A static list is a fixed group of contacts from your Directory. Unlike a dynamic list, its membership only changes when you add or remove contacts yourself. Use it for event attendees, project groups, survey cohorts, or any audience you want to keep exactly as you built it.
Not sure which list type you need? See List Management — Static vs. Dynamic Lists: Which Should I Use?
Prerequisites
- Owner or Administrator permissions in ContactMonkey
- List Management
Create a Static List from a CSV
- Go to Directory → Lists and click
- Upload a CSV containing the email addresses of the contacts to include
- Name the list, and click Save
Contacts in the CSV that aren't already in your Directory are added to the Directory. See CSV Column Headers and Field Mapping for formatting requirements.
Important: These lists cannot be edited, only deleted from the List view.
Send to a Static List
Static lists appear alongside your other contact lists when you select recipients. Follow the steps in Sending Emails to a ContactMonkey Contact List or SMS — How to Send a Campaign to a Contact List.
How Static Lists Behave When Contacts Change
Because a static list stores specific contacts rather than filter rules, changes in your Directory affect it differently than a dynamic list. Here's what to expect.
| What happens | Static list | Dynamic list (for comparison) |
|---|---|---|
| A new employee is added by a sync or CSV upload | Not added. | Added automatically if they match the filters |
| A contact's details change (e.g. department, title, location) | Stays on the list. Their updated details are used for merge fields and segmented stats. | Added or removed depending on whether they still match the filters |
| A contact is removed from the Directory by an integration sync (e.g. a departing employee) | Removed from the list. | Removed |
| A contact is manually deleted from the Directory | Removed from the list | Removed |
| A deleted contact is restored with Recover Contacts | Re-added to their previous static lists | Re-added automatically if they match the filters |
| An integration and its contacts are deleted | Contacts from that integration are removed from the list | Contacts from that integration are removed |
| A contact unsubscribes or opts out (External Sending / SMS) | Stays on the list but won't receive messages | Same |
Tips for Keeping Static Lists Accurate
- Review before sending. Open the list and check the member count before each send, especially if the list is more than a few weeks old.
-
Date your list names. Adding the creation date (for example,
_Static_2026-11-04) makes it clear how old a snapshot is. - Download a copy. If you need a record of exactly who was on the list at a point in time, download it as a CSV.
- Switch types if the audience grows. If you find yourself regularly adding the same kind of person, a dynamic list will save you time.