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Lists

Lists let you organize and manage structured data with custom fields, from simple checklists to GitHub-backed issue trackers. This page covers creating lists, schemas, rows, folders, sharing, and watching other people's lists.

Subscriber feature. Creating lists and list folders requires an active InterlinedList subscription. Existing lists stay fully usable: you can still read and edit them if your subscription lapses; only creating new ones is gated. See Subscription & Billing or open Settings, then Subscription, to upgrade.

Creating a list

  1. Go to Lists from the top navigation
  2. Click New List
  3. Choose Local List or GitHub-backed List (see tabs)

Local list

  1. Enter a title and optional description
  2. Define your schema (fields) using the form builder
  3. Optionally set a parent list and visibility (public or private)

GitHub-backed list

Lists that sync with GitHub Issues from a repository:

  1. Prerequisite: Connect GitHub with the Issues scope on the Integrations page (reached from Settings; see Settings). If you already linked GitHub for sign-in, you may need to click Reconnect for GitHub Issues to grant access.
  2. On the GitHub-backed List tab, select a repository you have access to
  3. Enter a list title (defaults to the repo name)
  4. Optionally set a parent list to organize it in your list hierarchy
  5. Toggle Public list if you want others to see it

GitHub-backed lists display a GitHub icon and sync issues from the selected repo. Rows map to GitHub issues (title, body, labels, assignees, state). You can add rows (creates issues), edit rows (updates issues), and delete rows (closes issues).

Create list from message

Use the list-plus icon on any message to create a new list with that message. The message content is used as the list description, and the app may suggest a list name extracted from the message. This is a quick way to turn a message into a structured list. For more ways to convert content, see Create from….

Schema and fields

Each list has a schema that defines what data you can store:

  • Field types: Text, number, date, email, URL, select, checkbox, and more
  • Validation: Required fields, min and max values, patterns
  • Help text: Add hints for each field to guide users

Child lists

Lists can have a parent-child relationship, forming a tree:

  • Create a parent list first (for example, "Projects")
  • When creating a new list (local or GitHub-backed), optionally set a parent
  • Use breadcrumbs to navigate up and down the hierarchy
  • For GitHub-backed lists, use Edit to change the parent after creation

Adding rows

Adding rows to an existing list is free, even without a subscription. Once your schema is set:

  1. Open a list
  2. Click Add Row
  3. Fill in the form

You can edit rows by clicking the edit icon in the table, or delete rows if needed.

Editing the schema

  • Local lists: Click Edit (or Edit Schema) to change fields, parent list, and visibility. You can add, remove, or modify fields. Existing data will be preserved where possible.
  • GitHub-backed lists: The schema is fixed (GitHub issues). Click Edit to change the parent list only. You cannot modify the issue fields (title, body, labels, assignees) through the schema; they are defined by GitHub.

Refresh from GitHub (GitHub-backed lists)

On a GitHub-backed list, use Refresh from GitHub to sync the latest issues from the repository. The list caches issues locally; refresh when you want to pull new or updated issues.

Public vs private

  • Private lists (default): Only you and the people you invite can see and edit them
  • Public lists: Anyone can view them. Make a list public when creating or editing it, or from the Share window.

You do not need to make a list public to share it. Inviting specific people keeps the list private: only the people you invite (plus you) can open it. When you open the Share window for a list, Invite people leads and Make public is offered as a secondary option below. Reach for public only when you want anyone with the link to be able to read the list.

Starting from a template

When creating a list, the From Template tab on the New List page lets you start from a pre-defined schema instead of building one field by field.

List access and permissions

You can share a list directly with specific named people (whether the list is public or private) in addition to (or instead of) making it public. Sharing with a person (and changing their role) is a subscriber feature, but the people you share with never need to pay: anyone you grant access to can view or edit at the level you chose for free.

The "List access & permissions" section appears below the list table (main view) and in the Edit Schema view. Type a username, display name, or email into the search box, click Search, pick a permission level, and click Add as [role] next to the person. They can then open the list at its normal address without needing a public link.

Roles

Each role has a friendly label shown in the UI and an underlying role name used by the Lists API:

  • Read-only (watcher): Can view this list and its rows. Shown when viewing your public profile.
  • Edit (collaborator): Can add, edit, and delete rows in this list.
  • Admin (manager): Can do everything Edit can, plus edit the list schema, change list details, and delete the list.

Managing access (list owner)

  1. Open a public list (main view or Edit Schema)
  2. Scroll to "List access & permissions" below the table
  3. Search for users and add them with a role (Read-only, Edit, or Admin)
  4. Change a user's role or remove access using the table controls

When you add someone (or change their role), they get a notification in InterlinedList and, by default, an email letting them know. If you'd rather not email them, untick Email this person before you add them; they'll still see the in-app notification. Whether the email actually arrives also depends on that person's own Sharing notification settings.

