Completion Date".
*   **For B2B:** "Contact Role", "Company Size", "Market Segment".

This data transforms your CRM into a source of business intelligence, ready to be activated in your automations.

| Characteristic | Tags | Standard Attributes | Custom Attributes |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Data Type** | Categorical, binary (has or doesn't have) | Text, phone, email (fixed) | Text, Number, Date, Dropdown List |
| **Purpose** | Group contacts, indicate a quick status | Store basic contact information | Store structured and business-specific data |
| **Practical Example** | "Hot Lead", "VIP Customer", "Awaiting Payment" | Contact name, primary email | `contracted_plan`, `last_purchase_date`, `product_interest` |
| **Use in Segmentation** | Simple (e.g., contacts with "Hot Lead" tag) | Simple (e.g., contacts whose name contains "Silva") | Advanced (e.g., `last_purchase_date` is older than 90 days) |

## How to Create and Populate Custom Attributes

The process involves three main steps: planning, creating in the platform, and populating with data.

### Step 1: Plan Your Attributes
Before you start creating fields, define which information is truly strategic for your operation. Think about how you would like to segment your customers. What data, if you had it, would make your campaigns more effective? Start with a few essential attributes and add others as needed.

### Step 2: Create Attributes in Papo
Attribute creation is done in the platform's settings panel.
1.  Access **Settings → Custom Attributes**.
2.  Click to add a new attribute.
3.  Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Customer Plan") and a technical name for internal use (e.g., `customer_plan`).
4.  Choose the field type that best suits the information:
    *   **Text:** For open-ended information, such as "Job Title" or "City".
    *   **Number:** For numerical values, such as "Age" or "Order ID".
    *   **Date:** To record specific dates, such as "Date of Birth" or "Invoice Due Date".
    *   **List:** To create a list of predefined options (dropdown), such as "Basic", "Pro", "Enterprise" plans.

### Step 3: Populate Attributes with Data
An attribute is only useful if it's filled. There are several ways to add data to a contact's attributes:
*   **Manually:** By editing the contact's profile directly in Papo's CRM.
*   **Via Automation Flows:** Ask the customer a question in a chatbot and use the answer to automatically fill an attribute.
*   **Via Integrations (API or Webhooks):** Send data from your internal system (ERP, e-commerce platform) to Papo whenever an event occurs, such as a new purchase or a registration update.

## Using Attributes to Segment Automations and Campaigns

With your attributes created and populated, you can start using them to refine your actions.

### 1. Create Dynamic Segments
The main application of attributes is in creating **Segments**. A segment is a saved filter that updates in real-time.

1.  Go to the **Contacts** screen.
2.  Use the filter tool to add a new rule.
3.  Select the custom attribute you created as a criterion. For example: "Contracted Plan" `is equal to` "Gold".
4.  You can combine multiple filters. Example: "Contracted Plan" `is equal to` "Gold" **AND** "Subscription Start Date" `is earlier than` 30 days ago.
5.  After applying the filters, save the view as a new segment, giving it a clear name like "Gold Customers - Older than 30 days".

### 2. Target WhatsApp and Email Campaigns
These saved segments become your target audience for campaigns.
*   **In the WhatsApp Sender:** When setting up a new campaign, you can select the "Gold Customers - Older than 30 days" segment as the audience that will receive your message.
*   **In Email Marketing:** Similarly, when creating an email campaign, you can choose one or more segments to target your send.

### 3. Personalize Flows and Sequences
Attributes can also be used as triggers or conditions within an automation Flow. For example, you can create a Flow that checks a contact's "Category of Interest" attribute:
*   If the value is "Shoes", the contact is enrolled in the email Sequence about shoes.
*   If the value is "Bags", they enter the Sequence about bags.

This allows you to create fully personalized and automated customer journeys at scale.

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

### What is the difference between a custom attribute and a tag?
A tag works like a sticky note: it's great for quick, binary statuses (the contact either has or doesn't have the "Hot Lead" tag). A custom attribute is like a field in a registration form: it stores specific, structured data (e.g., the exact date of the last purchase, the name of the contracted plan). Attributes allow for much more advanced filters, such as "customers whose last purchase was more than 60 days ago."

### How is data entered into custom attributes?
Data can be entered in four main ways: manually, by editing the contact's profile; automatically, through a Flow that captures a customer's response; via spreadsheet import (when available); or through API or Webhook integrations that synchronize data from other systems with Papo.

### Can I use attributes to personalize message text?
Yes. Just as you use variables for the contact's name (e.g., `{{contact.name}}`), you can also insert the value of a custom attribute into your automation messages, emails, and WhatsApp templates. This allows you to create messages like: "Hello, {{contact.name}}! We noticed your {{contact.custom_attributes.customer_plan}} plan is about to expire." Consult Papo's documentation for the exact variable syntax.

### Is there a limit to how many custom attributes I can create?
The number of custom attributes you can create may vary depending on your subscription plan. For specific details about the limits applicable to your account, please consult the pricing page or the official platform documentation.

### Are attribute-based segments updated automatically?
Yes. Segments in Papo are dynamic. Once you save a filter (e.g., "contacts with a score greater than 80"), the list of contacts in that segment is updated in real-time. If a contact gains points and exceeds 80, they will be automatically added to the segment. Similarly, if a contact's custom attribute value is changed, their presence in segments will be re-evaluated instantly.

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