Smart List - Dynamically Update Contacts in Lists/Committee from Report Results

Microlearning Overview

Smart lists can update any lists you choose based on the criteria you set up in a report. Static lists will only add new contacts to the list if you manually add them. The roster for a List/Committee that has been created based on report results will automatically be updated on a nightly basis when the Synchronize Nightly with Report option is pointed to a saved report. This ensures that the roster is always up to date, and responsive to the data in your database. You can use any report to populate the contact list of any active list/committee. NOTE: When you first create your report it will not update the list immediately, it will update overnight.

Let’s create a report looking for members that have not created their login for the Info Hub; we want to email reminders for them to create their accounts. If someone creates their account, they will drop off the report results and be removed from the list. (If you have the Marketing Automation module, you could use this list as the source for a workflow!)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Create a New List from a Report

1. Determine the set of contacts you wish to update on the list and run the appropriate report to generate that list of contacts. When you have the desired results, save the report. For our example, we’ll run a Contacts Report with the following criteria to return a list of active members, with their email addresses, that do not have their Info Hub accounts created.
   
   • Contact Type: Individual
   • Select Criteria/Filters: (Account Username) (Is Empty) AND (Default Email) (Is Not Empty)
   • Contact Status: Active, Courtesy (optional)
   • Display Options: Contact Name, Default Email, Account Username (you may add any other fields you wish)
2. Click the ellipsis next to the Run Report button and select Save As New Report…
   
3. Give the report a name and a description (optional). For our example, we will call our report Members Without Logins. Click the Done button to save the report.
   
4. Click the ellipsis next to the Run Report button again, and this time select Add to List.
   
5. Click the gray plus icon to create a new list.
   
6. Give your new list a Name and assign a Category of your preference (we used Member Lists); fill in optional fields as needed/preferred. We’re calling this list Members Without Logins (to match the report name). The Is Active box will be enabled by default. In the General Settings section is the Synchronize Nightly with Report option; in the dropdown, select the Members Without Logins report we saved in step 3.
   
7. Click Done to create and save the list. This window will close and you will be taken back to the Add Contacts to List window; your newly created list will be populated in the List/Committee field.
   
8. Click Done again to complete the process of adding the report results to the list.

Use an Existing List

If you have previously created a list, there are two ways to set up the smart list.

If you have not saved the report:

1. Follow steps 1 through 4 above.
2. Instead of creating a new list, select the list you previously created from the List/Committee dropdown.
   
3. Click Done to complete the process of adding the report results to the list and proceed to the steps below.

If you have already saved the report:

1. Go to Contacts, click All Lists/Committees, and select the list you wish to synchronize. 
2. On the General tab, select the desired report from the Synchronize Nightly with Report list.
   
3. Click Save in the upper right of the panel.

All of these will result in a list that updates every night with an updated list of contacts from the saved report.