Lists | Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers and general information quickly about the lists tool in HubSpot.

General

• Is there a limit on the number of lists in my HubSpot account?

• Can I create additional lists if I reach my account's list limit?

• Why does the size of my list stated in the list dashboard not match the exact number of contacts in the list?
• What is the difference between the List ID and the ILS list ID? 

List behavior

• Why are some contacts included in or excluded from my list?

• I recently updated a property for a contact and they should now meet a list's criteria. Why are they not included in the list?

• Will a contact in multiple lists I'm sending a marketing email to be sent the email multiple times?
• Will importing a list twice create duplicate contacts?
• Will deleting a list delete its contacts?

• Why is my list taking a long time to process?

List filters

• What's the difference between contains and is equal to?
• Will the Email filter include contacts whose email addresses have changed?
• How do I add multiple values in my list filter?
• How do I create a list based on a value a contact used to have for a property?

• Is there a limit to the number of filters I can add to a list? Why can't I add an additional filter?

General

Is there a limit on the number of lists in my HubSpot account?

The number of lists you can create in your HubSpot account depends on your Marketing Hub subscription. Learn more about subscription options and limitations in the Product & Services catalog.

Can I create additional lists if I reach my account's list limit?

If you've reached the list limit in your account, you will be unable to create additional lists. To create new lists, you can delete unused lists or discuss subscription options with your Customer Success Team or Manager. To delete unused lists, in the lists tool, navigate to the Unused lists tab to delete an individual list or delete lists in bulk. 

Why does the size of my list stated in the lists dashboard not match the exact number of contacts in the list?

The size stated in the lists dashboard is an estimate of the number of contacts in the list. Click the list to view the actual count of contacts in the upper left. For newly created lists, the count of records shown in the list will be accurate once it is saved and fully processed.

What is the difference between the List ID and the ILS list ID? 

The List ID is used when referencing lists in any third-party integrations, or when using the v1 Lists API. The ILS list ID is referenced when using the Exports API or the v3 Lists API. Both IDs can be found by navigating to a list and clicking Details. 

List behavior

Why are some contacts included in or excluded from my list?

Contacts are included in your list based on the filters you set. If there are unexpected contacts on the list, or if the list is missing expected contacts, verify that you have set your criteria correctly.

I recently updated a property for a contact and they should now meet a list's criteria. Why are they not included in the list?

Most contacts will be added to an active list immediately when a property has been updated. For complex lists or bulk property updates, this refresh may require up to 1 hour.

Will a contact in multiple lists be sent the same marketing email multiple times?

If a contact is a member of multiple lists selected to be sent a marketing email, the recipient will only receive one copy of your email. HubSpot automatically deduplicates contacts based on their email address to avoid sending duplicate emails to the same contact.

Will importing a list twice create duplicate contacts?

HubSpot will deduplicate contacts based on the email address, so importing the same list twice will only result in one contact created per email address. If your import file does not have an email address for each contact, duplicate contacts will be created. You can also use the Contact ID exported from HubSpot to avoid duplicates.

Will deleting a list delete its contacts?

When you select the checkbox next to the list you want to delete in the Lists dashboard and click Delete, only the list itself will be deleted. A dialog box will appear to confirm that the contacts in the list will not be deleted.

Learn more about deleting records in a list.

Why is my list taking a long time to process?

Most lists will finish processing within a few minutes, but complex lists may take longer to process. Lists with complex filters, such as those related to integrations, page views, or list memberships, can take up to 2 hours to process.

You can also set up notifications to receive notice when a list has finished processing.

List filters

The following are common questions about setting up filters for your lists. For further guidance, learn how to use all list filters.

What's the difference between contains and is equal to?

The is equal to list operator requires an exact match. For example, if you create a list with the criteria Favorite travel destinations | is equal to | Australia, a contact whose favorite travel destinations property value contains "Australia" and "Brazil" will not be added to the list.

The contains list operator does not require an exact match. For example, if you create a list with the criteria Favorite travel destinations | contains the word | Australia, the contact above (with two favorite travel destinations) will be added to the list.

When using either operator, records with no value in the property will not be included in the list. Learn more about using filters to set list criteria.

Will the Email filter include contacts whose email addresses have changed?

The Email filter in lists evaluates contacts based on all historical email activity (e.g., clicks) for all email addresses ever associated with a contact record from the time that email address is associated with the contact. Even if the email address of the contact is later changed, the interactions from their previous email address will count towards list segmentation.

How do I add multiple values in my list filter?

You can add multiple values in your list filter for properties that accept multiple values by separating each value with a semicolon (;). For example, pasting "Boston; Cambridge; New York" into the is equal to any of field results in three separate options.

How do I create a list based on a value a contact used to have for a property?

In the list filter, select Contact property, Company property or Deal property, then select the specific property. Select has ever been equal to any of or has never been equal to any of, then enter a value.

Is there a limit to the number of filters I can add to a list? Why can't I add an additional filter?

When building a list, there is a limit of 250 filters per list. The limit applies to all filters, including if you're using AND and OR logic. For example, the list shown in the screenshot below has three filters.

If you're building a list and try to add an additional filter beyond 250, you will receive an error message.