Dynamic Lists: Keeping a List Up to Date Without Rebuilding It
Last updated: September 4, 2026
Watch: Dynamic Lists in 3 minutes
A 3-minute walkthrough: turning a static list into a Dynamic List, reading the preview before you save, and opening the automation that keeps it current.
Why use Dynamic Lists
A Dynamic List keeps itself current. You set the conditions once, and every company or person that matches is added automatically as your data changes — from CRED data, from fields you sync from your CRM, and from scores you build yourself. CRED refreshes its company and person data on a daily and weekly cycle, and your list re-checks itself against that data every hour — so a company that newly qualifies turns up on its own.
Use it when you want to:
Keep a target list accurate without re-running a search every week
Catch companies the moment they cross a threshold you care about — funding raised, digital spend, headcount growth
Work from your own scoring, so a company enters the list as soon as its score qualifies
Hand your team a list they can trust is current, instead of a snapshot from last month
Trigger more than a list update — notify a channel, sync to your CRM, or start a sequence when a record matches
Where to find it
Open Lists, then open any company or contact list.
On a list that isn't dynamic yet, select the row above the table: Make this a Dynamic List — the backing automation is created for you.
On a list that is already dynamic, the Dynamic banner sits in the same place, with Change filters, View history, and a ⋯ menu holding Automation and Turn off dynamic. It also shows the live conditions as chips, how many records the filter has added or removed, and when the list last synced.
In the lists sidebar, a lightning icon marks every list that is dynamic.
The automation behind a Dynamic List lives in Automation → Workflow builder, reachable from Automation in the banner's ⋯ menu.
Dynamic Lists are available for company and contact lists. Other list types don't show the option. The feature is being rolled out progressively — if you don't see it on an eligible list, message our support channels and we'll enable it for your workspace.
How to set it up
Prerequisites:
A company or contact list
Permission to edit that list's records (list owner, or a member the list is shared with for editing)
1. Open the list and select Make this a Dynamic List
The Create dynamic filters page opens. A note at the top confirms what saving will do: turn the static list into a Dynamic List and create the backing automation.
2. Add your conditions
Select Filters and pick a field. You get the same filter catalog you use everywhere else in CRED — CRED data attributes, custom fields synced from your CRM, and your own custom scores — plus a Search box for free text.
Add as many conditions as you need. They combine with AND: a record has to match all of them to join the list.
3. Read the live preview
The preview under the rule updates as you type and tells you what the list will look like after you save:
The large number is what the list will hold after saving — not the raw number of matches.
+N incoming are records that will be added, N already in list are records that are already there, and −N will drop off are records the previous filter added that no longer match.
The Incoming and Already in list tabs show the actual records, so you can check the rule found what you intended.
💡 Tip: Previewing never costs credits. It matches against data you already have, so it's safe to try a rule, read the numbers, and adjust before saving.
4. Select Create Dynamic List
Saving does three things: it turns the list dynamic, creates the backing automation, and starts filling the list straight away. Members can take a few minutes to appear.
5. Confirm it worked
Go back to the list. You should see the Dynamic pill and the banner with your filter conditions listed as chips, and matching records in the table.
From then on, records the filter adds while you're away are highlighted and marked New, with a line above the table counting them. Open the list again and the highlight clears — it shows what changed since your last visit, not everything the filter has ever done.
💡 Tip: To change a rule later, select Change filters on the banner. The preview works the same way, so you can see exactly which records a change adds or removes before you commit to it.
Credits
Action | Credit cost |
|---|---|
Previewing a rule before you save | Free |
Creating a Dynamic List and its automation | Free |
Hourly matching, and records added or removed | Free |
Enrichment steps you add to the backing automation yourself | Standard credit cost for that action |
Dynamic Lists match against data already in your workspace — matching never triggers enrichment, so it never debits credits. Credits are only involved if you add an enrichment action (for example Enrich entity or Generate contacts) to the automation behind the list, and they're debited when that action runs.
Full breakdown: credit consumption table · FAQs (Credits)
Permissions
Anyone who can edit the records in a list can make it dynamic, change its filters, or turn dynamic off. If a list is shared with you as view-only, you'll see the Dynamic banner but can't change the rule.
Sharing and visibility are unchanged. Making a list dynamic doesn't alter who can see it; it stays private or shared exactly as before.
The backing automation appears in Automation → Workflow builder and follows your workspace's normal workflow access — anyone who can open workflows can add steps to it.
Managing an existing Dynamic List is never blocked by feature rollout: even where the feature isn't switched on for new lists, Change filters, View history, and Turn off dynamic stay available on lists that are already dynamic.
More on roles: CRED Role Overview: Admin & Member
Data privacy
A Dynamic List only matches records you already have access to in your workspace. It never widens what you can see.
Matching reads existing data — no external lookups and no enrichment happen as part of keeping the list current.
Every change is recorded: which filter version was live, who saved it, and which records it added or dropped. You can review that under View history.
Contact data in person lists is matched under CRED's standard GDPR commitments; nothing new is collected or shared because a list is dynamic.
Details: GDPR & Data Privacy in CRED
FAQs
How often does a Dynamic List update?
Every hour. It also runs immediately when you create a rule or change one, so you don't have to wait for the next scheduled run to see the effect.
How fresh is the data behind a Dynamic List?
CRED refreshes company and person data daily and weekly, depending on the source. Your list checks itself against the latest data every hour, so a record shows up shortly after its data qualifies — you don't need to refresh anything yourself.
Do Dynamic Lists consume credits?
No. Previewing, creating, and the hourly matching are all free, because they use data already in your workspace. Only enrichment actions you add to the backing automation yourself consume credits.
Why don't I see "Make this a Dynamic List" on my list?
Three things to check: the list has to be a company or contact list, you need edit access to it, and the feature has to be enabled for your workspace. If the list is already dynamic you'll see the Dynamic banner instead of the offer.
What happens to records I added by hand?
They stay. Records you or a teammate added manually are never removed by the filter, even if they stop matching the rule — and they survive turning dynamic off. Only records the filter added can be removed by the filter.
The preview shows two different numbers. Which one matters?
The large number is what your list will hold after saving. If a line underneath says something like "520 match this rule in total — this save adds the first 498", the rule matches more records than one save applies. Lists hold up to 10,000 records.
Can a Dynamic List do more than add records to a list?
Yes. Every Dynamic List is backed by a real automation you can open from the banner's ⋯ menu under Automation. Add steps after the list update — a web alert, a CRM sync, a Slack or Teams message, an email alert, generating contacts for the companies that just joined, or adding them to a second list — and they run whenever the list changes. This is how the whole platform works: anything you build in a simplified UI gets a mirrored automation under Automation that you can open and configure in full detail.
What happens if I turn off dynamic?
The list becomes a normal static list and keeps every record it holds. The automation behind it is removed so nothing keeps running in the background, and the filter history stays available as a record of what happened.
Can I see what a previous filter did?
Yes. View history lists each version of the rule with who saved it and when, and shows the records that version added and dropped.