Your Sesamy platform automatically tracks what each user has access to—subscriptions, purchases, payment status—and syncs this information to your CRM as tags. This means you can build precise audience segments and send the right message to the right people at the right time.

Think of tags as labels that automatically appear and disappear based on what your users do. Subscribe to your premium tier? They get tagged. Cancel their subscription? The tag is removed. It's all handled for you.

This guide shows you exactly which tags Sesamy creates, what they mean, and how to use them for campaigns that convert.

Every tag Sesamy creates starts with sesamy_ so you can instantly recognise them in your CRM (Mailchimp, Rule, or HubSpot).

When someone subscribes, purchases an article, or has a payment issue, Sesamy immediately updates their tags. You don't need to export lists, import CSVs, or manually update segments. It's all automatic.

Your existing custom tags—the ones you've created yourself—remain untouched. Sesamy only manages its own tags.

Here's what each tag tells you about your users:

sesamy_active_subscriber This person has at least one active subscription to any of your products. Use this to separate subscribers from non-subscribers.

sesamy_overdue_contract Their payment failed, but they still have access while you're in the grace period. These people need immediate attention—a payment recovery email can save the subscription.

sesamy_made_single_purchase They've bought at least one article or single item from you. This tag stays forever, even if they later subscribe. Perfect for identifying people who've shown purchase intent but aren't yet subscribers.

sesamy_has_external_access They have access through a partnership deal or redemption code rather than a direct purchase.

These tags tell you exactly which products and plans each user has access to. The tag names include your actual product names and SKUs.

sesamy_active_entitlement_{product-title} Access to a specific product. The product title is shortened to the first 25 characters and formatted in lowercase with hyphens.

Example: sesamy_active_entitlement_pass-news-premium

sesamy_active_entitlement_{product-title-option} Access to a specific product and pricing plan (monthly, annual, etc.).

Example: sesamy_active_entitlement_pass-news-premium-monthly-plan

sesamy_active_sku_{sku} Access identified by your product's SKU code.

Example: sesamy_active_sku_news-premium

sesamy_active_sku_{sku-name} Access by SKU with a readable product name. Example: sesamy_active_sku_premium-access

sesamy_active_sku_po_{sku-po} Access by SKU plus the specific purchase option ID. Example: sesamy_active_sku_po_news-premium-monthly

sesamy_active_sku_po_{sku-po-name} Access by SKU plus a readable purchase option name.

Example: sesamy_active_sku_po_premium-access-monthly

sesamy_tag_{custom-tag} Any custom tags you've added to user profiles in Sesamy. Example: sesamy_tag_vip

Sesamy follows consistent rules when creating tag names:

This keeps tags clean, predictable, and compatible with all CRM systems.

Here's a real example of all the tags for someone subscribed to two products at a fictional publisher:

From these tags you can see:

Who to target: People with payment issues who still have access

Segment: Has tag sesamy_overdue_contract

Campaign: "We couldn't process your payment—update your card to keep your access"

Why it works: These people want to stay subscribed. They just need a reminder and an easy way to fix the issue. Send this email within 24 hours of the failed payment for best results.

Who to target: People who've bought articles but haven't subscribed

Segment:

Campaign: "You've bought 3 articles this month—get unlimited access for £9.99"

Why it works: They've already shown they value your content enough to pay for it. Now show them the economics of subscribing versus paying per article.

Who to target: Everyone with access to a particular product

Segment: Tag contains news-subscription

Campaign: Weekly digest of new articles, exclusive interviews, or behind-the-scenes content related to that specific product

Why it works: Relevant content increases engagement and reduces churn. Don't send magazine content to news-only subscribers.

Who to target: Subscribers to Product A who don't have Product B

Segment:

Campaign: "Add our magazine archive to your subscription for just £3 more per month"

Why it works: They're already paying customers who trust you. It's far easier to sell them a second product than to acquire a new customer.

Who to target: People who just became subscribers

Trigger: When tag sesamy_active_subscriber is added

Campaign sequence:

Why it works: The first week sets the tone for the entire subscription relationship. Engaged subscribers stay longer.

Who to target: People who used to subscribe but don't anymore

Segment: Does NOT have tag sesamy_active_subscriber

Campaign: "We've missed you—come back with 50% off your first three months"

Why it works: They've subscribed before, so you know they value your content. A good offer and a reminder of what they're missing can bring them back.

Sesamy updates tags in real time when users take action:

✓ Someone subscribes → All relevant entitlement and product tags are added ✓ A subscription expires or is cancelled → All entitlement tags are removed ✓ A payment fails → sesamy_overdue_contract is added ✓ Failed payment is recovered → sesamy_overdue_contract is removed ✓ Someone purchases an article → sesamy_made_single_purchase is added (and stays forever)

Your own custom tags are never modified or deleted by Sesamy.

Combine multiple tags for precision Don't just segment by "active subscriber"—add purchase date, product type, or billing frequency to create highly targeted groups.

Use exclusions to avoid embarrassing mistakes Exclude active subscribers from your acquisition campaigns. Exclude monthly subscribers from your annual upgrade offer if they just renewed.

Test your segment size before sending If you're expecting 500 people in a segment but only see 50, double-check your conditions before hitting send.

Create an automated recovery flow Set up an immediate trigger when sesamy_overdue_contract appears. Every day you wait costs you subscribers.

Don't manually remove Sesamy tags They'll just reappear the next time we sync. If you don't want someone tagged, you need to change their subscription status in Sesamy.

Don't use tags to store data Tags tell you yes/no information (subscribed or not, has access or not). Use custom fields in your CRM for dates, amounts, or other data you need to store.

Don't forget to exclude the wrong audiences The fastest way to annoy subscribers is to send them offers for something they already have, or acquisition messages when they're already customers.