Use Lists in Campaigns
One well-curated list is the foundation of every high-performing campaign. Here’s how lists and campaigns work together.
How lists connect to campaigns
Every outreach campaign targets one list. When you launch a campaign:
- WorkOnward Reach enrolls every eligible contact on the list
- Each enrolled contact begins receiving the campaign’s email sequence
- Contacts who are ineligible (bounced, unsubscribed, etc.) are automatically excluded
Choosing a list during campaign creation
In the campaign creation wizard:
- At the Audience step, select a list from the dropdown
- WorkOnward Reach shows you:
- Total contacts on the list
- Eligible contacts after exclusions
- Excluded contacts and why (bounced, unsubscribed, already in another campaign)
- Review the estimate and proceed
Exclusion rules
WorkOnward Reach automatically excludes contacts based on your campaign settings:
| Exclusion | Default | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bounced contacts | On | Protects your sender reputation |
| Unsubscribed contacts | On | Required for CAN-SPAM compliance |
| Contacts in other active campaigns | Optional | Prevents overlapping outreach |
Estimate before you launch. Use the enrollment estimate to see exactly how many contacts will receive your campaign. If the number is lower than expected, check your list for bounced or unsubscribed contacts.
Tips
- Create a new list for each campaign rather than reusing the same list — this gives you cleaner analytics
- Review your list right before launch — Remove any contacts who shouldn’t receive this specific campaign
- Use list names that match campaign names — “Q2 SaaS outreach - founders” pairs with “Q2 SaaS founders campaign”
Next step: Connect your mailbox for sending