How to Filter Events For Automations and Event List Block

Using Keywords to Filter Automations and Event Lists in ListSend Event Email Platform so that only events with a specific word or words in the title will appear.

The Event List Block now supports keyword filtering, letting you include or exclude specific events based on words in their title.

This works across three areas: the Campaign Builder (one-time sends), the Frequency-Triggered Automations (automated recurring sends or sometimes called roundups), and Event-Triggered Automations (just called "automation" by default in the platform).

Part 1: Filtering in the Campaign Builder

Use this when you're building a one-time campaign and want to control which events appear in your Event List Block.

1. Open the Campaign Builder and add or locate your Event List Block.
2. Click Edit on the Event List Block.
3. You'll see existing options like date range and max events. Below those, click Add Filter.
4. Choose either Include or Exclude from the filter type dropdown.
5. Type the keyword you want to filter by (e.g., "Sproutgrass"). The filter matches any event whose title contains that word or phrase. It is NOT case sensitivity.
6. Click back to the preview to see the updated results. Only events matching your filter criteria will appear.
7. To stack filters, click Add Filter again and enter an additional keyword. All filters apply together -- for example, you could include "Sproutgrass" and also exclude "Spring" to further narrow the list.

Part 2: Filtering in the Frequency-Triggered Automations Builder

Use this when you have a recurring, frequency-based automation (e.g., every Monday at 9am) and want to control which events show up in each automated send.

1. Open your Frequency-Triggered Automation and locate the Event List Block inside the setup form.
2. Click Add Filter on the block.
3. Choose Include or Exclude and enter your keyword.
4. Save your changes. Every time the automation triggers going forward, the event list will apply the filter automatically -- no manual intervention needed per send.

Part 3: Filtering in Event-Triggered Automations

Event-triggered automations have two separate places where filtering applies. It's important to understand the difference between them.

Filter 1: The Trigger Filter (which events activate the automation)

1. Create or open an Event-Triggered Automation.
2. Choose your trigger type (e.g., "Event Coming Up," "New Event Published," "Event Ended," "Event Canceled").
3. You'll see a keyword filter field at the trigger level (the setup form). Enter a keyword here to specify which events should activate this automation at all. For example, entering "Showcase" means only events with "Showcase" in the title will trigger the email to send.

Filter 2: The Event List Block Filter (what appears in the body of the email)

1. Inside the automation email builder, you'll have a Single Event Block that automatically displays the event that triggered the automation (this cannot be filtered -- it always shows the triggering event).
2. Below that, you can add an Event List Block to show related upcoming events. This block supports the same keyword filtering described in Parts 1 and 2.
3. Add your filters to the Event List Block as needed. Note that the event which triggered the automation is automatically excluded from the Event List Block to avoid duplication.

Tips and Use Cases

• Segment by series: If you promote multiple recurring event series under one account, use include filters to build series-specific emails that only surface relevant events to subscribers.
• Suppress certain events: Use exclude filters to keep internal, off-brand, or already-promoted events out of automated roundups.
• Stack filters for precision: Include and exclude filters can be combined on a single block for fine-grained control.