How to add contacts to lists and tags in SendX

What does adding contacts to lists/tags mean?

Adding contacts to lists and tags organizes your contact database so you can send targeted campaigns and track audience segments. Lists are collections of contacts you send campaigns to, while tags label contacts based on attributes, behaviors, or interests.

When and why you'd add contacts to lists/tags

You'll manually add contacts to lists or tags when you need to:

Organize individual contacts who signed up through offline channels (events, phone calls, in-person meetings)
Create one-off contacts that don't come from bulk imports or forms
Move contacts between segments by adding them to new lists based on their behavior or status
Apply tags for tracking such as "VIP Customer," "Trial User," or "Attended Webinar 2026"
Update contact organization as your marketing strategy evolves
Quickly add a handful of contacts without preparing a CSV file

For bulk additions of many contacts, consider using CSV import, copy-paste import, or bulk actions instead.

Two ways to add contacts to lists/tags

https://video.sendworks.com/share/PtlVm6Zoj1L1BtewSdSnlQ

Method 1: Edit an existing contact (add to lists/tags)

Use this when a contact already exists in SendX and you want to add them to additional lists or tags.

Method 2: Create a new contact (assign lists/tags during creation)

Use this when adding a brand new contact who doesn't exist in your SendX database yet.

How to add an existing contact to lists or tags

Step 1: Navigate to your contacts

Click Audience in the top navigation bar.
Select Contacts from the dropdown menu.

You'll see a list of all contacts in your SendX account.

Step 2: Find the contact you want to edit

Use the search bar:

At the top of the Contacts page, use the search bar
Type the contact's email address or name
The contact list filters as you type

Or browse the list:

Scroll through the contacts list to find them
Use the pagination controls if you have many contacts

Step 3: Open the edit form

Locate the contact you want to edit.
Click the three-dot menu (•••) next to their name.
Select Edit from the dropdown.

A sidebar edit form opens on the right side of your screen.

Step 4: Add the contact to lists

In the edit form:

Find the Lists section.
Click the lists dropdown to see all available lists.
Select one or more lists to add the contact to:
- Click on each list you want to add them to
- You can select multiple lists at once
- Already-selected lists show with a checkmark or highlighted

Create a new list on the spot:

If the list you need doesn't exist, start typing its name
Click Create [ListName] or press Enter
The new list is created and the contact is added to it

Important: Contacts can belong to multiple lists simultaneously. Adding them to a new list doesn't remove them from existing lists.

Step 5: Add tags to the contact

In the edit form:

Find the Tags section.
Click the tags dropdown to see available tags.
Select one or more tags to apply:
- Click each tag you want to add
- You can add multiple tags at once
- Already-applied tags show with a checkmark or highlighted

Create a new tag on the spot:

If the tag doesn't exist, start typing the tag name
Click Create [TagName] or press Enter
The new tag is created and applied to this contact

Note: There is no limit to how many tags you can apply to a single contact.

Step 6: Add custom field values (optional)

If you want to add or update custom field information:

Find the Custom Fields section in the edit form.
Click + Add next to Custom Fields.
Select the custom field you want to populate from the dropdown.
Enter the value for that custom field.
Repeat for additional custom fields.

Custom fields are optional but helpful for storing additional contact information like company, signup date, or preferences.

Step 7: Save your changes

Review all changes you made (lists added, tags applied, custom fields updated).
Click Save at the bottom of the edit form.

The contact is immediately added to the selected lists and tagged appropriately. You'll remain on the same page you were viewing before editing.

Confirmation: A notification appears confirming the contact was updated successfully.

How to create a new contact and assign to lists/tags

Step 1: Navigate to create contact

Click Audience in the top navigation bar.
Select Contacts from the dropdown.
Click the + Create Contact button at the top of the Contacts page.

A sidebar creation form opens on the right side of your screen.

Step 2: Enter contact information

Required fields:

Email: Enter the contact's email address (must be valid format with @ symbol)

Optional fields:

First Name: Enter the contact's first name
Last Name: Enter the contact's last name
Company: Enter the company name
Phone: Enter phone number
Any other standard fields

Fill in as much information as you have available.

Step 3: Assign to lists (required)

You must assign the new contact to at least one list or tag for them to be usable in campaigns.

