How to Create Smart Email Lists Based on Saved Searches

A Smart Email List is an email list that stays up to date automatically based on one of your saved searches. Instead of manually adding and removing subscribers, you just set up your search criteria once, save the search, and MonkeyPod keeps the list in sync with your data behind the scenes. Anyone who matches your search criteria gets added as a subscriber; anyone who no longer matches gets removed.

This is especially useful for ongoing communications where your audience changes over time -- like a list of active members, current volunteers, or donors.

How do I create a Smart Email List?

First, build and save the search that defines who should be on the list. Then, from your saved search results, select Create Smart Email List. MonkeyPod will create a new email list linked to that search and begin syncing subscribers automatically to populate the list.

How does MonkeyPod keep the list up to date?

MonkeyPod syncs your Smart Email List in a few different ways:

• When your search criteria change: If you update the saved search that powers the list, a sync runs automatically to update the list based on the new criteria.
• Daily: All Smart Email Lists are refreshed overnight so your list reflects recent changes to your data.
• Before a campaign sends: When you send a campaign to a Smart Email List, MonkeyPod automatically refreshes the list one final time before any emails go out, so your campaign reaches exactly the right people. You may notice the campaign status change to Updating List briefly after you send. This is normal -- MonkeyPod is doing a final sync to make sure the subscriber list is current before dispatching any emails. Once the update is complete, sending will continue automatically. You don't need to do anything.
• On demand: On the subscribers tab for your list, you can select Update Now to trigger a manual sync. This option is available once every 15 minutes.

When a relationship no longer matches your search criteria, they are unsubscribed from the Smart Email List automatically. However, if they later match the criteria again—say, they renew a lapsed membership or make a new donation—they'll be resubscribed automatically as well. Manual unsubscribes and "do not email" preferences are always respected and will not be overridden.

What are some good examples of how I might use Smart Email Lists?

Here are a few ideas of how you can use MonkeyPod's Smart Email Lists.

Recurring donors: Create a list of your monthly and annual recurring donors, so you can send them exclusive updates or stewardship content that acknowledges their ongoing commitment. Anyone who cancels their recurring gift drops off automatically.

Event follow-up: Build a list of everyone who purchased a ticket to or gave a donation at your annual gala. After the event, you can repurpose it as a follow-up stewardship list for next year's cultivation.

Local supporters: A list of relationships within 25 miles of your organization—useful for ongoing local engagement emails, volunteer recruitment, or event invitations without having to re-create the list each time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to the Smart Email List if you delete the related saved search?  

If you delete the saved search that a Smart Email List is based on, your "smart" list will become a standard list with no "smarts" for auto-updating it. The relationships currently in the list will remain there, and you can manually add or remove relationships.

Are there any dynamic attributes for relative time periods (like "Last Fiscal Year" or "Past 3 months"?

Not currently — but we'll get those added soon.  If you save a search for 1/1/25-12/31/25 as "last year", that is a fixed date range.