# Adding and managing columns

Source: https://listplus.ai/en/help/working-in-a-list/columns-formulas-ai-columns
Last updated: 2026-10-17

Beyond the columns your import created, you can add five kinds of columns —
a **Score**, a **Label** column, an **AI text** column, a **Formula** or a
**Data column** — and show, hide, reorder, rename or delete any of them.

## Adding a column

Click **+ Column** next to the search field in the list's header — or open
the list's **⋯** menu and choose **Add Column...** (you can also start this
from a column's own header menu, which inserts the new column right next to
it). The **New column** dialog offers five kinds; each card shows an
example, typical uses and its pricing before you pick it:

- **Score** — gives every record points for the criteria it meets, with
  tiers A/B/C as a second column (see "Scoring a list and assigning records
  to groups").
- **Label** — puts every record into one of your own groups by rules, for
  example a segment (same article).
- **AI text** — generates a text per row from an AI instruction you write
  (see below).
- **Formula** — computes a value from other columns using a formula you
  write (see below).
- **Data column** — search or browse column types (Email, Phone, Company,
  and dozens more) or fall back to a generic Text, Number, Date or Boolean
  column. The name auto-fills from the type; you can overwrite it before
  creating.

## Show, hide and reorder columns

Open **More → Columns** to show or hide columns with a checkbox and drag
them into a new order. Column order and visibility are list-level settings,
separate from your cell edits.

## Renaming a column

Click the **Set up** icon next to the list's name (or **⋯** menu → **List Settings...**),
open **Columns**, click a column to expand it, and edit its **Title** field.
Click **Apply Changes** at the bottom to save the rename. This section also lets you adjust a
column's content type and data type.

## Formula columns

A formula column computes its value from other columns in the same row
— it's free and never calls the AI. Reference another column by its name in
curly braces, e.g. `{Price} * {Quantity}`, `{First Name} & " " & {Last Name}`,
`IF({Revenue} > 1000, "Enterprise", "SMB")`, `ROUND({Amount} * 1.19, 2)`, or
`COALESCE({Mobile}, {Phone}, "N/A")`. The editor shows a live preview on your
first sample rows as you type, and flags an invalid formula before you can
create the column. The grid shows the value at once; ListPlus also stores it
in the list and recalculates it when a referenced column changes, so formula
values are part of your exports, visible to the API and usable in list
triggers. A small pulsing dot in a cell means its new value is being stored.

## AI text columns

An AI text column lets the AI write a short text for every row from your own
prompt, using `{Column Name}` placeholders to pull in that row's values — for
example `Classify {Company} in {Industry} as B2B or B2C` or `What seniority
level is "{Job Title}"? Reply: Junior, Mid, Senior, or Executive`. The editor
previews the rendered prompt on your first sample rows.

On the right, under **What the AI sees**, you see what the first run costs
at most, and **Test on 10 rows** tries the prompt on ten rows of your list for free and shows the
answers — sharpen the prompt there before you pay for the whole list.

When you click **Create column**, ListPlus writes the texts for the whole
list in the background — every row, not only the ones a filter shows — and
stores them directly in the list. There is nothing to apply or confirm. Rows
that share the exact same request get one answer (with **The AI also reads**
switched on, each row's request usually differs): a 10,000-row list
with a few hundred different job titles needs a few hundred texts, not ten
thousand. Rows where every referenced column is empty stay empty.

Afterwards:

- **New rows** get their text automatically.
- **A changed value** does not rewrite a text by itself — a text you may
  already be using should not change under you. The cell gets a small grey
  dot; click **Run** in the column's header (next to the purple AI badge), or
  **Run AI column** in the header menu, to write the missing and outdated
  texts again.
- If you change the prompt, the whole column is written again.

### Recipes, what the AI reads, and when it writes

The **AI text** dialog has two sides: on the left you say what to write, on
the right **What the AI sees** shows the complete request for one of your
rows, the cost of the first run and **Test on 10 rows**.

