New Importer Should Create a List

[HMI_Incentives]

Before the new Importer, HubSpot created a list whenever we uploaded a list. Now, as of 8/2/2018, I have to go through an extra step of creating a list from the list that I already uploaded and then wait for it to process before sending. 

I'd like to go back to the old way, where the list I uploaded actually creates a list in HubSpot. 

A lot of the time, I'm uploading a list as a round up of people already in our database. This new process just adds another step and much more time to my importing process.

[aschilf]

Yes - I noticed this today when I imported a new list of contacts. It was cumbersome to have to go to the list page and build a list off of my import when the previous importer did this for me! This was one of the things that I was most excited about when we moved to Hubspot a few weeks ago, as our previous solution did not do this. Please bring this back!

[cpatrick]

I agree! I just found this similar post where you can upvote so that hopefully HubSpot will liste to our concerns: https://community.hubspot.com/t5/HubSpot-Ideas/Please-revert-imported-lists-to-their-original-email/...

[jadenmiller]

I agree! I spent most of last week in conversation with someone on the support team about this, and his best suggestion was that we keep bringing it up here in the forums. I've upvoted your idea – please upvote mine as well!

https://community.hubspot.com/t5/HubSpot-Ideas/Please-revert-imported-lists-to-their-original-email/...

[cdutoit]

Agree - The Import changes forced onto us completely broke our workflow. We used to also in one step be able to add the imports to an existing list. What they've done now is extremely cumbersome.

For example, we have a master 'active' list that is a trigger for a workflow. 

Now I have to import, then create a list from the import and then go edit the master active list to also include this new list.

This just doesn't seem like a well thought out move and I hope you bring back the old way that was working just fine. 

[theScott]

Be sure to also upvote this Idea as well: https://community.hubspot.com/t5/HubSpot-Ideas/Bring-back-the-option-to-import-contacts-to-an-existi....

That one focuses specifically on importing into a static list.

[ckennedy]

 I'm glad I'm not alone in this! It shouldn't take 3 steps to do something that previously took one. At least offer us the option of creating a list during the import process if nothing else.

[Dylan]

Thank you for your feedback everyone on this thread. At this time, we do not have immediate plans to replace the automatic list creation feature.

Regarding lists, I would recommend creating a contact list from the import home page, using the "more" dropdown. You can also use the "View Contacts" "View Deals" or "View Companies" quick links to apply a custom filter to the objects you have imported. 
 

I'm also excited to inform you all of some improvements to the import tool which will definitely speed up your process. As of last week - we are storing all of the recent mappings that you have made with previous imports and applying them to future mappings with the same name. This will make importing all objects much faster, and there are more similar improvements coming to the tool in the near future. 

[jadenmiller]

"Regarding lists, I would recommend creating a contact list from the import home page, using the "more" dropdown. You can also use the "View Contacts" "View Deals" or "View Companies" quick links to apply a custom filter to the objects you have imported."

This is EXACTLY the problem. It takes so much longer to go through these steps and for the list to process. It's terribly inefficient and tasks that used to take me 30 minutes now take me 1.5 hours. 

It wasn't broken before, so why was it changed?

[HMI_Incentives]

I very much agree with jadenmiller. 

[theScott]

@Dylan Is there a particular technical limitation that's preventing this functionality? On the surface, it seems like a very basic function (i.e. add a checkbox to tick during the import process to automatically create a list).

[cdutoit]

Have to concur here that this is isn't the answer I wanted to hear. You had great functionality that your users based their internal lead processes on, changed it without much rhyme or reason and now sticking to, what seems to me, an ill-thought out decision. This despite a fairly strong pushback from the user community. 

Right now my list management is becoming really unwieldly given the new constraints placed on the process. I really feel you guys missed the mark on this one and it's a shame you don't want to address it.

My 02cents...

[Dylan]

Thank you for your thoughts and understanding @theScott and others. There are a handful of technical and experience limitations in regards to this functionality. The new import tool is backed by an entirely new, and more powerful, way of handling data preventing us from simply adding the feature back - it needs to be re-architected entirely. 

We're doing all we can to ensure your import process is as smooth and powerful as possible. Including, auto-mapping fields which you have mapped previously, automatically naming the list that are created from the "more" drop-down, speeding up overall processing time for imports of  every size, and even introducing pre-validation to help reduce the potential for import errors. 

[Anastasia_Hamel]

Agreed!

Before the recent update, by looking at the list memberships, I could also see the history of imports a contact was a part of (we often do manual imports from SFD to Hubspot for operational reasons). It was very practical! I could see a part of the contact's history this way.

Same way, all the unnecessary extra steps we now need to take to create a list ourselves are just making simple daily tasks more complicated.

Hubspot you should bring that feature back!