Hi. Would appreciate some advice.

I can get Smart Lists to work everywhere except Groups. Have tried several times, using different parameters, to create Smart List Groups and they never populate. Empty groups. I can create a normal group, but not these.

Any advice? Thanks!

Ian

Hi Ian,

A Smart list filters items in your database and returns only those items that match the criteria you have specified.
If you create a smart-list in Groups and the criteria does match something in the database, your smart-list will give you results.

Thanks!
Sean M

Agreed Sean. But it isn't working.

For example, I have 177 contacts with Category = Customer.

i create a Smart list Group, double click Category, select "is" find Customer from category dropdown and then Okay.

Nothing.

Hi Ian,
Here's the problem: you're creating the smart list in the Groups screen so your criteria is actually returning GROUPS that have the category of Customer.
So, if you want to find Groups that have Contacts in them where the Contact's category is Customer your criteria is:
Contacts>Category>is Customer

If you simply want Daylite to return Contacts to you, then you'll want to make your smart list in the Contacts screen. *Where* you make your smart list controls what type of objects get returned to you.

Hope this helps,
Cynthia

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sean Mendonca,

Thanks Cynthia. That makes sense (and I actually had used this method on another test group).

However, after rechecking and following your advice, I am still getting nothing in Group smart lists (Contacts>Category>is Customer).

I will try in Contacts, but would sure like to figure out what is going wrong for me in Groups as I want to use it for campaigns, etc.

Thanks!

You're most welcome. And you're certain that you have a Group that has Contacts linked to it, where the Contact's category is Customer?

Take care,
Cynthia

I think this is a really typical user experience especially for a first time user.

I haven't found any use cases where I want to filter groups (basically I found groups only useful for static collections that I cannot create a Contact Smart List for). But I have 101 were I want to have groups with dynamic membership based on queries.

I would very much like to see a group which acts like a contact smart list but can still contain/parent other groups static or not. This would really help creating hierarchical structures that auto update when state changes.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Andrew Migliore,

quote:

Originally posted by Ian Christie:
Thanks Cynthia. That makes sense (and I actually had used this method on another test group).

However, after rechecking and following your advice, I am still getting nothing in Group smart lists (Contacts>Category>is Customer).

I will try in Contacts, but would sure like to figure out what is going wrong for me in Groups as I want to use it for campaigns, etc.

Thanks!

Hi Ian,

Based on that criteria, all the groups that have Contacts linked to them with the category of is Customer will appear in that smart-list. Remember the smart list that is created will be displaying the object the smart list is created in. So, a smart-list is contacts will display contacts and a smart-list in Groups will display Groups.

If you have created any groups and have contacts linked to them, based on your search criteria, any of those contacts who have the category "customer", those groups will appear.

Thanks!
Sean M