Local audience sandbox
Who would receive this campaign?
Explore six fictional subscribers. Groups are assigned labels; our engagement flag is a simplified segment rule. This is an illustrative model, not a connected MailerLite send preview. Unsubscribed records are always excluded.
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Inputs are neither uploaded nor stored by this tool. Reload resets the model. Before sending, reproduce your actual rules and inspect the provider's recipient preview.
Start with a recipient question
Your task is to identify who should receive one campaign before changing an automation or importing a list. Write the intended audience in one sentence, such as: subscribed Newsletter or Events members, except Customers. That sentence becomes an acceptance check rather than a vague request to send to everyone interested.
The audience sandbox uses fictional records and runs locally; it is not connected to MailerLite. In our September 16, 2026 trial, we created three groups and added six test subscribers, but did not complete a working membership setup or campaign recipient preview. The six-person example below is a local exercise, not an observed MailerLite send count.
Groups record an assignment; segments evaluate rules
MailerLite describes groups as membership you assign directly or change through an automation or integration. Segments instead update as subscribers begin or cease to meet their saved conditions. A group is useful for an explicit interest such as webinar signup; a segment is useful for a condition that should stay current.
The important distinction is how membership changes. Do not assume a group will automatically age out its members. Do not assume a subscriber remains in a segment after the underlying condition changes. For a campaign, MailerLite lets you include and exclude groups or segments.
Match the plan to your needs and budget
Free-plan limits recaptured 16 September 2026 on https://www.mailerlite.com/pricing: up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 automations. At 500 subscribers with yearly billing selected, Comfort was $10.80/month ($12 listed monthly; $129.60/year) and Power was $22.50/month ($25 listed monthly; $270.00/year), USD, taxes may apply. No checkout. The editorialdesk billing screen the same day labeled the plan Free at $0 while usage meters showed 1,000 automations and 500 landing pages — treat those caps as trial, not Free, until a post-trial recheck.
| Requirement | Qualifying plan | Due now | Renewal | Exclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assigned membership such as a webinar signup | MailerLite group on Free | $0 | $0 while within 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 automations | Free sending locks above the subscriber limit; paid prices need a live quote |
| Membership that must follow a saved condition | MailerLite segment on the plan that includes the needed automations | $0 on Free if within 3 automations; otherwise a live quote | Comfort $10.80/mo yearly-billed at 500 subscribers (2026-09-16); monthly list $12 | A preview mismatch is not evidence you need another platform |
| Include Newsletter or Events, exclude Customers | Groups and/or segments with exclusion | $0 on Free within documented limits | $0 or live quote | Exclusion wins when a subscriber is in both an include and an exclude |
| Current email tool already shows the correct preview | Keep current tool | $0 additional | Existing vendor renewal only | Do not upgrade to change a count that is already correct; Kit Free may be enough for broadcasts |
Work through an audience of six fictional subscribers
Ari belongs to Newsletter and is engaged and subscribed. Taylor belongs to Newsletter and Customers and is engaged and subscribed. Sam belongs to Events and is engaged and subscribed. Noor belongs to Newsletter and Events, is not engaged, and is subscribed. Morgan belongs to Newsletter and is engaged but unsubscribed. Riley belongs to no groups, is not engaged, and is subscribed. These are invented records, not real contacts.
With Newsletter selected, any engagement allowed, and Customers excluded, the expected recipients are Ari and Noor. Taylor fails the exclusion; Morgan is always excluded because they are unsubscribed. Add Events with OR and Sam joins the audience. Change OR to AND and only Noor remains. Require engaged subscribers as well and the AND audience becomes empty. These are calculated fixture results, not observed vendor sends.
| Decision | Expected fictional recipients |
|---|---|
| Newsletter; any engagement; exclude Customers | Ari, Noor |
| Newsletter OR Events; any engagement; exclude Customers | Ari, Sam, Noor |
| Newsletter AND Events; any engagement; exclude Customers | Noor |
| Newsletter AND Events; engaged only; exclude Customers | None |
Check exclusions before interpreting the total
MailerLite documents that exclusion wins when someone belongs both to an included and an excluded group or segment. A smaller count therefore may be correct. Inspect a few known edge cases instead of immediately widening the audience.
The subscribed and engaged fields are simplified editorial fixtures. Engagement is a separate condition from subscription permission: a person can be subscribed without meeting an engagement rule. A real account can have additional states, suppression rules, pending confirmation, and different definitions of engagement. This sandbox does not model automation entry timing or guarantee deliverability.
- Compare OR and AND using the same fixture so only one decision changes.
- Inspect a person in both an included and excluded group.
- Keep unsubscribed contacts out of your intended send; do not change their status to make a count match.
- Record the recipient rule and the time you inspected the real account preview.
Apply the decision in your own account
Download the fixture to understand the examples, then reproduce the relevant rules with your own authorized test records. The file is an educational dataset, not a ready-to-import subscriber list. Check the current MailerLite preview before any real campaign; no message is sent by this page.
If the real preview differs, check membership, AND/OR logic, exclusions, and subscription status separately. Resolve the difference before sending. A different total by itself is not evidence that you need a paid plan or another email platform.
Questions before you decide
The preview count looks small. Do I need to upgrade or switch from Kit?
No. MailerLite documents that exclusion wins when someone is in both an included and an excluded group or segment. Keep your current tool when the preview already matches the intended rule. Kit Free may be enough for broadcasts. A sandbox count is not a reason to buy another platform.
When do I pick groups instead of segments?
Pick groups for assigned membership such as a webinar signup. Pick segments for a condition that should stay current. Keep your current lists if they already cover the campaign. Do not upgrade to change a count that is already correct.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- MailerLite: groups and segments Accessed 14 Sep 2026
- MailerLite: create and use segments Accessed 14 Sep 2026
- MailerLite: subscription plan and billing Accessed 16 Sep 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.