Organize, filter and export contact lists
Build a focused audience and keep a clear record of the contacts you use.
On this page
Give each list a clear purpose
Lists group contacts by audience, source or campaign. Use a name that helps a teammate understand why the people belong together. For example, “Operations teams — service review — November” is more useful than “New list 2.” Before adding contacts, define which roles, companies or locations fit the offer and which records should stay out. A list name is an organizational aid; it does not establish permission to contact its members.
You can create a list in Contacts or create one while importing a file. Existing contacts can also be added afterward. Keep the audience decision separate from message writing: selecting a list in Campaigns or Broadcasts determines who may receive that message, so inspect the list before selecting it.
Create and refine your audience
Create the list
Open Contacts, create a new list and give it a descriptive name. Alternatively, create it inside the import dialog.
Expected result: The intended list is available in Contacts.
Add the appropriate records
Assign contacts during import or add existing contacts to the list afterward.
Expected result: Sample records in the list match the intended audience.
Filter the database
Use job title, company or location filters to find relevant contacts. Filters search the entire contact database, not only the visible page.
Expected result: The displayed results match the selected filter criteria.
Use matching contacts deliberately
Review the results and add the relevant contacts to the intended list or campaign. Do not treat a broad title match as proof of fit.
Expected result: The destination audience contains the selected relevant contacts.
Export when needed
Open the list, choose its export option and save the resulting Excel .xlsx file.
Expected result: The downloaded file contains the list’s stored contact fields.
Example segmentation worksheet
| Item | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Campaign purpose | Offer an operations-process review to businesses that could use it. |
| Job title filter | Start with the relevant operations role, then inspect matching records. |
| Company filter | Narrow to the intended businesses rather than selecting unrelated matches. |
| Location filter | Use it where region affects the offer or reply coverage. |
| List name | Include a recognizable audience and purpose so another teammate can select it correctly. |
Keep exports useful
Export only the list needed for the task. Open the downloaded workbook and check its fields and a few rows before using it as a handoff or backup. An exported file is a snapshot; later changes inside Outreach DigLab will not update that copy. Label the copy with its purpose and export date. If it will be used in another system, check field mapping there instead of assuming both tools interpret names and company fields identically.
When results look wrong
Check the organization first, then the filter values and the stored data. “Operations Manager” and an inconsistent abbreviated title may not produce the audience you expect. The guides do not describe filter operators, nested rules or saved dynamic segments, so use the controls actually shown and inspect the result. If a campaign contains the wrong audience, fix the selected list before sending; editing a list name alone does not change its members.