> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.meetgail.com/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.meetgail.com/_mcp/server.

# Create Contact List

> Creates a new contact list in Gail to group contacts for targeted outreach.

The Create Contact List node sets up a new, empty contact list in Gail and hands back its
ID. Use it to provision a list at the start of a workflow so later steps can populate it
with the right people.

## When to use it

* You want to group a set of contacts, for example a segment of inbound leads, before
  reaching out to them.
* You need a fresh list created on the fly, named for the run or the segment it holds.
* You plan to add contacts to the list later in the same workflow using the new list's ID.

## Inputs

| Field       | What it's for                                   | Example                                                                     |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| List name   | The display name of the new list. Required.     | `High-Value Renewals`                                                       |
| Description | A short note on what the list is for. Required. | `Policyholders up for renewal this quarter, flagged for priority outreach.` |

Both fields can be fixed values or [expressions](/platform/workflows/core-concepts/expressions/using-expressions-in-nodes)
that draw from earlier steps, so a list can be named after whatever triggered the run.

## Outputs

| Field    | What you get back                                                                                                   |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Outcome  | Whether the list was created.                                                                                       |
| New list | On success, the new list including its ID, its name, its status, and its contact count (zero for a brand-new list). |

The new list's ID is the key output: hand it to
[Add Contact to Contact List](/platform/workflows/node-reference/gail/add-contact-to-contact-list)
to start filling the list.

## Example

An agency segments inbound renewal leads by value. A workflow calls Create Contact List
to make a "High-Value Renewals" list, then uses the returned list ID in a following
[Add Contact to Contact List](/platform/workflows/node-reference/gail/add-contact-to-contact-list)
step to add each qualifying policyholder as it processes them.

![The Create Contact List node configuration panel, showing the list name and description.](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/gail.docs.buildwithfern.com/b2df7a2020e53c940abd410e932fb6d873f384a038db821bf700fc9161af69bc/docs/pages/platform/workflows/assets/gail-create-contact-list.png?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260823%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260823T232923Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=763e9a41178ee913fbf5f1c248130f92863564c1cc6a2899a881e1dfd3380045&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject)

The list name and description cannot be blank. If either is drawn from an earlier step
and arrives empty, the node reports the problem rather than creating an unnamed list.

## Related nodes

#### [Add Contact to Contact List](/platform/workflows/node-reference/gail/add-contact-to-contact-list)

Fill the new list with existing contacts.

#### [Add Contact](/platform/workflows/node-reference/gail/add-contact)

Create a contact you can then add to the list.

#### [Create Campaign](/platform/workflows/node-reference/gail/create-campaign)

Set up a campaign to reach the contacts you have grouped.