Q: I noticed that my ACT! 2006 [standard] has a ‘Dynamic Members’ feature available for each Group I create. What is it and how can I use it?

 

A: The latest versions of ACT! (2005 and newer) have included some very handy features including the one you just mentioned – Dynamic Members. This feature will automatically scan your Contacts for a criteria that you define and add them (or even remove them) from a Group. This feature will definitely save you time. For example, let's say you have a Group named ‘Newsletter’ that you use to manage your newsletter subscription list. You want to have all your contacts with 'Customer' in your ID/Status field included in this Group by using the Dynamic Members feature. Here's how you use it:

 

In ACT:

1. Click the Group (or Companies) button in the left-hand margin

2. Select/Highlight the 'Newsletter' Group in the hierarchy tree (or find it in the Hierarchy field (ACT! 2005)

3. Click the 'Contacts' tab at the center of the screen

4. Click 'Add/Remove Contacts...'

-The Add/Remove Contacts... window appears

5. Click the 'Edit Criteria...' button

-The Group Criteria window appears

6. Enter the following criteria:

Type: Contact

Field Name: ID/Status

Operator: Equals

Value: Customer (you may need to type in)

7. Click 'Add to List'

8. Click 'Preview'

-A preview of all your contacts are displayed at the bottom of the window

9. Click 'OK'

Now, any Contact with 'Customer' in the ID/Status field will automatically be added to the Newsletter whether you change an existing Contact or add a new one.

 

**Note: Strangely, when you use the Dynamic Members feature the Group (or Company) that the Contact has been added to under the Groups/Companies tab will not be displayed. Go figure.