Phone Lists Types

Updated by Cassidy Chassagne

You can create a phone list or search from the Broadcast or Phone Audience pages. This resource explains what types of lists or searches you can pull in Switchboard.

You can choose any list or search you’ve previously created in Switchboard – whether it be in the Broadcasts or Phone Audience page.

  • A Saved Search is a dynamic set of filters that allows you to save your audience criteria. The search will refresh when the message is sent, saving you the step of having to re-pull a static list before each send goes out. Build your criteria once, and reuse your audiences all cycle long!
  • A Saved List is a static list of phones that does not update after the time of creation.
Create a List with the Audience Builder

You can build complex audiences using ActBlue donation, engagement, and location data. If you are using Switchboard for both texting and email, you can create email lists using data from your texting program and vice versa. Learn more about the audience builder here.

Upload a CSV

You can upload phone numbers into Switchboard. You also are able to bulk apply a label to your CSV uploads. You must have a column labeled phone_number or cell to indicate to Switchboard which numbers to use for sending. Any additional columns you upload will be available for message customization. To upload a CSV, follow the below instructions:

  1. Click New Audience > Upload CSV from either the Broadcast page or the Phone Audience page.
  2. This will open a new window where you can:
    1. Name your list
    2. Upload your CSV
    3. Set reusable fields
    4. Apply labels
Ensure that your fields do not have any line breaks or commas. This can cause misalignment between your file's headers and the fields below. If you aren't sure, one way to make sure your CSV is formatted correctly is uploading the file to Google Sheets and then re-downloading it as a CSV.
Import from NGPVAN

You can cut phone lists from your NGP/Votebuilder/EveryAction data directly in your Switchboard account. In order for your saved lists to populate in Switchboard, you must set up an NGP Integration with Switchboard. Once you do that, you can use these lists directly in your Switchboard account. Learn more about NGPVAN integrations and how to import your NGPVAN lists to Switchboard here.

Split an Existing List

You can create multiple segments from a list that already exists. This is great for A/B testing! You'll need to have uploaded all relevant phone lists before being able to split it. To split an existing list, follow the below instructions:

  1. Click New Audience > Split Existing List from either the Broadcast page or the Phone Audience page.
  2. This will open a new window where you can choose the list to split and then split the list by:
    1. Equal Parts
    2. An Exact Count
    3. By Percentage
Combine or Suppress Lists

You can create a new custom phone list that includes all of the contacts in the list(s) you choose to combine and suppress any contact in the list(s) you'd like to suppress. Before taking this step, you'll need to have uploaded all relevant phone lists. 

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