> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.instantcampaign.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Lists
> Group contacts into lists, track each contact's subscription to each list, and control double opt-in and preference-center visibility per list.
A **list** is a group of contacts that you add to explicitly: by import, by form signup, through the API, by an automation, or by hand. A campaign can go to several lists and [segments](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/segments) at once, and a contact on more than one of them gets one email. See [Send a campaign](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/send-campaign#1-audience).
Use a list when membership is something a person chose or you decided ("Newsletter", "Beta testers"). Use a segment when membership follows from data ("opened in the last 30 days").
## Subscription status per list
Each contact has a separate status on each list:
| List status | Meaning |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Subscribed** | Opted in to this list. Campaigns to the list include them. |
| **Pending** | Signed up but hasn't confirmed the [double opt-in](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/double-opt-in) email yet |
| **Unsubscribed** | Opted out of this list only. They stay on the list with that status, so the history and counts show it. |
The contact's overall [contact status](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/contacts#contact-status) still wins. A contact who is **Subscribed** to a list but globally **Unsubscribed**, **Bounced** or **Complained** is not sent to. Marketing campaigns to a list reach only contacts who are **Subscribed** on that list *and* **Active** overall.
When a contact unsubscribes from everything (the footer link, **Unsubscribe from all lists**, or the preference center's unsubscribe-all option), every list they were on records an opt-out. Reactivating the contact later doesn't subscribe them again. Each list has to be added back.
## The Lists page
Open **Contacts → Lists**. The **Folders** panel on the left holds your list folders, and the results on the right show the lists in the selected folder, or every list under **All lists**.
* **Search**: type in the search box to find lists by name, description or folder name. The search covers every folder, whichever one is selected. Press **Esc** or click **✕** to go back to the folder you were in.
* **List or card view**: use the two icons at the top right of the results. List view is a table with each list's name, **Active** and **Members** counts, folder, and **View Members** / **Export CSV** icons. Card view shows everything below. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
* **Panel width**: drag the line between the folder panel and the results to make the panel wider or narrower. With the line focused, the arrow keys resize it too, and a double-click resets it.
Each list card shows:
* **Counts**: **Active**, **Pending**, **Unsub**, **Bounced** and **Complaints**. Contacts whose mailbox has bounced or complained are counted under those columns, not as active.
* **Show in preference center**: a toggle. When it is on, subscribers can opt in or out of this list themselves on the [preference center](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/subscription-preferences).
* **Folder**: the folder the list is filed in. Pick another one to move the list.
* **Double opt-in**: the list's confirmation setting (see below).
* The list **ID** (needed for the API and some integrations) and its creation date.
* **View Members** opens the contacts table filtered to this list. **Export CSV** downloads its members.
Use the pencil icon to change a list's name and description, and the trash icon to delete it. The description appears under the list's name in the preference center when the list is shown there.
## Organise lists in folders
Folders only organise the Lists page and the audience picker in the send wizard. They don't change who is on a list or who a campaign reaches.
* **New folder**: click **New folder** at the top of the panel, type a name and press **Enter**. To create a folder inside another one, hover over the folder and click its folder-plus icon.
* **Rename or delete**: hover over a folder and use the pencil or trash icon.
* **Move a list**: drag its card or row onto a folder, or pick a folder in the list's **Folder** dropdown. Drag a list onto **All lists** to move it back to the top level.
* **Nest folders**: drag a folder onto another folder, or onto **All lists** to move it back to the top level.
Deleting a folder removes the folder and its subfolders. The lists inside them move up a level. No list or contact is deleted.
List folders and [segment folders](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/segments#organise-segments-in-folders) are separate: a list folder holds only lists.
## Create a list
**From the Lists page**
Click **New List**.
Enter a **Name** and, optionally, a **Description**, then click **Create List**. The list starts empty and is filed at the top level. The description can be up to 300 characters and appears in the preference center if you show the list there.
**From the contacts table**, click **+** in the lists sidebar. This dialog also has **Populate from**:
* **Start empty**
* **All contacts**
* An existing list, to copy its members
With a source chosen, you can also **Filter by status** to copy only contacts with a given contact status.
You can also turn a filtered contacts view into a new list, or add it to an existing one, with **Save as List**. See [Contacts](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/contacts#save-a-filtered-view-as-a-list).
## Add and remove members
* **Add Existing**: select a list in the contacts sidebar, click **Add Existing**, search by email or name (at least 2 characters), tick contacts and click **Add N to list**.
* **Bulk update**: select contacts in the table and choose **Add to list**, **Remove from list** or **Set list subscription status**.
* **On the contact page**: the **Lists** tab lets you change the contact's status on each list, remove them, or **Subscribe** them to another list.
* **Signup forms** and **automations** add contacts to lists automatically. See [Signup forms](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/signup-forms) and [Automation steps](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/automation-steps).
Removing a contact from a list keeps the contact in your workspace. To keep a record of an opt-out, set the list status to **Unsubscribed** instead of removing the contact.
## Double opt-in per list
Each list's **Double opt-in** control has three settings:
| Setting | Behaviour |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Team setting** | Follows the workspace-wide setting |
| **On** | New signups to this list are **Pending** until they click the confirmation link |
| **Off** | New signups are **Subscribed** immediately |
When double opt-in isn't **Off**, you can also choose a **Confirmation template**. The template must contain `{{confirm_url}}`. If it doesn't, or if you leave **Built-in confirmation mail** selected, the built-in confirmation email is sent. See [Double opt-in](/guides/audience-and-campaigns/double-opt-in).
## Delete a list
Click the trash icon and confirm. Deleting a list doesn't delete the contacts on it.
Check your campaigns, forms and automations before deleting a list. Anything that sends to or adds contacts to that list will stop working as expected.
## Troubleshooting
Only **Subscribed** members whose contact status is **Active** are sent marketing campaigns. Compare the **Active** count on the list card with the audience count in the send wizard.
Double opt-in is on for this list, or the list uses **Team setting** and double opt-in is on for the workspace. Contacts become **Subscribed** when they click the confirmation link. You can resend it from the contact's row menu with **Resend Confirmation**.
Turn on **Show in preference center** on its card.