# Starting without data: templates and column sets

Source: https://listplus.ai/en/help/lists-and-import/empty-list-and-templates
Last updated: 2026-09-28

Choosing **Start without data** on the New List page skips import entirely
and asks "What do you want to collect?" — pick a template for a ready-made
set of columns, or start from a blank structure and pick your own. Before
you have any lists, the Lists page offers the same path as **Empty list** →
**Create list** under "Ways to your first list". The new list is created in
your active workspace.

## Templates

Three templates are shown up front: **Contacts** (a full CRM-quality record —
person, company and location fields), **Outbound** (campaign-ready fields:
email, LinkedIn, phone plus the ICP data used to target leads) and
**Companies** (company profile and firmographic fields). Click **More
templates** for **HubSpot** (contact and status fields matching HubSpot's own
properties) and **Custom structure**, which starts with no columns and opens
the column picker immediately.

## Customizing the columns

Every template pre-selects a set of columns, grouped as Person, Contact,
Company, Location and Other details. Click **Customize columns** to check or
uncheck any of them, search for and add a column from the full catalogue
(dozens of types across categories like social, marketing, sales and more),
or click **Show all columns** to browse the whole catalogue by category. You
can rename, add or remove columns again at any time after the list is
created — see "[Adding and managing columns](https://listplus.ai/en/help/working-in-a-list/columns-formulas-ai-columns)."

## Naming and creating

The list name auto-fills from the template (e.g. "My contacts," "Outbound
campaign") but you can edit it before clicking **Create list**. The list
opens with one empty row, ready to fill by typing, importing a file, or
running enrichment or a finder into it.

## Cost

Starting a list this way is free — only file, connected-tool and LinkedIn
imports are billed.

**Related topics:** create-list-and-import-file · columns-formulas-ai-columns ·
sample-list.

## FAQ

### What templates can I choose from when starting without data?

Contacts, Outbound and Companies are shown up front; click **More templates** for HubSpot and **Custom structure** (no preset columns). Each pre-selects a set of columns you can adjust before creating the list.

### What's the difference between the Contacts and Outbound templates?

Contacts is a full CRM-style record with person, company and location fields. Outbound is trimmed to what a campaign needs — email, LinkedIn, phone and the firmographic fields used for targeting, like industry and company size.

### What does the HubSpot template include?

Contact fields (email, name, company, job title, phone, city, country) plus HubSpot-specific fields like lead status, lifecycle stage and owner, matching HubSpot's own properties.

### What is "Custom structure"?

A blank starting point with no preset columns — choosing it opens the column picker right away so you build your own set from the full catalogue.

### Can I change which columns are included before I create the list?

Yes — click **Customize columns** to check or uncheck any of the template's columns, search the catalogue to add more, or click **Show all columns** to browse every available column type by category.

### Does starting a list without data cost credits?

No, it's free. Only importing a file, connecting a tool, or a LinkedIn import charges credits.

### Where do I start an empty list?

On the New List page (New List button on Home), choose Start without data. If you have no lists yet, the Lists page also shows Empty list with a Create list button under "Ways to your first list", which opens the same template step. Either way it is free, and the list is created in your active workspace.

### Can I just start with a blank list and add my own rows?

Yes — pick **Custom structure**, choose your columns, name the list and click **Create list**. It opens with one empty row; add more rows and type your data in directly, or import or enrich it later.