Assigning Contacts to Lists

Learn how to add and remove contacts from lists to organize your contact database effectively.

Overview #

Contacts can belong to multiple lists simultaneously. Assign lists during contact creation, editing, or through bulk operations.

Prerequisites:

• At least one list created
• Permission to update contacts and read list definitions

Assigning Contacts to Lists #

Method 1: During Contact Creation #

1. PloverCRM → Contacts → Add New Contact
2. Fill in contact information
3. In Lists metabox (sidebar), check desired lists
4. Click Publish

Method 2: Editing Existing Contacts #

1. PloverCRM → Contacts → Click contact
2. In Lists metabox, check/uncheck lists
3. Click Update

Method 3: Bulk Assignment #

1. PloverCRM → Contacts → Select multiple contacts
2. Bulk Actions → Edit → Apply
3. In bulk edit panel, select lists
4. Click Update

Note: Bulk edit adds lists without removing existing assignments.

Method 4: Via API #

curl -X PUT https:<span class="hljs-regexp">//y</span>oursite.com<span class="hljs-regexp">/wp-json/</span>plover-crm<span class="hljs-regexp">/v1/</span>contacts<span class="hljs-regexp">/123 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_PASSWORD" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/</span>json<span class="hljs-string">" \
  -d '{"</span>lists<span class="hljs-string">": ["</span>newslette<span class="hljs-string">r", "</span>customers<span class="hljs-string">", "</span>vip<span class="hljs-string">"]}'</span>

Note: API accepts list slugs or IDs and replaces entire list assignment.

Removing Contacts from Lists #

Single Contact #

1. Open contact → Uncheck list in Lists metabox → Update

Multiple Contacts #

1. Filter by list → Select contacts
2. Bulk Actions → Edit → Uncheck list → Update

Remove All from a List #

1. PloverCRM → Lists → Hover over list → View
2. Select all contacts → Bulk Actions → Edit
3. Uncheck list → Update

List Behavior #

Multiple Assignment:

• Contacts can belong to unlimited lists
• List assignments are independent
• Lists are non-hierarchical

Permissions:

• Super Admin: Assign any list to any contact
• Custom Roles: Require list_definitions read permission
• Update Scope: Must have permission to update the contact

Use Cases #

Segmentation: Industry (Real Estate, Healthcare), Location (North America, Europe), Company Size (Enterprise, SMB)

Lifecycle Stages: Leads, Qualified Leads, Customers, Churned Customers

Campaign Management: Q1 2026 Campaign, Product Launch Attendees, Webinar Registrants

Team Assignment: Sales Team A, Support Queue, Account Management

Best Practices #

• Use clear, descriptive list names with consistent patterns
• Regularly review and clean up unused lists
• Remove contacts when no longer relevant
• Use form integrations for automatic assignment
• Document the purpose of each list

Troubleshooting #

Issue	Solution
Lists metabox not visible	Check list_definitions permission, verify Screen Options
Lists not saving	Verify update permission, check browser console for errors
Bulk edit not working	Check update_scope, try smaller batches, verify permissions
API assignment fails	Verify list slugs/IDs, check authentication and permissions

API Reference #

Update Contact Lists:

PUT <span class="hljs-regexp">/wp-json/</span>plover-crm<span class="hljs-regexp">/v1/</span>contacts<span class="hljs-regexp">/{id}</span>

Request:

{ <span class="hljs-attr">"lists"</span>: [<span class="hljs-string">"newsletter"</span>, <span class="hljs-string">"customers"</span>] }

Response:

{
  <span class="hljs-attr">"success"</span>: <span class="hljs-literal">true</span>,
  <span class="hljs-attr">"data"</span>: {
    <span class="hljs-attr">"id"</span>: <span class="hljs-number">123</span>,
    <span class="hljs-attr">"email"</span>: <span class="hljs-string">"[email protected]"</span>,
    <span class="hljs-attr">"lists"</span>: [
      { <span class="hljs-attr">"id"</span>: <span class="hljs-number">1</span>, <span class="hljs-attr">"title"</span>: <span class="hljs-string">"Newsletter"</span>, <span class="hljs-attr">"slug"</span>: <span class="hljs-string">"newsletter"</span> },
      { <span class="hljs-attr">"id"</span>: <span class="hljs-number">2</span>, <span class="hljs-attr">"title"</span>: <span class="hljs-string">"Customers"</span>, <span class="hljs-attr">"slug"</span>: <span class="hljs-string">"customers"</span> }
    ]
  }
}

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Last Updated: February 3, 2026