Profile Lists
What it is
Profile Lists are static, manually curated collections of customer profiles used for batch operations and fixed audience targeting. Unlike dynamic segments that automatically recalculate membership as customer data changes, lists contain a fixed set of profiles that only change when you explicitly add or remove members. This makes lists ideal for one-time campaign sends, CSV exports, manual audience curation, A/B test holdout groups, and any scenario where you need a snapshot of specific contacts at a particular point in time.
Every list has a name, an optional description, a creation date, and a member count. Lists live under the Customers section and can be referenced from campaign audience selectors, bulk update operations, and export tools. Profiles can belong to multiple lists simultaneously, and adding or removing a profile from a list has no effect on the profile itself or its membership in other lists or segments. Think of lists as folders of bookmarks: they organize references to profiles without altering the underlying data.
The Lists overview page provides a high-level view of all lists in your workspace, including the name, member count, creation date, and quick actions for each list. From this page you can create new lists, open existing ones for editing, or delete lists that are no longer needed.
When to use
The following table describes the most common scenarios where profile lists are the right tool for the job.
| Scenario | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One-time campaign sends | You have a specific set of contacts for a single campaign and do not need the audience to update dynamically. | Send a thank-you message to 200 attendees of a product launch event. |
| Exporting contacts to CSV | You need to extract a defined group of profiles for use in external tools, reports, or offline processes. | Export a list of enterprise leads for the sales team's quarterly report. |
| Snapshotting a segment | You want to freeze the current membership of a dynamic segment at a point in time for comparison or a fixed-audience campaign. | Freeze the "High Engagement" segment on Jan 1 to compare against the Feb 1 membership. |
| Manual audience curation | A sales rep or account manager needs to hand-pick specific contacts for personalized outreach. | An account manager selects 15 key accounts for a private beta invitation. |
| Batch property updates | You need to update a property value for a known, fixed set of profiles via a bulk operation. | Set "event_attended = true" for all profiles on the "Conference 2026" list. |
| A/B test holdout groups | You want a fixed control group that does not change over time, ensuring consistent comparison across test variations. | Create a 10% holdout list from a segment, then run the campaign against the remaining 90%. |
Lists versus segments
Understanding the difference between lists and segments is critical for choosing the right tool. The table below provides a side-by-side comparison of key characteristics.
| Characteristic | Profile List | Dynamic Segment |
|---|---|---|
| Membership updates | Manual only. Profiles must be explicitly added or removed. | Automatic. Membership recalculates as data changes. |
| Best for | Point-in-time snapshots, one-off sends, exports, holdout groups. | Ongoing targeting, behavioral audiences, real-time personalization. |
| Data freshness | Static. Reflects membership at the time of last modification. | Always current. Reflects the latest profile data. |
| Creation methods | Manual selection, CSV import, export from segment. | Rule-based query builder with property, event, and label conditions. |
| Campaign use | Fixed audience; no new profiles enter after creation. | Living audience; new qualifying profiles are included automatically. |
Creating and populating lists
To create a new list, navigate to the Customers section in the main sidebar and select the Lists tab. Click "New List," provide a descriptive name and an optional description, then save. The list is created empty and ready to receive members. Descriptive naming is critical for long-term management; include the purpose, date, and source in the name, such as "Webinar Attendees, Jan 2026, From Segment."
Once the list exists, you can populate it in several ways. The most straightforward method is to open the list and click "Add Profiles." This opens a search and filter interface where you can find profiles individually by name, email, or phone, or use filters to locate a matching group and add them in bulk.
You can also create a list directly from a segment. On the Segments tab, open a segment's actions menu and select "Export to List." This creates a new list containing the current members of that segment. The list will not update if the segment membership changes afterward; it is a point-in-time snapshot.
For external data, use the CSV import feature. On the list detail page, click "Import" and upload a CSV file containing profile identifiers such as email addresses, phone numbers, or external IDs. The system matches each row against existing profiles in the CDP. Successfully matched profiles are added to the list, while unmatched rows are reported in a summary so you can review and correct them. Always standardize identifier formatting (e.g., lowercase emails, E.164 phone numbers) before importing to maximize match rates.
Managing list membership
The list detail view displays all member profiles in a table with sortable columns for name, email, phone, and other key properties. From this view you can search within the list, select individual or multiple profiles, and perform actions such as removing members or exporting the list. The member count at the top of the page updates in real time as you add or remove profiles.
To remove profiles from a list, select one or more profiles using the checkboxes and click "Remove from List." The profiles remain in the CDP; only the list membership is removed. To delete an entire list, use the actions menu on the Lists overview tab or the list detail page and select "Delete." Deleting a list does not delete the profiles themselves; it only removes the list container and its membership associations.
Using lists in campaigns and exports
When creating a campaign, you can choose "List" as the audience type in the audience selector. Select your list from the dropdown, and only the profiles in that list will receive the campaign. This is the primary use case for one-time sends, event follow-ups, and any scenario where you need exact control over which profiles receive a message.
You can also export a list to CSV for use outside the platform. On the list detail page, click "Export CSV," choose which profile properties to include as columns, and download the file. This is useful for sharing data with external teams, loading into analytics tools, or creating offline backups of audience snapshots. The export respects all active data access permissions, so users will only see properties they are authorized to view.
Common pitfalls
Managing lists effectively requires understanding their static nature and planning accordingly. The table below highlights frequent mistakes and how to avoid them.
| Pitfall | Risk | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Treating lists as segments | Lists do not update automatically. Using a list where a segment is needed results in stale audiences and missed contacts. | If you need an audience that stays current, use a segment. Use lists only for fixed, point-in-time collections. |
| Forgetting to refresh from segment | A list created from a segment weeks ago still contains the original members, not current ones. | Create a new list from the segment when you need updated membership, or use the segment directly. |
| CSV import identifier mismatches | Identifiers in the CSV (email, phone) must match exactly, including format and casing. Mismatches silently skip rows. | Standardize identifier formatting before import and review the mismatch report after each import. |
| Deleting a list used in a campaign | If an active campaign references a deleted list, the campaign may fail or send to no one. | Check campaign associations before deleting any list. |
| Poor naming conventions | Generic names like "List 1" or "Export" become indistinguishable after a few weeks. | Include date, purpose, and source in every list name (e.g., "Webinar Attendees, Jan 2026, Segment Export"). |
Think of lists as the "printed photograph" and segments as the "live camera feed." Use a list when you need a fixed snapshot; use a segment when you need a continuously updated view. You can always create a list from a segment to get the best of both worlds.
- Lists Overview
- Create a List
- Add Profiles to List
- Import CSV
- List Details
- Campaign Audience Selector
- Export to CSV