> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sendkit.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Lists & Segments

> Two ways to organize your contacts — static lists you manage manually, and dynamic segments that update automatically.

## Two ways to group contacts

SendKit gives you two approaches to organizing contacts. Use them separately or together depending on your needs.

|                            | Lists                                     | Segments                                                |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Type**                   | Static                                    | Dynamic                                                 |
| **How contacts are added** | Manually (you add/remove them)            | Automatically (based on filter conditions)              |
| **Updates**                | Only changes when you change it           | Updates in real time as contacts match or stop matching |
| **Best for**               | Curated groups, imports, manual targeting | Behavioral targeting, conditional audiences             |

## Lists

Lists are static groups of contacts. You explicitly add contacts to a list and remove them when needed. They don't change on their own.

### When to use lists

* Importing a group of contacts from a CSV
* Organizing contacts by source (e.g., "Webinar Attendees", "Beta Users")
* Building a fixed audience for a specific campaign
* Triggering automations when a contact is added

### Creating a list

Go to **Contacts > Lists** and click **Create List**. Give it a name and start adding contacts.

You can add contacts to a list from:

* The list detail page
* A contact's detail page
* The [API](/api-reference/endpoint/add-contacts-to-list)

### Lists and automations

When a contact is added to a list, SendKit can automatically enroll them in active automations that target that list. This is a powerful way to trigger onboarding flows, drip campaigns, or follow-up sequences.

<Note>
  A list cannot be deleted if it's used by an active campaign or automation. Update those first.
</Note>

***

## Segments

Segments are dynamic groups defined by filter conditions. Contacts are automatically included when they match your conditions and excluded when they don't. You never manually add or remove contacts from a segment.

### When to use segments

* Targeting contacts based on attributes (e.g., "First name is set")
* Creating audiences based on custom properties (e.g., "Plan is Pro")
* Building conditional groups that stay up to date automatically
* Combining multiple conditions with AND/OR logic

### Creating a segment

Go to **Contacts > Segments** and click **Create Segment**. Then build your filter conditions.

### Filter conditions

Each condition consists of a **field**, an **operator**, and a **value**:

**Available fields:**

* Built-in: `email`, `first_name`, `last_name`, `unsubscribed`
* Custom: any [Property](/knowledge-base/properties) you've created

**Available operators:**

| Operator              | Works with | Example                             |
| --------------------- | ---------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Equals                | All types  | Email equals `user@example.com`     |
| Not equals            | All types  | First name not equals `Test`        |
| Contains              | Text       | Email contains `@gmail.com`         |
| Not contains          | Text       | Email not contains `noreply`        |
| Starts with           | Text       | Last name starts with `Mc`          |
| Ends with             | Text       | Email ends with `.edu`              |
| Greater than          | Numbers    | Credits greater than `100`          |
| Greater than or equal | Numbers    | Credits greater than or equal `100` |
| Less than             | Numbers    | Age less than `30`                  |
| Less than or equal    | Numbers    | Age less than or equal `30`         |
| Is set                | All types  | First name is set (not empty)       |
| Is not set            | All types  | Last name is not set                |

### Match logic

Segments support nested groups with AND/OR logic:

* **Match all** — A contact must match every condition group (AND)
* **Match any** — A contact must match at least one condition group (OR)

Within each group, conditions can also use AND or OR logic. This lets you build sophisticated audiences like:

> (Plan is "Pro" AND Country is "US") OR (Signed up before 2026-01-01)

### Real-time resolution

Segments are resolved dynamically every time they're queried. There's no sync delay — when a contact's data changes, they immediately appear in or disappear from matching segments.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can a contact be in multiple lists?">
    Yes. A contact can belong to as many lists as you want.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a contact match multiple segments?">
    Yes. Segments are independent — a contact appears in every segment whose conditions they match.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use both lists and segments in campaigns?">
    Yes. When creating a campaign, you can target a list or a segment as your audience.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do segments use custom properties?">
    Yes. Any [Property](/knowledge-base/properties) you create can be used as a condition in segment filters, with all the same operators.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I delete a list with contacts?">
    The contacts are not deleted — only the list and the associations are removed. The contacts remain in your account.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>