List Types: Static, Dynamic, and Hybrid
Choose how your list gets populated — manually, automatically, or both
What It Is
When you create a list, you choose one of three types. This choice determines how contacts enter and exit the list, and it cannot be changed after creation.
Static Lists are entirely manual. You add and remove contacts by hand — through the UI, during import, via form actions, or through the API. No automatic population. Best for curated audiences: a hand-picked VIP list, a one-time campaign audience, a conference attendee roster, or a set of contacts you want to manage personally.
Dynamic Lists are entirely automatic. You define filter conditions (field matches, pipeline stages, status values), and Zyntro evaluates those conditions every 5 minutes. Contacts that match the conditions are added. Contacts that no longer match are removed. You do not add or remove contacts manually — the filters do the work. Best for living segments: all contacts in the WIN phase, all contacts with status Active, all contacts in a specific country.
Hybrid Lists combine both approaches. Filters auto-populate the list, *and* you can manually add or remove contacts on top of that. A contact can be in the list because they match a filter, because you added them manually, or both. Best for situations where you want automated population with human oversight: a dynamic segment where you also want to manually include a few VIPs who do not match the filter criteria, or a filter-based list where you want to permanently exclude certain contacts.
Why It Matters
The type determines the maintenance model:
Static = you do the work. The list is exactly who you put in it, no more, no less. It never changes unless you change it.
Dynamic = the system does the work. The list stays current automatically as contact data changes. You never manually add or remove — the filters handle it.
Hybrid = shared control. The system populates from filters, and you can override by adding or excluding contacts manually.
Choosing the wrong type creates operational friction. A list that should stay current (like “all contacts with overdue invoices”) should be Dynamic — making it Static means you have to remember to update it every time an invoice is paid. A list that needs precise curation (like “speakers for the Q3 event”) should be Static — making it Dynamic means contacts could unexpectedly appear or disappear based on filter changes.
How It Works
Static List Behavior
- Contacts are added only through: manual selection in the UI, bulk add, form actions, API calls, or during import
- Contacts are removed only through: manual removal or exclusion
- Entry/exit rules triggers that reference filters are not applicable (static lists skip filter-based triggers)
- Entry/exit actions still fire when contacts are manually added or removed
Dynamic List Behavior
- You define filter conditions using AND logic (all conditions must match)
- Filters can reference: contact fields, entity fields, pipeline stage, status, tags, custom fields, and any other contact attribute
- Zyntro re-evaluates filters every 5 minutes
- Contacts matching all conditions are added automatically with method = `dynamic_filter`
- Contacts no longer matching conditions are removed automatically
- Manual additions are not supported — the filter is the sole source of truth
- Entry/exit actions fire on every automatic add/remove
Hybrid List Behavior
- Filters work the same as Dynamic — conditions evaluated every 5 minutes
- Additionally, you can manually add contacts who do not match the filter
- Manually added contacts are *not* removed when the filter re-evaluates (they stay unless you manually remove them)
- Contacts can be in the list for two reasons: filter match OR manual addition
- Exclusions are permanent — an excluded contact will not be re-added by filter re-evaluation, even if they match the conditions
Membership Tracking
Every membership records how the contact was added:
- `manual` — added by a team member through the UI
- `dynamic_filter` — added by filter condition match
- `api` — added via the API
- `import` — added during a contact import
This tracking lets you audit how your list was populated and understand why each contact is a member.
List Type Comparison
| Feature | Static | Dynamic | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual add/remove | Yes (only way) | No | Yes (alongside filters) |
| Auto-populate from filters | No | Yes (every 5 min) | Yes (every 5 min) |
| Auto-remove when filter no longer matches | No | Yes | Yes (for filter-added; not for manually added) |
| Exclude contacts permanently | Yes | Yes (prevents re-add by filter) | Yes (prevents re-add by filter) |
| Entry/exit rules | Yes (on manual add/remove) | Yes (on filter add/remove) | Yes (on both) |
| Sequence attachment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can change type after creation | No | No | No |
| Best for | Curated, one-time audiences | Living segments that auto-update | Auto-population + manual oversight |
