HubSpot Ideas

cpatrick

Bring back the option to import contacts to an existing static list

The new import change has just caused me so much more work. Previously, I could choose to import contacts to an exsting list, and I had a static lsit that was linked to a communicaitons workflow. I was able to import and automate communications in one step.

 

Now, I have to import a list, create a new list, then enroll that list in a workflow. A one step process just became a three step process. I thought HubSpot was supposed to make my work simplier, not add more steps?

28 Replies
EDickmann
Member

I completely agree. I do like that imports do not automatically create a new static list but losing the ability to add imported contacts during the import process to an existing list is a real issue. Not only is it more steps, but if you have workflows running that exclude contacts based on certain lists, the newly imported contacts could be enrolled in a workflow before the additional steps to add them to a list are completed. This literally could result in contacts being inadvertently emailed inbetween getting them imported, creating a new list and then adding them to an existing list.

cpatrick
Participant

Absolutely! I had seveal workflows already tied to static lists that I would update weekly with imports and now I have to change my whole process. 

 

Here's a similar post regarding the same issue. If you want, you can upvote this one too, so that we can gain as much attention as possible to get HubSpot to bring back that option: https://community.hubspot.com/t5/HubSpot-Ideas/Please-revert-imported-lists-to-their-original-email/...

Vanessa1
Participant

Yes, I agree you have made importing more difficult with more steps. Also, when I go to contacts after the import and add to a list then the button is greyed-out if I choose more than 25 contacts. Therefore I have to do it 4 times if lets's say I have 100 contacts. 

cpatrick
Participant

@Vanessa1, I had that same issue. I got on chat with someone to see if that was gltich and they encouted the same. I don't undersrand why they have it blocked to not be able to select all to add to a Workfow. Why would we only want to add a random part of an import list to a workflow?

theScott
Top Contributor

I emphatically support this idea.


Old method:
1. Upload contacts to existing static list.
2. Workflow is triggered.

New method:

First: Either add a Lifecycle Stage field to your upload, or update your workflow to set the Lifecycle Stage property. This was previously handled during the upload process.

1. Upload contacts.
2. From Imports screen, click More > New List.

3. Name your new list.

4. Wait ## minutes for new list to populate (time depends on list size).
5. Click checkbox to select all contacts in current view.
6. Click "Select all ### contacts" text link.
7. Click More > Add to Static List.

8. Workflow is triggered.

 

Sidenote:

Don't bother clicking the "View Contacts" button on the Import screen. You can neither add all contacts to a static list nor create a new List from that screen. You can only add some contacts to a static list from there. The option to add to a static list is made unavailable after you select all contacts.

cdutoit
Participant

100% AGREE!

 

This has completely broken our internal lead management process, and at the same time convoluting the entire process. I welcome some of the positive steps (supporting excel, reducing clutter etc), but not being able to add to an existing list has caused a massive disruption.

 

We have workflows triggered off of lists. Now when importing we have to go through a convoluted set of steps to accomplish what was an easy task.

djames93
Member

I couldn't agree more. What was once a simple process has become unnecessarily long-winded and will create us a lot more work in the future. Really unimpressed with Hubspot and when querying on chat the reasons given didn't really make any sense in all honesty. Seriously hoping they reverse this ridiculous decision.

SamanthaFrancis
Member

I agree! It was SO much easier, user friendly and QUICK the old way. What was intended to be improved by making this change?

mcastens
Member

I signed up just to say I would love to see this back as well 🙂

sarahg-greeley
Participant

We need the functionality back too!

ISN
Member

Thankfully customer service was able to revert my list UI back to the previous version.

We are a distribution company and our customer base AND Sales Team is split into many different groups. The only way for us to manage lists is it manually update them through the Import option.

logan
Participant

I built an entire process around this. 100% agree this function needs to come back.

mpike
Contributor

Yes! Bring back this functionality! Not sure why something so useful went away in the new UI in the first place...

 

(Says crabby person who discovered they could no longer rename folders in lists earlier this week.)

sabkill
Member

100% agree with all of you.

 

We are another organization where this core functionality change is creating more work for our team, whereas before we could simply import into a static list that's in use in an active workflow...and that was it. Now, it requires additional processes and unnecessary placeholder assets, defeating the purpose of our automation for these workflows. Clearly customer use cases for importing into static lists were not considered when this change was approved and then deployed.

I also asked HubSpot support on a chat request related to this loss of functionality if they could give us back the functionality as someone above stated that HubSpot had done for them, but they said it was past the "beta" timeframe and this feature could not be reverted back.

Heidi1
Contributor

Being new to HubSpot, I'm not 100% sure whether this will help those on this discussion; but it does help me be able to upload to a current CSV and add names to an existing static list. Here are the steps: Step 1) So you'll want to navigate to Contacts>Import>Locate import. Step 2) Hover over the import and select "View contacts list". Step 3) From there, you can select the checkbox next to name, make sure all the contacts are selected, and then select the "More" dropdown and click "Add to static list". If you need to add the contacts from one CSV to multiple static lists repeat steps 2 and 3. At this point, you can delete the CSV import if you no longer need it. 

mpike
Contributor

This function appears to be back. It was gone for awhile.

dianna
Contributor

I still do not have this functionality. It only lets me add to a new list when I import, not an existing list. 

 

Another feature lost is you no longer can add contacts to a static list directly inside the static list. It is SO cumbersome to have to go to each person's contact record to add them to a static list. You should be able to add them directly when you are inside of the list. I am going to add another thread about this. 

 

We've been customers for over 3 years and it's getting harder and harder to do basic marketing functions inside of HubSpot.

arihn
Member

How has HubSpot not addressed this yet?

 

I can't understand why they would introduce a change that causes users to execute 3X as many steps to make something happen. 

 

Smiley Frustrated

GDHutchison
Participant

Still looking for this to be implemented. I'm getting lead lists each week drip fed for a 3 month campiagn. I just want to add them to one list not have 12 lists and 1 master list.

jwksm
Member

Just bumping this thread. This is a big inconvenience to have to go through a multi-step process to simply add an imported contact list to a static list.