> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.mediarithmics.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.mediarithmics.io/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/segment-reference/segment-builders.md).

# Segment builders

The three tools for turning criteria into a segment, and how to choose between them.

## What this page is for

Three tools on the platform turn criteria into a [Query segment](/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/segment-reference/segment-types/query-segment.md). They differ in how much they ask of you, and in how much they let you express. Pick by what the person building segments knows, not by what the tool can do.

## Choosing one

<table data-search="false"><thead><tr><th width="200">Builder</th><th>Use it when</th><th width="170">Setup needed</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a href="/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/segment-reference/segment-builders/standard-segment-builder.md"><strong>Standard Segment Builder</strong></a></td><td>You are not a data expert. It is the fastest and easiest way to create most segments, and it comes with live insights as you build.</td><td>Yes - at least one audience feature and one template</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/segment-reference/segment-builders/advanced-segment-builder.md"><strong>Advanced Segment Builder</strong></a></td><td>You are familiar with your schema and want ad hoc, complex segments built from AND / OR conditions, without writing OTQL.</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/segment-reference/segment-builders/expert-otql-builder.md"><strong>Expert OTQL Builder</strong></a></td><td>You are a schema or data expert and want the full expressiveness of the query language.</td><td>None, beyond knowing OTQL</td></tr></tbody></table>

All three are reached from the side menu, under **Audience > Builders**.

## What they have in common

* **They all produce the same object.** Whichever builder you use, you save a Query segment - same properties, same evaluation period, same persistence choice. See [Segment properties](/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/segment-reference.md#segment-properties).
* **They all count in real time.** Because data is stored and indexed according to your schema rather than pre-aggregated, a builder can forecast an audience in real time. See [Counting is not persistence](/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/segment-reference.md#counting-is-not-persistence) for what that count does and does not mean.
* **You edit a segment in the builder that created it.** The type cannot change, and neither can the route back into it.

{% hint style="info" %}
The Standard Segment Builder can convert a segment into OTQL in one click, which makes it a reasonable way to learn the query language from segments you already understand.
{% endhint %}

## Related pages

<table data-view="cards" data-search="false"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Compute your audience from stored data</strong></td><td>What these three tools are for, end to end.</td><td><a href="/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/target-your-audience-based-on-criteria/compute-your-audience-from-stored-data.md">Compute your audience from stored data</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Audience features</strong></td><td>The parametric queries the Standard Segment Builder is made of.</td><td><a href="/audience-and-activation/build-your-audiences/segment-reference/segment-builders/standard-segment-builder/audience-features.md">Audience features</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


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