What Are Device Audiences and How Do Smart Attributes Enhance Them?
Device Audiences are dynamic groups of devices that automatically include or exclude devices based on specific criteria. With Smart Attributes integration, Device Audiences become significantly more powerful, enabling sophisticated targeting based on custom device properties, scripts, and conditional logic.
Device Audiences automatically update as devices meet or fail to meet the defined criteria, ensuring your device groups always reflect current device states without manual intervention. When combined with Smart Attributes, you can create audiences based on:
Standard device properties: Serial number, OS version, model, manufacturer
Device tags: Location tags, department tags, custom classification tags
Employee tags: User department, role, location
Smart Attributes: Custom attributes defined by your organization (compliance scores, security tiers, custom configurations)
Access Device Audiences via Dashboard → Automation → Device Audiences.
Note: Device Audiences are segment-scoped. You can create global audiences or segment-specific audiences based on your organizational structure.
How Do I Create a Device Audience with Smart Attributes?
Creating Device Audiences follows a three-step process with a streamlined modal interface.
Click + New Device Audience to open the creation modal.
Required fields:
- Name: Descriptive audience name (e.g., "High-Security iOS Devices", "Sales Department Windows Laptops")
Optional fields:
- Description: Detailed explanation of the audience purpose and membership criteria
The configuration step establishes the basic audience identity before defining device selection criteria.
The Device Selection step is where you define which devices belong to this audience. The interface starts empty, allowing you to build exactly the filters you need without overwhelming default fields.
Adding Your First Filter
Click + Add Filter to reveal available filter types:
Device Tag: Organization-defined device tags
Employee Tag: User and employee classification tags
Serial Number: Device hardware serial number
Smart Attributes: All configured Smart Attributes in your segment
Filter Structure
Every filter follows the pattern: Attribute → Operator → Value
Example 1: Device Tag Filter
Attribute: Device Tag
Operator: Includes (has all)
Value: Madrid, Barcelona
This creates a filter that matches devices with both Madrid AND Barcelona tags.
Example 2: Smart Attribute Filter
Attribute: OS Version (Smart Attribute)
Operator: Greater than
Value: 14.0
Example 3: Serial Number Filter
Attribute: Serial Number
Operator: Starts with
Value: APPL
Understanding Operators by Data Type
The available operators change based on the selected attribute's data type:
Attribute Data Type
Available Operators
Text/String
Equals, Not equals, Contains, Not contains, Starts with, Ends with, In list, Not in list
Number
Equals, Not equals, Greater than, Less than, Greater than or equal, Less than or equal, Between
Boolean
Equals (True/False), Not equals
Date/Time
Equals, Not equals, Before, After, Between, Within last (days)
Enum
Equals, Not equals, In list, Not in list
Tags
Includes (has all), Excludes (has none)
Note: The system automatically shows only relevant operators based on the selected attribute type, preventing configuration errors.
Step 3: Understanding Filter Logic - AND vs OR
Device Audience filters use intelligent logic that differs based on filter type. Understanding this logic is critical for creating accurate audiences.
AND Logic (Same Filter Type)
When you add multiple filters of the same type, they use AND logic - devices must meet ALL conditions.
Example:
Smart Attribute: OS Version > 14.0
AND
Smart Attribute: FileVault Enabled = True
AND
Smart Attribute: Security Score > 80
A device must have OS version greater than 14.0 AND FileVault enabled AND security score above 80 to match.
OR Logic (Different Filter Types)
Filters of different types use OR logic - devices must meet criteria from ANY filter type.
Example:
Device Tag: Includes "Madrid" OR "Barcelona"
OR
Employee Tag: Includes "Sales Department"
A device matches if it has Madrid/Barcelona device tags OR if the assigned employee is in Sales Department.
Special Case: Device Tags Internal OR
Device Tags have internal OR logic for multiple values:
Device Tag: Includes "Madrid", "Barcelona", "Lisbon"
This matches devices that have ANY of these tags (Madrid OR Barcelona OR Lisbon), not devices that must have all three.
