Overview & Getting Started

• Marketing Lists: Overview and Getting Started

  Marketing Lists are used to store and manage groups of contacts that you can send to, update, and use across Act-On features. If you are new to Marketing Lists, this article helps you understand what they are, when they are useful, and where to go next.Heads up: If you do not see Lists > Marketing Lists in the Act-On navigation, your account is using a different contact management experience. I...

  Read Article →

• Getting Started with Marketing Lists

  Most users create a Marketing List because they already know how they want to populate it. When you create a new list in Act-On, you name the list and choose how it will be set up as part of the same process.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to ExpandCreate lists from Lists > Marketing Lists > New List.You choose how the list is populated during creation.The most common setup option is u...

  Read Article →

• Marketing Lists and Segments: How They Work Together

  Marketing Lists and Segments solve different problems. If you understand when to use a segment instead of creating another list, you can keep your database cleaner and make targeting easier.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to Expand Marketing Lists are where contact records live. Segments are filtered subsets of a Marketing List used for targeting. Use segments to avoid duplicate list...

  Read Article →

• Marketing Lists: Choose a Creation Method

  When creating a Marketing List, Act-On gives you several ways to build that list. Each option is valid, but choosing the right approach early helps prevent confusion about where contacts live later on.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to Expand Marketing Lists can be created from files, existing lists, behaviors, or manual definitions. Creating many similar lists makes it harder to track...

  Read Article →

• Managing and Maintaining Marketing Lists

  Once you have a Marketing List, you’ll often return to it to add data, review activity, create audiences, or keep it organised over time. This article explains the actions available on an existing Marketing List and when you would typically use them.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to Expand Most list actions are available from the list actions menu. You can add, update, export, and seg...

  Read Article →

• Create Additional Test Contact Lists

  Test Lists are designed for internal email testing and approvals. They help you send test messages without affecting your marketing audiences, contact counts, or reporting.This article explains when to use Test Lists, how they differ from Marketing Lists, and how to create and manage them.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to ExpandUse Test Lists for internal reviews, approvals, and test ...

  Read Article →

• Copying an Existing Marketing List

  Copying the structure of an existing Marketing List allows you to reuse the same set of columns without copying any contact data. This can save time when preparing a new list for a specific purpose, but it should be used intentionally to avoid unnecessary list duplication.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to Expand This option copies column structure only, not contacts. Use it when you n...

  Read Article →

• Managing List Columns in Act-On

  Before importing data, building automation, or updating values in a Marketing List, it’s important to understand what information the list already contains and how Act-On uses it. Identifying and managing list columns helps prevent mapping errors, duplicate fields, and unintended data changes.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to Expand List columns define what data a Marketing List can s...

  Read Article →

• Create a List Maintenance Program

  A List Maintenance Program automatically updates contact fields based on rules you define. Use this when you need ongoing, repeatable updates without manually editing contacts or re-importing data.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to ExpandList Maintenance Programs update existing contact data automatically.They run against a Marketing List or a segment.The source list is temporarily loc...

  Read Article →

• How Do I View Messages Sent to a Specific List?

  Email messages sent to specific lists can be identified via the list directly. This can help you determine which lists you'd like to interact with further during the marketing cycle. Follow the steps below to determine which messages have been sent to a particular list: Go to Lists > Marketing Lists, or choose Other Lists > Form Submissions or Webinar Lists. Find the list you want & from the d...

  Read Article →

• How to Scrub Email Addresses

  Specific records may not contain the proper email address format when imported or uploaded. Identify these records & 'scrub' them to ensure the addresses are correctly formatted.  Instructions Go to Lists > Marketing Lists, or select Other Lists > Form Submissions or Webinar Lists. Find the list you want & from the drop-down arrow on the right, click Maintenance > Scrub Email Addresses. Verify...

  Read Article →

• Manage Extended Lists

  Extended Lists let you attach additional data to contacts in an existing Marketing List without copying contacts into multiple lists. This is useful when you need to reference extra attributes like subscription preferences, product details, geographic data, or transaction history while keeping your primary audience list as the single source of truth.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to E...

  Read Article →

• Run an Email Domains Report

  The Email Domains Report helps you understand where you’ve been sending email by showing a breakdown of recipient email domains and a count for each domain. Use this report when you want a clear view of your sending distribution across domains such as gmail.com, outlook.com, or corporate domains.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to ExpandRun the report to see a domain-by-domain count of ...

  Read Article →

• Export Contacts From Other Lists, Marketing Lists, & Segments

  Exporting contacts allows you to download contact data from Act-On for use outside the platform. You can export data from Marketing Lists, other list types, or segments when you need visibility, backup, or data sharing without changing the list itself.Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to ExpandContacts can be exported from Marketing Lists, other lists, or segments.Exports do not change o...

  Read Article →