Creating a Custom Segment

Segments let you collect the information that matters most to your program. You can add custom profile fields, choose how members fill them in, and decide whether those fields factor into matching. This article walks you through creating and managing your own segments.

For an overview of how segments work across your program, see Segments and Custom Profile Fields.

Mentorly default segments vs. your custom segments

When you open the Segments page, you will see two groups of segments.

Mentorly defaults appear at the top. These are built-in fields that come with every program:

• Hard Skills
• Soft Skills
• Industry
• Short-term Goals
• Long-term Goals

Default segments are protected: you cannot delete them. You can, however, customize the list of options members choose from. For example, you might remove options that do not apply to your organization or add new ones that fit better. Hard Skills and Soft Skills are always used for matching, so they stay required and cannot be removed from your onboarding.

Your custom segments appear below the defaults. These are fields you create yourself. You control the name, the field type, the options, and how the field behaves. You can also delete custom segments at any time.

Create a new segment

1. In your program dashboard, go to Program in the left navigation and click Segments.
2. Click New Segment.
3. Enter a name for the segment. This is the label your members will see on their profile and during onboarding. For example: "Department" or "Work Location".
4. Choose a field type (see the field type guide below).
5. If you chose Single Select or Multi-Select, add the options members can pick from. You can add as many options as you need and drag them to reorder.
6. Set the two switches for visibility and matching (see details below and the linked article).
7. Click Save.

Field types

Choose the field type that fits the kind of answer you need from members.

Single Select

Members pick exactly one option from a list. Use this when only one answer applies.

Example: Department. A member works in one department, not several.

Multi-Select

Members can pick one or more options from a list. Use this when multiple answers can apply at the same time.

Examples: Languages spoken, Career aspirations, Skills.

Checkbox

A simple yes or no toggle. Use this for a question that has only two possible states.

Example: Remote worker. The answer is either yes or no.

Number

Members enter a whole number. Use this when you need a quantity.

Example: Years of professional experience.

Text

Members type a free-form answer. Use this for short written responses.

Example: A brief goal statement in the member's own words.

Note: Text fields are not available as filters in matching or the member browser. If you need a field you can filter or match on, use one of the select types instead.

Visibility and matching settings

Each segment has two switches that control how it behaves.

Show in public profile controls whether members can see each other's answers on their profiles. Turn this on for fields that help mentors and mentees get to know one another, such as Department or Languages.

Use for matching controls whether the segment is factored into how Mentorly calculates compatibility scores between mentors and mentees. When you turn this on, the segment becomes required for both mentors and mentees and cannot be made optional while matching is enabled.

For a full explanation of both settings and how they interact, see Segment Visibility and Matching.

Edit a segment

To edit a segment, click its name or the edit icon on the Segments page.

You can change:

• The segment name (for custom segments only; default segment names are fixed)
• The list of options for select-type fields

You cannot change the field type after a segment has been created. If you need a different field type, you will need to delete the segment and create a new one.

Before removing an option: If members have already chosen that option on their profiles, removing it will affect their saved answers. Mentorly will warn you before you confirm the change.

Delete a segment

Only custom segments can be deleted. Default segments are always protected.

To delete a custom segment, open it and click Delete. A confirmation dialog will appear before anything is removed.

Deleting a segment removes it from onboarding, profiles, and any filters across the program. If members have already answered the question, their answers will no longer be shown.

What to do next

Once your segments are set up, you can add them to your onboarding flow so members fill them in when they join. See Building Your Onboarding with Segments for a step-by-step guide.

Need help? Reach out to your program manager or contact the Mentorly support team through the Help tab in your dashboard.