Why are my push notifications not being delivered to devices when I use segments with tag-based rules?

If your push notifications are not reaching devices when using segments with tag-based rules, it's often because the targeted devices do not meet the segment's criteria—specifically, they might be missing the required tags, have incorrect tag values, or lack valid push tokens.

Here’s how to troubleshoot this issue:

1. Verify Tag Implementation on Devices:

   • Check Tag Presence: Confirm that the specific tag used in your segment's rules (e.g., idUser, customer_segment, last_activity_date) is actually being set on the devices you intend to target.
   • Check Tag Value: Ensure that the value associated with the tag on the device precisely matches the value specified in your segment's condition. For example, if your segment is configured to target devices where a tag named idUser must be equal to 123456, the device must have this exact tag (idUser) set with this exact value (123456). If the tag is missing or the value is different, the device will be excluded from the segment.

2. Review Segment Configuration:

   • Carefully examine the rules defined for your segment in your push notification service's control panel.
   • Ensure the logic is correct (e.g., using conditions like "is" versus "is not", and correctly combining multiple rules with "AND" or "OR" operators).
   • Double-check for any typos in tag names or values within the segment rules.

3. Confirm Valid Push Tokens:

   • A device must have a valid and active push token to receive any push notification. If a device's token has expired, been invalidated, or was never successfully registered, it won't receive messages even if it matches all tag criteria.
   • Check the status of push tokens for affected devices if your platform allows for individual device lookup.

4. Test with a Specific Device:

   • If possible, identify a specific device (e.g., using its Hardware ID or a known User ID) that should be receiving the notification but isn't.
   • Check its tag values directly through your system or the push notification platform's device information. This can confirm if the tags are set as expected. For instance, if a device with a known identifier was expected to receive a notification targeted at idUser = USER_XYZ, verify that this device indeed has the idUser tag set to USER_XYZ.

Common Reason: A frequent cause for this issue is that the application logic responsible for setting these tags on the user's device is not functioning as intended, the tags are not being set at the right time (e.g., before the segment is evaluated for a campaign), or the tag values are incorrect.

If you've confirmed that tags are correctly set and devices have valid push tokens, but issues persist, consider checking device-side logs for any errors related to push registration or tag update processes.