# Create and manage contact lists

> Create a contact list in MailMachine, configure its sender, language and redirect pages, and avoid paying for duplicates.

Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/contacts-audiences/create-and-manage-contact-lists
Updated: 2026-06-10

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A contact list holds the name, email address and any other details you want to keep for each subscriber. Lists are how you organise your audience, send campaigns, and compare performance from one group to another. This guide covers creating a list and configuring its settings.

:::info
Creating multiple lists is available on selected plans. If you don't see the option to add a new list, it may not be included on your current plan - [get in touch](/knowledgebase/getting-started/how-to-create-a-support-ticket-in-mykualo) and we'll let you know your options.
:::

## Create a list

1. Go to **Audience**, then **Contacts**.
2. Click the **gear wheel** on the right of the page.
3. In the list selector, click the small arrow to open the dropdown.
4. Choose **New list**.
5. Give the list a name, then click **Save**.
6. Use the **Attributes** tab to manage the list's attributes (see **[Add attributes to your list](/knowledgebase/contacts-audiences/add-attributes-to-your-list)**).
7. Use the **Default sender** tab to set the address this list sends from by default.
8. Use the **Settings** tab to set the list's default language.
9. Use the **Redirect pages** tab to set custom pages people see when they subscribe or unsubscribe.
10. Click **Save** when you're done.

## A note on duplicate emails

The same email address can sit on more than one list, and a contact who's active on five lists counts as five contacts towards your total. To avoid paying for the same person several times - and to keep their whole history (campaigns, clicks and so on) in one place - we recommend one list per language, and using **[segments](/knowledgebase/contacts-audiences/create-segments)** to slice it rather than splitting into many lists.

## Troubleshooting

**Can't create a new list** - check this is included on your plan and you haven't hit your list limit, that you have administrator permissions, and that the name has no special characters.

**Default sender won't save** - the sender must already exist and be authenticated, and its domain verified. Set the sender up first if needed.

**Duplicate contacts across lists** - use segmentation instead of multiple lists, consolidate by language, and deduplicate before importing.

**List settings won't update** - save after each change, check for validation errors, and try one setting at a time.

**Custom redirect pages don't work** - use complete URLs (with https://), make sure the pages are public, and avoid spaces or special characters.

**Can't see list-management options** - confirm you're clicking the right gear icon and have the permissions; logging out and back in can help.

If a list won't behave, [open a support ticket](/knowledgebase/getting-started/how-to-create-a-support-ticket-in-mykualo).

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_Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/contacts-audiences/create-and-manage-contact-lists · © Kualo Ltd._