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Shout Help Center

Sync lists with an app

A supported app import can stay linked to a Shout list. Use Sync now to import new and changed subscribers and reconcile unsubscribe status in both systems. It does not run on a schedule.

Which providers support linked lists?

Section titled “Which providers support linked lists?”

Linked-list sync is available for:

  • ActiveCampaign lists
  • Mailchimp audiences
  • ConvertKit subscriber sources

Other app imports are saved one-off imports. They can be run again, but they do not offer the linked-list unsubscribe sync described here.

Section titled “How do I link a list?”
  1. Start an import from Contacts → Add contacts → Import from an app.
  2. Choose ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp or ConvertKit and select the list, audience or subscriber source.
  3. Map the source fields, review the preview, and on the final Import step choose the Shout list.
  4. Start the import. The saved source appears under Synced lists and imports.

The source-to-Shout import is the normal direction: it brings contact records into Shout. A linked list additionally carries unsubscribe changes in the other direction as described below.

How do I sync a linked list?

Section titled “How do I sync a linked list?”

Open Contacts → Sync lists, review the linked lists visible to you, and click Sync now. Sync is manual; Shout does not periodically run it for you.

A sync:

  • imports new and changed subscribers into the linked Shout list;
  • reads provider unsubscribes and bounces and applies them to contacts in that Shout list;
  • sends Shout unsubscribe changes back to the provider; and
  • keeps a contact unsubscribed rather than resubscribing it during the import.

The contact-import portion uses the account’s normal import limit. Unsubscribe reconciliation still runs when the import reaches that limit.

Are provider rules the same?

Section titled “Are provider rules the same?”

No. ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp apply provider-side unsubscribe status to the linked list. ConvertKit applies provider-side unsubscribe status account-wide. Review the provider’s own audience or subscriber settings when you need to understand the provider-side effect.

What does sync not do?

Section titled “What does sync not do?”

Sync does not:

  • add or subscribe a new contact in the provider;
  • remove contacts or list memberships from either system;
  • run on a schedule; or
  • send ordinary contact changes from Shout back to the provider (only Shout unsubscribe changes are pushed).

An ordinary, unlinked app import does not send new contacts back to its source app.

Section titled “How do I stop or link a list again?”

Stop the linked import from Synced lists and imports. Future imports and unsubscribe updates then stop, but contacts and list memberships already brought into Shout remain. Start the import again from the provider source and select a Shout list to create the link again.

For an unlinked saved import, use Import again rather than Sync now.