Immediate Value
After this tutorial, you’ll have a working list with real entries, understand the three kinds of field, and know how to filter and visualize your data in multiple views.Prerequisites
None — this is your starting point.Quick-Start Roadmap
- Create your first list (from template or scratch)
- Add your first entry
- Understand the three kinds of field
- Filter your list to surface what matters
- Switch to Board view for pipeline visualization
- Add a custom column/field
- Plan which lists you actually need
Why Lists Matter
Lists organize your deals, contacts, and opportunities. Every record in Affinity belongs to one or more lists, and every workflow — pipeline reviews, portfolio monitoring, fundraising tracking — starts by deciding which list a record belongs to.See Getting started with lists for an overview of how lists fit into the rest of Affinity.
Task 1: Create Your First List
Context
Lists organize your deals, contacts, and opportunities. Templates are fastest if your workflow matches a common pattern; build from scratch if you have specific fields in mind.🎬 Watch
Action
- In the left sidebar, click the “Add New” button at the top.
- Select “New List” from the menu (it appears in the menu’s list-creation section).
- The new-list dialog opens with built-in templates shown by default. Either:
- Pick a template that fits your workflow → name your list → Create.
- Or click “Build from scratch” → choose type (Organization / People / Opportunity) → name → Create.
Expected Outcome
Your new list appears in the left sidebar under Lists. It’s empty and ready for entries.📚 Help Center
- How to create a new list in Affinity
- Types of lists in Affinity
- How to copy a list template (Classic Lists)
Task 2: Add Your First Entry
Context
Most contacts already exist in Affinity from email sync. Adding them to a list is a search-and-add, not a re-entry.Action
- Open your list.
- Click the ”+” button in the row-header to start a new entry.
- Type a person’s or company’s name.
- If a match appears: click to add it to the list.
- If no match: click Create “…” at the bottom of the results → enter the required fields (Name; Email for a person) → Create.
Pressing Enter picks the closest existing match, not the name you typed — click Create “…” when you mean to make a new record. If the list has required fields, a form asks you to fill them in first.
Expected Outcome
Your list shows one entry. Email, meeting history, and enriched data populate automatically from email sync and integrations.📚 Help Center
Task 3: Understand the Three Kinds of Field
Context
Every column in a list is one of three kinds of field. Knowing which one you’re editing tells you whether the change stays in this list, shows up everywhere, or stops auto-updates from an enrichment source.Action
How to tell them apart: click Customize in the toolbar, or the + at the right end of the column headers. Fields are grouped by where they come from — List Specific, Global, Activity Enriched, Affinity Data, and each connected data source.
How enriched values look: by default (Minimal style), enriched values appear as ordinary black text and your own overrides are highlighted yellow. Prefer green for enriched data? Choose Classic style in List Options → Enrichment Style — it’s a personal setting that applies to all your lists.
Expected Outcome
You can tell global, list-specific, and enriched fields apart and know what an edit will change.📚 Help Center
- Enriched Global and List-specific Fields
- Enrichment display styles in New Lists
- Crunchbase data in Affinity
- Dealroom data in Affinity
Task 4: Filter Your List
Context
Filters narrow a list down to the rows you want to act on — active deals, a specific industry, entries missing data.Action
Method 1 (from a column header)
- Click any column header.
- Choose Filter [column name].
- Pick an operator and values — the Filter panel opens with that column ready.
Method 2 (full filter bar)
- Click Filter in the list toolbar, or press Cmd+Shift+F (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+F (Windows).
- Click Add Filter, choose a column, an operator, and values.
Expected Outcome
Your list shows a filtered subset, and a count badge on the Filter button shows how many filters are active.📚 Help Center
Task 5: Try Board View
Context
Board view shows list entries as cards organized by a Status column. Useful for pipeline reviews where you want to drag entries between stages.Action
- Click the + at the end of the view tabs, just above the column headers, and choose Board View under Create a new view. To turn the view you’re on into a board instead, open the view menu (⋯) and choose Save as new board view.
- Your entries appear as cards in columns grouped by Status. To group by a different dropdown or ranked dropdown field, click Customize → Group cards by.
- Drag a card to a different column to update its status.
Board view is still rolling out. If your board shows a placeholder instead of cards, board view isn’t enabled for your organization yet — use Sheet view sorted by Status in the meantime.
Expected Outcome
You see your list entries as cards in columns. Dragging a card updates its Status automatically.📚 Help Center
Task 6: Add a Custom Column/Field
Context
Custom fields let you track data points specific to your firm’s workflow — deal size, sector focus, investment thesis, anything you need that isn’t in the default fields.Action
- Click the + at the right end of the column headers. (You can also use Customize → + New Field, or a column header’s Insert column left / right.)
- Search first — if the field already exists, select it to add it to this list. Fields already on the list are marked.
- If there’s no match, create a new field and choose its type (Text, Number, Date, Dropdown, Ranked Dropdown, Person, Organization, Location, or Formula).
- Name the field, choose single or multiple values, and configure any options.
- Save.
Expected Outcome
A new column appears in your list, ready to populate.📚 Help Center
Task 7: Plan Which Lists You Actually Need
Context
Before creating more lists, sketch out what you need. Each list type maps to a workflow your team runs.Action
Consider which lists your team needs based on the workflows you run:Expected Outcome
You have a plan for which lists to create and who on your team will use each one.Common Questions
Can I change a list's type after creation?
Can I change a list's type after creation?
No. Organization, People, and Opportunity list types are permanent. Create a new list if you need a different type.
What's the difference between a list entry and a profile?
What's the difference between a list entry and a profile?
A profile is the global record for a person or company (visible across all lists). A list entry is that profile’s presence in a specific list, with list-specific fields. One profile can appear in many lists.
How do I import data from a spreadsheet?
How do I import data from a spreadsheet?
Importing isn’t in New Lists yet. Switch the list to Classic — see Switching between New and Classic Lists — then open List Options → Import data and upload a CSV. Switch back when the import finishes. See the import guide for field mapping details.
Will editing a global field affect other lists?
Will editing a global field affect other lists?
Yes. Global fields are shared across all lists. Changing “Industry” on a company in your deal pipeline will also change it in your portfolio list and everywhere else that company appears.
See It In Action
Where to Go Next
- Next tutorial: Tutorial 2: Navigating Profiles and Understanding Your Data
- Learning Paths: This tutorial is Step 1 in all five learning paths