Find the Lists section in the create form.
Click the lists dropdown.
Select one or more lists:
- Click each list you want to add them to
- You can assign to multiple lists at once

Create a new list during contact creation:

Start typing a new list name
Click Create [ListName] or press Enter
The list is created and the contact will be added to it

Step 4: Apply tags (optional but recommended)

Find the Tags section in the create form.
Click the tags dropdown.
Select one or more tags to apply:
- Choose from existing tags
- Or create new tags by typing the name and pressing Enter

Tags help you organize and segment contacts beyond list membership.

Step 5: Add custom field values (optional)

If you want to store additional information:

Find the Custom Fields section.
Click + Add.
Select the custom field from the dropdown.
Enter the value for that contact.
Repeat for additional custom fields as needed.

Step 6: Create the contact

Review all information you entered.
Verify the email address is correct.
Confirm at least one list or tag is selected.
Click Save at the bottom of the form.

The new contact is immediately created and added to SendX.

What happens next:

The contact appears in the selected lists
Tags are applied and visible in the contact's profile
You remain on the Contacts page where you can immediately create another contact if needed
A confirmation notification appears

Step 7: Verify the contact was created

After clicking Create:

Search for the contact's email in the search bar
Verify they appear in the contacts list
Click on them to open their profile and confirm lists/tags are correct

What happens when you add duplicate contacts

If you try to create a contact with an email address that already exists in SendX:

You'll see a notification: "Contact already exists in the database"
The contact is not duplicated: SendX prevents duplicate email addresses
You're not redirected: The creation form remains open
What to do: Search for the existing contact and edit them instead to add to new lists/tags

This protects your database from duplicate contacts and ensures each email address only exists once.

Understanding floating contacts

If you create or import a contact without assigning them to any list or tag, they become a "floating contact."

What are floating contacts?

Contacts that exist in your SendX database
Not assigned to any list or tag
Visible under Audience > Contacts > All Contacts
Can be found using the search function

Why does this matter?

You cannot send campaigns to floating contacts (campaigns require a target list)
They count toward your SendX contact limit
They're essentially unused contacts taking up space

How to find floating contacts:

Use the contact search or filter to find specific contacts
Create a segment to identify contacts not in any list
Review your "All Contacts" view periodically

Best practice: Always assign contacts to at least one list or tag when creating them to ensure they're organized and usable.

Bulk methods for adding contacts to lists/tags

For adding many contacts at once, use these faster methods:

Bulk actions (for existing contacts)

Navigate to Audience > Contacts or open a specific list.
Select multiple contacts by checking the boxes next to their names.
Click the Actions button that appears.
Select Add to List or Add Tag.
Choose the target list or tag.
Confirm the action.

All selected contacts are added to the list or tagged in one operation.

CSV import (for bulk additions with data)

If you have many contacts to add with custom field data:

Prepare a CSV file with contact information
Navigate to Audience > Lists > select or create a list
Click the three-dot menu > Import
Upload your CSV and map fields
Complete the import

See the "How to import contacts to SendX" article for detailed instructions.

Copy-paste import (for quick email lists)

For up to 500 contacts without detailed data:

Navigate to Audience > Lists > select or create a list
Click the three-dot menu > Import
Select the Manual Import tab
Paste email addresses (one per line or comma-separated)
Complete the import

Through automation workflows

You can automatically add contacts to lists or tags based on their behavior:

Create an automation rule triggered by specific actions
Set the action to "Add to List" or "Add Tag"
Contacts are automatically organized as they meet criteria

Adding contacts to lists vs tags: When to use each

Use Lists when:

You need to send campaigns (campaigns target lists, not tags)
Organizing contacts by broad category (Newsletter Subscribers, VIP Customers, Trial Users)
Separating audiences for different types of communications
Managing opt-in preferences (different lists for different email series)

Use Tags when:

Tracking specific attributes or behaviors (Clicked Link, Downloaded eBook, Attended Webinar)
Marking contacts across multiple lists (VIP tag can apply to contacts in many lists)
Segmenting within lists for targeted messaging
Collecting data from forms or integrations

You can (and often should) use both: A contact might be in "Newsletter Subscribers" list AND have tags like "Interested in Product A" and "Engaged Last 30 Days."

Important things to know about adding contacts

Contacts can belong to multiple lists

When you add a contact to a new list, they remain in all existing lists. One contact can be in unlimited lists simultaneously, but they're only counted once toward your SendX plan limit.