Only you, as the true owner, can add people, change their role, or remove them; even someone you granted the Admin role cannot manage sharing. Removing someone's access is always free, even if your subscription has lapsed.

Inviting someone by email

Subscriber feature. Sending invites requires an active subscription. Accepting an invite is always free.

You can invite someone who does not have an InterlinedList account yet by their email address, and the list stays private the whole time. They only get access after they sign in with that same email and verify it; you never have to make the list public.

In the Invite by email area of the access section:

  1. Type the person's Email address.
  2. Pick a Role: Read-only (Viewer), Edit (Editor), or Admin.
  3. Click Send invite.

They receive an email with an Accept invite link. When they open it:

  • If they don't have an account yet, they can create one, and after signing up they land right back on the invite.
  • They must be signed in with that same email address, verified, to accept. The invite is tied to the invited address, so a forwarded link won't work for anyone else.
  • Once they accept, they get the exact role you chose and can open the list at its normal address: no public link, no payment.

Below the invite form, Pending invites lists everyone you've invited by email with their email, role, status (Pending until they accept, then Accepted), and expiry date if one was set. Click Revoke next to an invite to cancel it; an unaccepted invite stops working immediately. A revoked, expired, or otherwise invalid link shows the recipient a friendly "no longer valid" page instead of granting access.

Subscriber feature. Creating a share link requires an active subscription. Revoking a link never does: you can always turn off access you previously shared, even if your subscription lapses.

Instead of adding people one by one, you can create a share link that grants access to anyone you send it to. Find the Share links section in the same "List access & permissions" area.

  1. Choose a role for the link:
    • Viewer: Anyone with the link can view the list and its rows. No account needed.
    • Editor: A signed-in visitor can claim the ability to add, edit, and delete rows.
    • Admin: A signed-in visitor can claim full access (edit rows, change the schema and list details, delete the list).
  2. Choose when it expires: Never, 7 days, or 30 days.
  3. Click Create link. The link is created and copied to your clipboard automatically. Use Copy next to any existing link to copy it again.

Send the link however you like. When someone opens a Viewer link they can view the list right away. When someone opens an Editor or Admin link they'll be asked to sign in first, then claim the access.

Treat a share link like a password. Anyone who has the link gets the access it grants, so only share it with people you trust and don't post it publicly. To cut off access, click Revoke next to the link; it stops working immediately for everyone using it. Setting an expiry turns a link off automatically after the chosen time.

Viewing other users' lists

When you visit another user's profile at /user/[username], you see their public lists in a tree on the left. Click a list to open it at /user/[username]/lists/[id].

  • Read-only view: You can browse the list data but cannot edit
  • Watch button: In the tree view, a "Watch" button appears next to each list (when logged in and viewing someone else's profile). Click to add yourself as a watcher
  • Add self as watcher: On the public list page, an "Add self as watcher to list?" button appears when you are logged in, not the owner, and not already watching

Watched lists

On the Lists page (/lists), a datagrid shows lists you watch or have access to (watcher, collaborator, or manager). Each entry shows the list title, owner, your role, and a link to view the list.

List connections

Two lists you own can be linked together to indicate a relationship between them. Connections appear on each list's page and can be removed from the connection management view.

Searching your lists

A search bar on the Lists page lets you find a list by name or description. Type a word or phrase and results appear as you type, each showing the list name and whether it is public or private. Up to 20 results show at once; use the page controls to browse further matches. Click any result to open that list.

List folders

Subscriber feature. Creating a new list folder requires an active subscription. You can still view and use existing folders if your subscription lapses.

List folders let you organize your lists into a tree: a folder can hold lists, other folders, or both, so you can build whatever hierarchy works best (for example, a Work folder with Clients and Projects nested inside).

  • Creating a folder: Click New Folder on the Lists page, type a name (1 to 80 characters), and optionally choose a parent folder to nest it inside. Leave the parent blank to create a top-level folder. Each folder name must be unique among its siblings
  • Subfolders: There is no separate subfolder action; any folder you create with a parent set becomes a subfolder of that parent. You can nest folders as deeply as you like
  • Moving a folder: Choose Move folder and pick a new parent, or select No parent (root) to move it to the top level. A folder cannot be moved underneath itself or one of its own descendants
  • Moving a list into a folder: Open the list's Edit Schema view, choose a folder in the Folder field, and save. Select the "No folder" option to return it to the top level
  • Renaming a folder: Use the rename option next to the folder name
  • Deleting a folder: Deleting a folder also removes any subfolders inside it, but never deletes lists: any lists in the removed folders are moved back to the top level

Folders appear in the Lists sidebar tree and in the folder view of the Lists page, with their lists nested underneath.

  • Create from…: Turn messages, rows, or documents into new lists
  • Exporting Data: Download your list definitions and row data
  • Documents: Markdown notes with the same sharing model
  • Lists API: Manage lists and rows programmatically