- **Start from a recipe** fills in a ready-made instruction with your own
  column names — Opening line, Why a fit?, What is missing?, B2B or B2C,
  Seniority. You can change the text afterwards.
- **The AI also reads** adds facts about each row to your instruction:
  **Quality check findings** (what the list's checks find in the row — you
  can switch single kinds of findings off, each shows how many rows it
  concerns) and **Enrichment data** (everything enrichment stored for the
  row, also what is in no column).
- **Only write when …** limits the column to rows that meet a condition, for
  example only rows whose Score is at least 60. A row that does not meet it
  gets no text and costs nothing.

A text costs credits (see "[Price list: what every action costs](https://listplus.ai/en/help/plans-credits-billing/price-list)"); an empty answer costs nothing, and equal
inputs are written once. Automatic texts for new rows have a daily credit
ceiling per list. If that is used up, or the balance doesn't cover
the next texts, the **Run** button turns into a pause mark that says why —
click it to continue.

## Editing or deleting a column

Click the menu icon in a column's header for **Edit formula** (formula
columns), **Edit score** (score and tier columns), **Edit label** (Label columns), **Edit AI column**
and **Run AI column** (AI text columns), or **Delete
column** — greyed out for the built-in system columns such as Tags.

**Related topics:** scores-and-assigned-columns · saving-is-manual · segments-and-tags · ai-commands.

## FAQ

### How do I add a new column to my list?

Click **+ Column** next to the search field in the list's header (or open the list's **⋯** menu and choose **Add Column...**), then pick Score, Label, AI text, Formula, or Data column (a data type like Email or Phone, or a generic Text/Number/Date/Boolean).

### How do I hide or show columns?

Open **More → Columns** and use the checkbox next to each column to show or hide it; drag a column in that list to reorder it in the grid. To look at a value from a source without keeping it, use **Show column** in the Record panel — a temporary, read-only column that is not saved (see "[The Record panel: best values and sources](https://listplus.ai/en/help/working-in-a-list/record-panel)").

### How do I rename a column?

Click the **Set up** icon next to the list's name, open **Columns**, click the column to expand it, edit the **Title** field, then click **Apply Changes**.

### What is a Formula column and does it cost credits?

A Formula column computes a value from other columns in the same row, for example `{Price} * {Quantity}` or `IF({Revenue} > 1000, "Enterprise", "SMB")`. It's free and never calls the AI. The value is shown at once and stored in the list, and it is recalculated whenever a referenced column changes — so it also appears in exports and can be used in list triggers.

### What is an AI text column and how much does it cost?

An AI text column lets the AI write a short text per row from a prompt you write, using `{Column Name}` to pull in row values. It costs credits per text; rows with identical inputs share one text, and an empty answer costs nothing. The dialog shows the maximum cost of the first run before you create the column, and Test on 10 rows is free.

### Can an AI text column use the quality checks or enrichment data?

Yes. In the AI text dialog switch on Quality check findings or Enrichment data under "The AI also reads"; the AI then gets these facts for every row along with your prompt. "What the AI sees" shows the complete request for a row.

### Can an AI text column write only for some rows?

Yes. Switch on "Only write when …" and set a condition, for example Score is at least 60. Rows that do not meet it get no text and cost nothing.

### Do I need to click Save or Apply after running an AI text column?

No. The texts of an AI text column are written directly into the list and stored — there is nothing to apply or confirm. To check a prompt before the whole list is written, use Test on 10 rows in the dialog; it is free.

### Does an AI text column run on every row or only the ones I can see?

On every row of the list, whatever filter is active. Rows where every referenced column is empty stay empty and are not billed. New rows get their text automatically; a row whose values changed is marked with a small grey dot and written again when you click Run in the column's header.

### Why does an AI text column cell show a small grey dot?

The text is missing, or a value the prompt uses has changed since the text was written. ListPlus does not rewrite such a text by itself. Click Run in the column's header to write all missing and outdated texts again; only those are charged.

### How do I edit or delete a Formula or AI text column later?

Click the menu icon in that column's header for **Edit formula** or **Edit AI column** (to change the formula or instruction) and **Run AI column** (AI text columns only); **Delete column** is there too, for every column except the built-in system columns such as Tags.