Removing contacts from lists

To remove a contact from a list:

Open the list view (Audience > Lists > [ListName])
Find the contact
Click the three-dot menu next to their name
Select Delete

This removes them from that specific list but they remain in your SendX account and any other lists they belong to. To completely delete a contact from SendX, enable "Delete from SendX" option when removing.

Tags can be removed like lists

To remove a tag from a contact:

Edit the contact
In the Tags section, click the X next to tags you want to remove
Click Save

Unsubscribed contacts can be added to lists/tags

You can add unsubscribed contacts to lists or tags, but:

They will NOT receive any email campaigns from SendX
They remain unsubscribed regardless of list membership
This is useful for data organization, but they won't see your emails
To email them again, they must re-subscribe (only if they've given permission)

Bounced contacts can be added to lists/tags

Hard bounced contacts can be added to lists or tags, but:

They will NOT receive emails from SendX
SendX automatically excludes them from all campaigns
They remain in lists for data tracking purposes only
Useful for maintaining records even though they can't receive emails

Contact subscription status after creation

When you manually create a contact:

Single opt-in lists: Contact is immediately marked as "Subscribed" and can receive campaigns
Double opt-in lists: Contact is marked as "Unconfirmed" and must click confirmation link before receiving campaigns
The status depends on the list settings you add them to

Custom fields are optional but valuable

While not required, adding custom field data when creating/editing contacts enables:

Personalized email content using merge tags
Advanced segmentation based on attributes
Better contact organization and tracking
Richer data for analysis

Common questions and troubleshooting

Can I add a contact to lists without opening the edit form?

Not directly. You must open the edit form or use bulk actions. However, bulk actions allow you to select multiple contacts and add them to lists/tags in one action, which is faster than editing individually.

What if I forget to assign a contact to a list when creating them?

The contact becomes a "floating contact" visible in All Contacts but not in any specific list. You can:

Search for the contact
Edit them to add to a list
Or use the find contact option to locate floating contacts and organize them

Can I create a contact with just an email address and nothing else?

Yes, email is the only truly required field. However, you must also assign them to at least one list or tag for them to be usable in campaigns.

How do I know which lists a contact belongs to?

Search for and click on the contact to open their profile
The profile shows all lists and tags the contact is assigned to
You can also see their lists in the edit form

What happens if I add a contact to a list they're already in?

Nothing changes—the contact remains in that list. SendX doesn't create duplicates. The contact will get updated with the new information.

Can I add contacts directly to tags without adding to any list?

Yes, you can create or edit a contact and assign only tags without selecting any lists. However, you won't be able to send campaigns directly to tags—campaigns require a list. You can create a segment based on tags and use that for targeting.

Why can't I find the contact I just created?

Check these possibilities:

Use the search bar at the top of Contacts page and search by exact email
Verify you're viewing "All Contacts" not a specific list (if you didn't add them to that list)
Check if the creation actually completed (you should have seen a confirmation)
Refresh the page

Can team members with different roles add contacts?

This depends on your SendX account permissions and roles. Typically, admin and owner roles can create and edit contacts. Check with your account owner about specific role permissions.

What's the difference between "Info" and "Edit" in the three-dot menu?

Info: Opens the contact's full profile view to see all their information (read-only)
Edit: Opens the edit form where you can modify their lists, tags, custom fields, and information

How do I add multiple contacts to the same lists/tags quickly?

Use bulk actions:

Select all contacts you want to add (check boxes next to names)
Click Actions button
Choose "Add to List" or "Add Tag"
Select the target list/tag
All selected contacts are updated at once

This is much faster than editing each contact individually.

Can I undo adding a contact to a list or tag?

Yes, simply edit the contact again:

For lists: Select the list in the edit form and uncheck it (or click remove)
For tags: Click the X next to the tag you want to remove
Save changes

What if I accidentally create a contact with a typo in the email?

Search for the incorrectly created contact
Click the three-dot menu > Delete
Choose to delete from SendX entirely
Create the contact again with the correct email

Or, if you prefer, edit the contact and update the email field directly.

Can I add contacts to lists/tags via the API?

Yes, developers can use the SendX API to create contacts and assign them to lists/tags programmatically. See the SendX API documentation for technical details.

Why does the contact show "Unconfirmed" status after I created them?

This happens if you added them to a double opt-in list. They must click a confirmation link sent to their email before they're marked as "Subscribed" and can receive campaigns.

For single opt-in lists, contacts are immediately "Subscribed" after creation.