# Lists

> The specification of Reply lists — named collections of contacts or accounts for segmentation and team sharing, and how lists differ from filters and the blacklist.

**A list is a named collection of contacts — or, on the Accounts page, of companies — used to segment outreach. One contact can sit on any number of lists. Lists are created on the People page or during CSV import, shared with the team on Team Edition public mode, and are distinct from the blacklist, which suppresses sending.**

_Status: Reviewed — human-edited, facts not yet confirmed against the product._

## At a glance

| Aspect | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| **What it is** | A named collection of [contacts](/specifications/contacts) (contact list) or [companies](/specifications/companies) (account list) used to segment outreach |
| **Belongs to / Contains** | Contains contacts or accounts; lives in the Lists panel of the People page; can be shared with the team |
| **Surfaces** | UI · REST API · MCP |
| **Key limit** | The same contact can sit on multiple lists — unlike filters or sequences |
| **Lifecycle** | Created → populated (grid actions, CSV import, or a [Realtime B2B Data](/specifications/prospect-data) search) → renamed, shared, or deleted |
| **Does not** | Enroll contacts in a sequence by itself, or suppress sending — suppression is the blacklist's job, not a list's |
| **Plans** | Sharing lists with the team requires the Public mode of Team Edition |

## Definition

A list is a named collection of contacts, managed in the **Lists** section of the
People → Contacts page. Unlike filters, which are positioned at the top of the Contacts
page, or sequences, lists offer the flexibility of having the same contact in multiple
lists. The Accounts page has its own lists panel for **account lists**, which group
companies — for example by industry or region.

## Purpose

Lists segment outreach: teams operating in the same Reply account use them to divide
clients, imports land contacts in the right segment, and each list reports tracking data
for its members — the number of Opens, Replies, and Opt-outs. Account lists additionally
serve as a targeting input for [Realtime B2B Data](/specifications/prospect-data)
searches, which can look for contacts only at the companies on an uploaded list.

## Relationships

| Relationship | Object |
| --- | --- |
| Contains | [Contacts](/specifications/contacts) or [companies](/specifications/companies) |
| Fed by | The **Move to lists** quick action, CSV import, and [Realtime B2B Data](/specifications/prospect-data) searches saved to a list |
| Distinct from | Filters (saved views over the grid) and the blacklist (a suppression mechanism) |

## Creation

Create a list from the Lists panel with the plus button — name it and click **Create**.
During a CSV import you can add the incoming contacts to a list directly from the Import
Contacts page, and you can split the contacts between 2, 3, or 4 lists (for example, for
A/B testing purposes). A Realtime B2B Data search can also save the contacts it finds to
a specific list. Account lists are created the same way from the Lists panel on the
Accounts page.

## Configuration

The three-dots menu on each list offers **Edit** (rename), **Share**, and **Delete**.
Sharing is available when the account is on the Public mode of Team Edition: shared
lists appear in a separate **Shared** section for the team, and access can be revoked
with the dedicated icon.

## Processing behavior

Adding contacts to a list is a grid action (**Move to lists**), separate from enrolling
them in a sequence — a list never sends anything by itself. See
[Contact enrollment](/behavior/contact-enrollment) for how contacts actually enter
sequences.

On the People page, contacts can be filtered by the account list their account belongs
to, where this filter is available for the team. The smart-filter property **Account
list** supports four conditions: **Is** (the account belongs to the selected list),
**Is not** (the account is not in the selected list — includes contacts with no
account), **Is set** (the account belongs to any account list), and **Is not set** (the
account is in no list — includes contacts with no account).

### Blacklist — suppression, not segmentation

The blacklist is a separate mechanism from lists: it prevents contacting people rather
than grouping them. A blacklisted contact will not receive your emails even if moved to
a sequence. You can blacklist an individual contact, all contacts within a domain, or
domains directly under Settings → Blacklist — entered manually or uploaded as a CSV.
Blacklisted contacts are marked with a black dot on the People page, and blacklisting is
reversible with **Unblacklist**. See [Contacts](/specifications/contacts) for the other
ways sending stops.

## Side effects

- Deleting a list removes only the list from your Reply account — it is a grouping, not the member records.
- Revoking a share removes the team's access to the list without touching its members.
- Blacklisting a contact from any list view suppresses all further sending to them, independent of list membership.

## Limits

| Limit | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Lists a contact can belong to | Multiple — no documented cap |
| Import split | Contacts can be split between **2, 3, or 4** lists during CSV import |
| Blacklist CSV | One column without a header, domains in `domain.com` format (no `http://` or `www.`), up to **10k** rows |
| Sharing | Public mode of Team Edition only |

The support sources do not document a cap on the number of lists or on members per list.

## Deletion behavior

**Delete** in the list's three-dots menu removes the list from your Reply account. The
member contacts or accounts remain as records on the People page — only the grouping
goes.

## Edge cases

- A paused Realtime B2B Data search may still add its last batch of 10-20 contacts to the target list before stopping.
- The account-list filter conditions **Is not** and **Is not set** include contacts that have no account at all.
- Blacklisted contacts remain visible in lists — marked with a black dot — but are excluded from sending.

## FAQ

### Does adding a contact to a list start outreach?

No. Lists organize contacts; moving contacts to a sequence is a separate action with its
own rules — see [Contact enrollment](/behavior/contact-enrollment).

### Can one contact be on several lists?

Yes. Unlike filters or sequences, lists allow the same contact in multiple lists, which
is what makes them useful for layered segmentation.

### How do I share a list with my team?

On the Public mode of Team Edition, open the list's three-dots menu and choose
**Share**. The list appears in the **Shared** section for teammates; revoke access with
the dedicated icon when needed.

### How is the blacklist different from a list?

A list groups contacts and never affects sending. The blacklist suppresses sending: a
blacklisted contact receives no emails even while moved to a sequence, and blacklisted
domains block every address under them.

## Related

- [Build a prospect list](/workflows/build-a-prospect-list)
- [Import contacts](/how-to/import-contacts)
- [Contacts](/specifications/contacts) · [Companies](/specifications/companies)
- [Prospect data](/specifications/prospect-data)

## Build with Reply

- REST API: [docs.reply.io](https://docs.reply.io/api-reference/introduction) — lists endpoints
- MCP: [agents.reply.io/mcp](https://agents.reply.io/mcp) · CLI: [agents.reply.io/cli](https://agents.reply.io/cli)