Mailing Lists
Choosing who is on a list
Every filter a mailing list can use, and the difference between matching all of them and matching any.
Last updated September 2, 2026
A list is defined by its filters. They read as sentences — send to people in these categories, in these industries, with these tags.
| Filter | Selects |
|---|---|
| Categories | People in the contact categories you pick. |
| Industries | People whose business is in those industries. |
| Tags | People carrying those tags — the most flexible filter, and the one that needs tidy tagging. |
| Tribe types | People linked to tribes of a particular type. |
| Promotions | People who entered the promotions you pick. |
All, or any
This is the setting that catches people out.
| Setting | Means | Effect on the count |
|---|---|---|
| Must match all filters | Every condition has to be true of the person. | Narrower. Adding a filter makes the list smaller. |
| Match any filter | Any one condition is enough. | Wider. Adding a filter makes the list bigger. |
THE CLASSIC MISTAKE
Picking three categories on "must match all" and getting almost nobody — because very few people are in all three at once. If a list comes back far smaller than you expected, this is nearly always why.
Building a list you can trust
- Start with one filter and look at the count.
- Add the next and watch which way the number moves — it tells you immediately whether you are on all or any.
- Stop when the count is roughly what you expected. If it is not, the filters are wrong, not the data.