In the fast-paced world of marketing automation, effective contact segmentation can make or break your campaigns. HubSpot, one of the leading CRM and marketing automation platforms, offers two powerful tools to segment your audience: active lists and static lists. But what’s the difference? When should you use one over the other?
Understanding active vs static list in HubSpot is essential if you want to build personalized marketing experiences, automate workflows, and drive targeted outreach that converts. Whether you're building your first sales contact list, working on CRM list management, or running dynamic email campaigns, this guide has you covered.
We’ll break down the difference between static and dynamic lists, walk you through how to create each list type, and show how to embed, manage, and optimize lists for lead generation, sales, and reporting.
Before diving into HubSpot’s list types, let’s take a moment to define what a CRM list really is and why it matters.
A CRM list (Customer Relationship Management list) is a group of contacts that share common traits, behaviors, or actions. These lists are used to categorize, target, and manage contacts for everything from marketing emails and lead nurturing to sales follow-ups and reporting. It’s your foundation for custom list building and CRM segmentation.
In HubSpot, CRM lists allow you to:
Group leads by lifecycle stage, location, industry, or engagement level
Send personalized emails or text messages based on contact properties
Build targeted workflows and automation
Track campaign performance by list segment
Create sales contact lists for your reps to follow up on
If you're ever wondering what is a CRM list good for, the answer is: just about everything in your marketing and sales strategy.
Whether you’re working with marketing lists for sale (not recommended in HubSpot), growing your contact base organically, or importing from trade shows or webinars, lists are critical for scaling your efforts.
An Active List (often referred to as a dynamic list) is one of the most powerful features within HubSpot’s CRM. Unlike static lists, an active list updates automatically based on rules you define. That means contacts are added or removed from the list in real time as their information or behavior changes.
You define the criteria (e.g., “Contact opened an email in the last 30 days”), and HubSpot does the rest. As new contacts match your rules, they are automatically added to the list. If a contact no longer meets the criteria, they are removed. No manual updates needed.
Examples of active list filters include:
Form submissions (e.g., “Requested a demo”)
Lifecycle stage (e.g., “Marketing Qualified Lead”)
Email activity (e.g., “Clicked link in last 7 days”)
Page views (e.g., “Visited pricing page more than once”)
This type of list is essential for dynamic segmentation, retargeting, lead nurturing workflows, and sales automation. When you want to ensure your marketing always reflects up-to-date behavior and data, active lists are the way to go.
If you're transitioning your static to dynamic strategy, active lists should become your default.
Unlike its dynamic counterpart, a Static List is fixed. It’s a snapshot of contacts who met certain criteria at a specific time. Once someone is added to a static list, they’ll stay on it until you manually remove them—even if they no longer meet the original conditions.
Static lists are great when you need a frozen segment of your audience. Some common use cases:
A list of registrants for a specific event
Contacts who downloaded a particular eBook in Q1
Leads from a trade show
A specific sales contact list handed over to SDRs
Exporting lists for manual outreach
You can add contacts to static list HubSpot in multiple ways: by selecting them manually, using filters once (not ongoing), or importing contacts from CSV files.
Static lists are ideal when your segment will not change over time or when you need a historical view of contacts. They are frequently used in custom list building when exact control is needed.
You’ll often see use cases where marketers ask how to create static list HubSpot to handle one-time campaigns or reporting. It’s straightforward, but choosing between static and active list types is a strategic decision.
So what’s the difference between static and dynamic lists in HubSpot? The choice depends entirely on the goal of your campaign or workflow.
Here’s a clear comparison:
| Criteria | Active List | Static List |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-updated? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Filters-based? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (Manual or import) |
| Use case | Retargeting, automation, nurturing | Events, exports, fixed targeting |
| Entry/removal | Based on live data | Manual only |
| Best for | Email workflows, segmentation | Lead exports, event invites |
| Custom list building? | ✅ Strong | ✅ Manual only |
Active List: Contacts who visited your pricing page in the last 7 days for retargeting.
Static List: Attendees of your 2025 New Year Webinar, stored for a follow-up email.
Understanding these distinctions helps ensure your campaigns stay relevant, scalable, and organized.
Creating a static list is easy, but should be done with intention—especially if you manage a large CRM list.
Navigate to Contacts → Lists.
Click the Create List button.
Select Static List from the prompt.
Give your list a clear name (e.g., “Product Launch Survey Respondents – March 2025”).
Choose your method of population:
Manual selection
Import from CSV
Filter-based selection (but one-time, not dynamic)
Click Save.