Visual Filter Logic Display
Below your filter configuration, Applivery displays a formula showing the exact logical evaluation:
(device_tag includes "Madrid" OR device_tag includes "Barcelona")
OR
(employee_tag includes "Sales")
AND
(smart_attribute.os_version > 14.0 AND smart_attribute.filevault = true)
This formula updates in real-time as you add, modify, or remove filters, ensuring you understand exactly how devices will be evaluated.
Note: The formula display helps administrators validate their filter logic before saving, reducing configuration errors and unexpected audience memberships.
How Do I Use Multiple Smart Attributes in One Audience?
Combining multiple Smart Attributes creates sophisticated targeting rules for complex use cases.
Example 1: High-Security Compliance Audience
Audience Name: "High-Security Compliance Devices"
Filters:
Smart Attribute: Security Score ≥ 90
Smart Attribute: Last Scan Date > (Today - 7 days)
Smart Attribute: Encryption Enabled = True
Smart Attribute: OS Version ≥ Latest Security Patch
Logic: Devices must meet ALL four conditions (AND logic between Smart Attributes)
Use Case: Automatically assign highest-privilege policies only to fully compliant devices
Example 2: Multi-Platform Executive Devices
Audience Name: "Executive Device Fleet"
Filters:
Employee Tag: Includes "Executive"
Smart Attribute: Device Tier = "Premium"
Device Tag: Includes "Corporate Owned"
Logic:
Employee must be tagged as Executive (filter 1)
OR device must be Premium tier (filter 2)
OR device must be corporate owned (filter 3)
Use Case: Ensure all executive devices receive premium support and enhanced security regardless of platform
Example 3: Conditional Policy Application
Audience Name: "Development Machines - macOS Only"
Filters:
Smart Attribute: OS Type = "macOS"
Smart Attribute: Department Code = "ENG" OR "DEV"
Smart Attribute: RAM > 16GB
Logic:
Must be macOS (filter 1) AND
Must be Engineering or Development department (filter 2) AND
Must have more than 16GB RAM (filter 3)
Use Case: Deploy development tools and configurations only to qualifying machines
What Are Device Audience Best Practices?
Start Simple, Add Complexity Gradually
Begin with 1-2 filters and validate the audience membership before adding additional criteria. This approach prevents over-filtering that results in empty or unexpectedly small audiences.
Use Descriptive Naming Conventions
Include the filter criteria in the audience name:
✅ Good: "iOS Devices - Security Tier 1 - Corporate Owned"
❌ Avoid: "Device Group 3"
Validate Filter Logic with the Formula Display
Always review the generated formula before saving to ensure AND/OR logic matches your intent.
Combine Smart Attributes with Traditional Filters
Leverage both Smart Attributes and standard device properties for maximum flexibility:
Smart Attribute: Compliance Score > 75
AND
Device Tag: Includes "Production"
OR
Employee Tag: Includes "Finance Department"
Create Hierarchical Audiences for Complex Organizations
Build multiple audiences with increasing specificity rather than one massive filter set:
Tier 1 Audience: All Corporate Devices
Tier 2 Audience: Corporate Devices - Finance Department
Tier 3 Audience: Corporate Devices - Finance - High Security
Monitor Audience Membership Changes
Device Audiences update automatically as device attributes change. Set up monitoring for critical audiences to track membership fluctuations:
Devices added/removed from high-security audiences
Compliance audience membership drops
Geographic audience shifts
Document Complex Filter Logic
For audiences with 5+ filters or complex AND/OR combinations, add detailed descriptions explaining the business logic and intent.
How Do Device Audiences Integrate with Automation?
Device Audiences serve as targeting mechanisms for multiple Applivery automation features:
Policy Assignment
Automatically assign policies (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS) to devices based on audience membership. When a device enters an audience, it receives the associated policy immediately.
Automation Rules
Trigger automation rules when devices enter or exit specific audiences:
Send alerts when devices leave compliance audiences
Deploy configurations when devices join new department audiences
Revoke access when devices exit security audiences
Smart Enrollment
Pre-configure audience assignment during device enrollment based on enrollment attributes, ensuring devices receive correct configurations from first boot.
Remediation Workflows
Launch remediation workflows automatically when devices enter non-compliance audiences, bringing devices back into compliance without manual intervention.
Related Documentation: