# Exclusion Lists

Freshpaint doesn’t have a built‑in “exclude audience” control. Here are two simple ways to achieve exclusions with Freshpaint. This guide walks through how to:

* Build a “not yet converted” audience in Freshpaint
* Exclude a separate “already converted” audience in your ad platform
* Maintain compliance while refining ad efficiency

#### 1. Understand how exclusions work

Exclusions help you avoid showing ads to people who already completed your goal, so you can focus spend on those who haven’t.

Example: A healthcare marketer wants to advertise appointment scheduling to users who have not yet booked. They can either:

* Include only users who haven’t scheduled yet (built in Freshpaint).
* Exclude a separate “Scheduled Appointment” audience inside the ad platform.

💡 Important: Exclusions happen either by including only “not yet converted” users in Freshpaint, or by excluding a separate “already converted” audience inside your ad platform.

#### 2. Prepare your audiences

**2.1 Build a “Not yet converted” audience in Freshpaint**

Use this when you can define “who should NOT receive ads” with conditions in the builder.

* Go to Audiences → Segments and click Create Segment.
* Add who you want to reach (your targeting criteria using filters).
  * Add a condition that represents “has not converted” (for example: has not submitted the form / has 0 of the conversion event in the last 30–180 days).
* Name the audience and add an internal description (remains inside Freshpaint).
* Click Create Audience.
* Open the new Audience details page.
* Click Send Audience, choose your destination, review the privacy‑safe Ad Platform Alias (no health context), and confirm Send.

Result: Only people who haven’t converted are included, so no separate platform exclusion is needed.

**2.2 Create an “Already converted” exclusion audience (for your ad platform)**

Use this when you keep a list of converted users or need a clean “already converted” audience.

* Option A (Segment)
  * Go to Audiences → Segments and click Create Segment.
  * Define your “Already Converted” criteria (example: “Scheduled Appointment”).
  * Name and describe the audience.
  * Click Create Audience.
  * Open the Audience details page → Send Audience → choose destination → confirm Send.
* Option B (Import)
  * Go to Audiences → Imported Audiences and click Import CSV.
  * Upload a file with a single email column labeled “email”.
  * Name and describe the audience.
  * Click Create Audience.
  * Open the Audience details page → Send Audience → choose destination → confirm Send.

⚠ Critical: Only import identifiers that are approved for marketing use within your organization.

#### 3. Apply the exclusion

* If you built “Not yet converted” (2.1): You’re done. Send that audience and use it directly in your campaigns.
* If you created a separate “Already Converted” audience (2.2):
* Send your inclusion audience (who you want to reach).
* Send your “Already Converted” audience.
* In your campaign/ad set targeting, choose Exclude and select the “Already Converted” audience you synced from Freshpaint.

Result: The ad platform removes those users from delivery.

#### 4. Send the audience to a destination

* Open the Audience details page in Freshpaint.
* Click Send Audience next to your destination.
* Confirm settings, review the Ad Platform Alias (no health context), and click Send.

💡 Tip: It may take up to 24–48 hours for ad platforms to fully process audience updates.

#### Reminder: Look for anonymized names in your ad platforms

* Freshpaint sends an anonymized, platform‑safe name for every audience you sync. This is the name you’ll see downstream.
* Your internal Freshpaint name won’t appear in the ad platform. Search for the anonymized name when attaching audiences to campaigns.
* Note the platform‑facing name on the Audience details → Send Audience flow and keep it handy for campaign setup.

#### Best practices & reminders

* Keep lists current: Refresh imported audiences so new conversions are excluded.
* Check size: Ensure your final audience (after exclusions) meets platform minimums (often 1,000+).
* Give it time: Platforms may take 24–48 hours to fully process updates.
* Good naming helps: Use clear internal names like “Prospects – Not Submitted” and “Converted – Submitted Form.” Remember, internal names aren’t sent to the ad platform.

#### What’s next?

* Use “Not yet converted” (2.1) if you can express “has not converted” directly in the builder.
* Use the ad‑platform exclusion (2.2) if you rely on a static/CRM list or prefer managing exclusions in the ad platform.

Need help? If you’re unsure how to structure your exclusion setup or safely manage conversions, contact <support@freshpaint.io>.