To add contacts to static list HubSpot, go to your Contacts view, select one or more contacts, and use the “Add to list” function.
Use clear naming conventions to avoid confusion (e.g., “Static – Trade Show Leads – Karachi Expo 2025”)
Don’t rely on static lists for workflows or engagement tracking—they don’t update
Periodically review and archive old static lists to keep your CRM clean
If your marketing relies heavily on static lists, consider how you can transition from static to dynamic list structures for better scalability.
Active lists are the heartbeat of marketing automation in HubSpot. They power workflows, email sequences, and lead scoring—and they’re surprisingly easy to create.
Go to Contacts → Lists in your dashboard.
Click on Create List.
Choose Active List.
Set up your filters. Examples:
Form submission: “Contact Us – February 2025”
Lifecycle stage: “Opportunity”
Email behavior: “Opened welcome email in last 14 days”
Custom property: “Industry = SaaS”
Name the list clearly and click Save.
Your list will now automatically update as new contacts meet (or stop meeting) the criteria.
There’s no one-click way to convert a static list to dynamic. However, you can:
Note the filters you originally used to build your static list.
Recreate them when building a new active list.
Save it with a dynamic label (e.g., “Active – Demo Form Submitters – Rolling”).
This workaround allows you to replicate the static to dynamic transition and automate future updates.
HubSpot lists rely on properties—data points tied to your contacts. You can use these properties to build lists with precision and personalization.
Contact Properties: Email, job title, company, lifecycle stage, lead status
Behavioral Properties: Page views, form submissions, email clicks, CTA engagement
Custom Properties: Tags, segmentation labels, custom fields for scoring or intent
You can list the properties in HubSpot by going to Settings → Properties. From there, you can search, sort, edit, or create new ones.
Using properties correctly helps power CRM list management, ensures better personalization, and keeps your automation clean and scalable.
Can you embed a list in HubSpot on a web page? Not exactly—but you do have options.
You can’t publicly display a contact list or embed it like a Google Sheet.
Use lists to personalize landing pages or smart content
Export lists and embed them manually in other platforms
Trigger workflows or emails based on list membership
Create internal reports or dashboards with list data
While you can’t directly embed a live list, there are ways to use the data in dynamic marketing content, especially with smart rules and email modules.
Whether you're a marketing manager, CRM administrator, or sales leader, your CRM list management strategy will directly impact campaign performance and lead quality.
Use Active Lists for Dynamic Segmentation: Retarget based on behaviors like “visited pricing page,” “requested demo,” or “opened email.”
Keep Static Lists for Fixed Use Cases: These include quarterly exports, event registration, or webinar follow-ups.
Avoid List Sprawl: Archive unused lists regularly.
Name Lists Clearly: Use naming conventions like “Active – Lifecycle: MQLs” or “Static – Event: SaaSCon 2025.”
Tag Lists with Purpose: Use filters like persona, campaign, intent score, or buying stage.
Well-maintained lists improve lead routing, workflow logic, and email engagement rates. They also make it easier to run reports or evaluate the performance of specific audiences.
Q1: Can I convert a static list to an active list in HubSpot?
No direct conversion exists. But you can rebuild an active list using the same criteria or filters used for the static list.
Q2: What is the difference between marketing lists for sale and HubSpot lists?
Marketing lists for sale are purchased lists from external vendors—often low-quality and high-risk. HubSpot lists should only include opt-in, permission-based contacts to remain compliant with GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
Q3: What is list segmentation in HubSpot?
It’s the process of grouping contacts based on shared characteristics or behaviors to personalize marketing. Done via static or active lists using properties and filters.
Q4: Can I add contacts to a static list manually?
Yes! Use the Contacts view, select contacts, and choose “Add to List.” You can also add them via imports or one-time filters.
Q5: Are there any limits to how many lists I can create in HubSpot?
Yes. Limits depend on your HubSpot plan. Free accounts have limited list creation capabilities, while Marketing Hub Pro and Enterprise offer unlimited advanced segmentation.
Your HubSpot list strategy is more than just organization—it’s the foundation for growth.
Knowing when to use active vs static list HubSpot means you can:
Build smarter automation
Personalize at scale
Improve lead quality
Reduce manual work
Maximize marketing ROI
To summarize:
Use active lists for automation, segmentation, and behavior-based marketing.
Use static lists for snapshots, events, and one-time exports.
Master your CRM list management with naming conventions, filter rules, and clean-up routines.
Whether you’re building your first list or managing thousands of contacts, HubSpot gives you the flexibility to align your CRM with your business goals.