Mailing lists in Messages organize recipients for targeted communication. Lists should be placed in folders to stay organized — any list not placed in a folder lands in the Uncategorized bucket, which is invisible to users with View-level Global permissions. Name lists by topic, not by demographic.
💡Quick answers
- Where are mailing lists created? In Messages > Lists tab; select or create a folder first, then click the green Create Mailing List button in the upper right.
- What happens to lists placed in the Uncategorized bucket? Users with less than Admin Global Messages permissions cannot see the Uncategorized bucket; any lists there are invisible to them. Always place lists in a named folder for broader team access.
- Best practice for naming mailing lists? Name lists by topic or purpose (e.g., Weekly Upper School Newsletter), not by demographic. Use Group Manager groups to define the demographic, then add those groups to the list.
- What are the next steps after creating a new mailing list? Add subscribers using the Add Subscriber button; options include adding individual constituents, Group Manager groups, non-constituent contacts, or uploading a bulk datasheet.
Lists is a feature within Messages and Messages XR where you can configure lists of recipients. This article will show you how to get started by creating a new mailing list.
In this article
- Step 1: Navigate to the Lists feature in Messages
- Step 2: Stay organized in Lists by selecting a folder
- Step 3: Click Create Mailing List button
- Step 4: Give the list a name and configure other settings
- Next Step: Manage List subscriptions
Step 1: Navigate to the Lists feature in Messages
Step 2: Stay organized in Lists by selecting a folder
Selecting a folder helps you keep your lists organized.
Important note about the Uncategorized bucket
If a folder is not selected, any lists that are created will live in the Uncategorized bucket. Anyone with lower than Admin Global Messages level permissions will not see the Uncategorized bucket, so lists they use will have to be placed into a folder.
Step 3: Click Create Mailing List button
Select a folder if you want to organize the list that way. Otherwise, the list will be considered Uncategorized. Select the green Create Mailing List button at the upper-right of the screen.
Step 4: Give the list a name and configure other settings
Best Practice: Naming Lists vs Groups
- In the Lists feature, your list names should be topic-based, e.g., Weekly Upper School Newsletter.
- In Group Manager, though, name your groups based on demographics, such as 10th Grade Parents. Use dynamic filters to easily create your group and keep it continually updated. Check out our article, "Add members to a group" to learn more about group creation.
Once you give your list a name, you can configure other settings.
- General: Allow App Notifications Checkbox: Check the Allow App Notifications checkbox. This checkbox makes the list show up on the Notifications area of the mobile app. Learn more in the article, "Send notifications to mobile app users on a list."
- Permissions: Configure the permissions here for managing lists. Learn more in the article, "Messages permissions" or "Messages XR permissions" and click on the tab List Level in either permissions article.
- Privacy: The Privacy tab allows users to sign up for this list themselves.
Check out the article, "Configure List Settings" for more in depth details on the available configurations.
Next Step: Manage List subscriptions
This article will teach you how to add subscribers to your list.
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