> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.flowforth.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Understanding Lists vs. Categories

> Learn the difference between lists and categories in Flowforth and how each one affects email sending and preferences.

Flowforth uses both **Lists** and **Categories** to manage how emails are sent and how recipients receive them. Understanding the difference is key to effective email communication.

***

## What Are Lists?

**Lists** come directly from **Planning Center**. They determine **who** receives an email.

* Lists are created and managed in **Planning Center**, not Flowforth
* Flowforth syncs these lists automatically
* People **cannot remove themselves** from a Planning Center list through Flowforth

### Example Lists:

* "Volunteers"
* "First-Time Guests in the Last 30 Days"
* "Kids Ministry Parents"
* "Small Group Leaders"

<Note>
  Lists answer the question: **"Who should receive this email?"**
</Note>

***

## What Are Categories?

**Categories** are created **within Flowforth**. They describe the **type** of email you're sending.

* Categories let recipients **choose what emails they want** without fully unsubscribing
* They give people control over their inbox while staying connected
* This leads to **fewer full unsubscribes** and better engagement

### Example Categories:

* "All Church Updates"
* "Kids Ministry"
* "Youth Ministry"
* "Event Announcements"
* "Volunteer Reminders"

<Note>
  Categories answer the question: **"What kind of email is this?"**
</Note>

***

## Why Categories Matter

Without categories, recipients have only two options: receive all your emails or unsubscribe completely.

Categories give people a **third option**: stay subscribed but opt out of specific types of emails they're not interested in.

### The Problem Categories Solve

Imagine a parent who:

* Wants to receive **Kids Ministry** updates
* Doesn't want **Youth Ministry** emails (their kids are young)
* Wants **All Church** announcements

Without categories, if they receive a Youth Ministry email, their only options are:

1. Ignore it (annoying)
2. Unsubscribe from everything (you lose them)

With categories, they can **unsubscribe from just Youth Ministry** and keep receiving everything else.

***

## How Recipients Manage Preferences

Every email includes an **unsubscribe or manage preferences** link in the footer. When recipients click this link, they can:

1. **Unsubscribe from a specific category** - Stop receiving that type of email
2. **Resubscribe to categories** - Opt back into categories they previously left
3. **Unsubscribe from all emails** - Fully opt out (last resort)

<Warning>
  Even if someone is on a Planning Center list, Flowforth will **not send them an email** if they've unsubscribed from that email's category. Their preferences are always respected.
</Warning>

***

## How They Work Together

When you send an email, you select:

1. **A List** → Who the email goes to (from Planning Center)
2. **A Category** → What type of email it is (from Flowforth)

Flowforth then **filters the list** to only include people who:

* Are on the selected list
* Are subscribed to the selected category
* Haven't fully unsubscribed

### Example Scenario

You're sending a **Youth Ministry** email to the **"All Church"** list:

| Person | On "All Church" List | Youth Ministry Category | Will Receive? |
| ------ | -------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------- |
| Sarah  | ✅ Yes                | ✅ Subscribed            | ✅ Yes         |
| Mike   | ✅ Yes                | ❌ Unsubscribed          | ❌ No          |
| Tom    | ❌ No                 | ✅ Subscribed            | ❌ No          |
| Lisa   | ✅ Yes                | ✅ Subscribed            | ✅ Yes         |

Mike won't receive the email even though he's on the list because he unsubscribed from the Youth Ministry category.

***

## Best Practices

### For Lists

* Create specific lists in Planning Center for different groups
* Use dynamic lists when possible (e.g., "Parents with kids in Youth Group")
* Keep lists updated and clean

### For Categories

* **Fewer, broader categories are better** - Too many categories overwhelm recipients and reduce effectiveness
* Aim for **3-6 categories** that cover your main communication types
* Use clear, descriptive names recipients will understand
* Think in terms of **departments** (e.g., Kids, Youth, Worship) rather than campuses. Campus-based segmentation is best managed through your Planning Center lists, keeping that structure in one place.
* Think in terms of ministry areas or communication types, not specific events

### General Tips

* Always assign a category to every email
* Let recipients know they can manage preferences (mention it occasionally)
* Review category subscription stats to understand what content people want

***

Need help organizing your lists or categories? Contact [support@flowforth.co](mailto:support@flowforth.co).