Smart Lists: Understanding Filter Logic
Smart Lists: Understanding Filter Logic
Purpose: Smart Lists become powerful when you combine multiple filters using AND/OR logic. This guide explains how to build complex filters that find exactly the contacts you need.
The Basics: AND vs OR
Think of filters like questions you're asking about each contact. AND and OR determine how those questions combine.
AND = "All of these must be true"
Use AND when a contact must match every condition to appear in your list.
Example: Show me contacts where:
- Stage is "New Lead" AND
- Phone is not empty AND
- Created in the last 7 days
A contact only shows up if ALL three things are true. If someone is a New Lead with a phone number but was created 10 days ago, they won't appear.
Think of it like a checklist where every box must be checked.
OR = "Any of these can be true"
Use OR when a contact only needs to match one of the conditions to appear.
Example: Show me contacts where:
- Time to First Conversation is older than 1 day OR
- Time to First Contact is older than 1 day
A contact shows up if EITHER thing is true. They might have both, they might have just one—doesn't matter, they'll appear.
Think of it like multiple doors into a room—any door gets you in.
How It Works in Sure Send
Sure Send uses two levels of filter logic:
- Within a Filter Group: You can set AND or OR between individual filters
- Between Filter Groups: You can set AND or OR between entire groups
Working Within a Filter Group
When you add multiple filters to a group, you'll see AND or OR buttons between them. Click the button to toggle.
Example with AND (all must match):
Group 1:
- Stage includes "New Lead"
- AND Phone is not empty
- AND Created At is in the last 7 days
This finds: New leads with phone numbers created in the last week.
Example with OR (any can match):
Group 1:
- Source equals "Open House"
- OR Source equals "Referral"
- OR Source equals "ez Home Search"
This finds: Contacts from any of those three sources.
Example mixing AND and OR:
Group 1:
- Assigned Agent Email is empty
- AND Phone is not empty
- AND Time to First Conversation is older than 1 day
- OR Time to First Contact is older than 1 day
This finds: Unassigned contacts with phone numbers who either haven't had a conversation OR haven't been contacted in over a day.
Working With Multiple Groups
Groups let you create separate sets of conditions. Between groups, you choose AND or OR.
Why Use Multiple Groups?
Sometimes you need logic that can't be expressed in a single group. Groups let you say "match THIS set of conditions OR match THAT set of conditions."
Example: Two Groups with OR
Group 1: (Hot leads needing follow-up)
- Stage includes "Lead/Prospect"
- AND Days Since Last Contact is greater than 3
OR
Group 2: (New leads not yet contacted)
- Stage includes "New Lead"
- AND Time to First Contact is empty
This finds: Either hot leads who haven't been contacted in 3+ days OR brand new leads who've never been contacted.
Example: Two Groups with AND
Group 1: (Must be in Tennessee)
- State equals "TN"
AND
Group 2: (Must be from specific sources)
- Source equals "ez Home Search"
- OR Source equals "Open House"
This finds: Contacts in Tennessee who came from either ez Home Search OR an Open House.
Practical Examples
Example 1: Speed-to-Lead List
Find new leads that haven't been contacted quickly enough.
Group 1:
- Stage includes "New Lead"
- AND Created At is in the last 8 days
- AND Time to First Contact is older than 1 day
Example 2: Re-engagement List
Find contacts who've gone cold.
Group 1:
- Stage includes "Lead/Prospect" or "Planning Budget"
- AND Days Since Last Activity is greater than 14
- AND Phone is not empty
Example 3: Website-Active Leads
Find leads who've been browsing properties recently.
Group 1:
- Days Since Last Property View is less than 3
- AND Total Property Views Count is greater than 5
- AND Stage does not include "Under Contract" or "Closed"
Example 4: Unassigned with Contact Info
Find leads sitting in a pond that have good contact info.
Group 1:
- Assigned To is empty
- AND Phone is not empty
- AND Email is not empty
Example 5: Multi-Source Segmentation
Find leads from specific marketing campaigns.
Group 1: (Paid sources)
- Source contains "PPC"
- OR Source contains "Paid"
- OR Source contains "Ad"
OR
Group 2: (Organic sources)
- Source equals "ez Home Search"
- OR Source equals "Open House"
Filter Conditions by Field Type
Different fields offer different conditions. Here's what's available:
Text Fields (Name, Email, Address, URL, etc.)
- Contains / Does Not Contain
- Is Empty / Is Not Empty
- Equals / Not Equals
- Starts With / Ends With
Stage Field
- Include (select one or more stages)
- Exclude (hide selected stages)
- Equals / Not Equals
Date Fields (Created At, Last Contact Date, Last Event Date, etc.)
When you select a date field, you first choose how you want to filter:
Relative Date — Filter by time relative to today:
- In the Last — Within the past X days/weeks/months (e.g., "in the last 7 days")
- In the Next — Within the upcoming X days/weeks/months (e.g., "in the next 30 days")
- Older Than — More than X days/weeks/months ago (e.g., "older than 14 days")
- Further Than — More than X days/weeks/months in the future
Specific Date — Filter by an exact date (e.g., "January 15, 2026")
Empty / Not Set — Filter by whether the date field has a value or not
Number Fields (Days Since, Total Count, Engagement Score, etc.)
- Is Empty / Is Not Empty
- Is Less Than / Is Greater Than
- Is Between
- Equals / Not Equals
- Greater Than or Equal / Less Than or Equal
Tips for Building Filters
- Start simple. Add one or two filters, apply them, check results. Then add more.
- Use groups sparingly. Most filters work fine with one group. Only add groups when you need OR between sets of AND conditions.
- Read it like a sentence. "Show me contacts where [condition] AND [condition] OR [condition]." If it doesn't make sense as a sentence, the logic might be wrong.
- Test with known contacts. Pick a contact you know should appear, build your filter, and verify they show up.
- Copy before experimenting. If you have a working Smart List and want to try variations, copy it first.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using OR when you mean AND
- Wrong: Stage is "New Lead" OR Phone is not empty (shows ALL new leads AND everyone with a phone)
- Right: Stage is "New Lead" AND Phone is not empty (shows only new leads who have phones)
Mistake 2: Too many ORs in one group
- This can return way more contacts than expected
- Consider if you really want "any of these" or "all of these"
Mistake 3: Forgetting to click Apply Filters
- Your filters won't take effect until you apply them
- If you try to navigate away with unsaved changes, a popup will ask if you want to save, create a new list, or discard
What's Next
[Custom Fields: Setup & Use →]