# Shortlist and Exclude Creators

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://fohr.writedocs.io/llms.txt).

Shortlist and exclude creators, undo either one, and act on several at once.

Shortlisting and excluding creators override your pool criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.). Shortlist a creator to keep them in the pool, even if they stop matching. Exclude a creator to remove them from the results, even if they match every criterion.

Both actions save automatically, so you can review creators and update their status as you go.

Learn how to shortlist and exclude creators, undo these actions, and manage several creators at once.

<Video src="https://app.supademo.com/embed/cmvtuuw8f04e1qmh9m1ko57qn?embed_v=2&utm_source=embed" title="Shortlist and Exclude Creators in a Pool" />

## Before you start

Open a [pool that lists creators](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/build/) in the editor.

Before you decide who to keep or exclude, check [why each creator matches](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/results/#why-this-creator-matches) and review how [shortlisting and exclusion affect pool matching](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/#how-a-pool-matches-creators).

## Choose shortlist or exclude

Use these controls depending on your decision.

| Control | What it does | Choose it when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Shortlist** | Keeps the creator in the pool, even when they no longer match your criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.). | You want to keep the creator for further review or send them on. |
| **Exclude** | Removes the creator from the results, even when they match every criterion (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.). | The creator does not fit the brief. Exclude them before sharing the pool. |

## Shortlist or exclude a creator

Select **Shortlist** or **Exclude** on a creator's card or in their panel. In table view, select the pin to shortlist a creator or the **X** to exclude them.

After each action, Fohr updates the results and confirms the change:

- **Shortlist:** The button changes to **Shortlisted**, and a confirmation message appears, such as **Sophie Wood shortlisted**. The side panel count also increases, for example to **1 shortlisted**. In table view, the creator moves to the **Shortlisted** group at the top.
- **Exclude:** The creator disappears from the results, and a confirmation message appears, such as **James Nord excluded**. The side panel count increases, for example to **1 excluded**.

## Act on several creators at once

Use table view to shortlist or exclude several creators at once.

1. Select the creators with their row checkboxes. You can also select the header checkbox to select everyone, or open a lane (One complete definition of the creators you want. A creator must match every criterion in the lane.)'s **Lane actions** menu and choose **Select all in Lane**. A selection bar appears with the number of selected creators, for example **4 of 4 selected**.
2. Select **Actions** and choose what to do with the selected creators.

**Lane actions** appears on each lane (One complete definition of the creators you want. A creator must match every criterion in the lane.) when the pool has multiple lanes (One complete definition of the creators you want. A creator must match every criterion in the lane.). The following table lists the **Actions** items.

| Action | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Shortlist selected** | Adds every selected creator to the shortlist. |
| **Exclude selected** | Excludes every selected creator from the results. |
| **Select all shortlisted** | Selects every creator currently on the shortlist. |

Select the **X** in the selection bar to clear your selection. To send shortlisted creators to another workflow, use the **Use this Pool** menu. See [Send Creators from a Pool](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/send/).

## Undo a shortlist or an exclusion

You can reverse either action from the side panel.

1. Select the **shortlisted** or **excluded** link. A dialog opens with the matching title, **Shortlisted creators** or **Excluded creators**. These links appear only while the pool holds creators of that kind.
2. Find the creator and select the action you need:
   - **Remove from shortlist** to undo a shortlist.
   - **Bring back** to undo an exclusion.

To update several creators at once, select their row checkboxes and choose **Remove selected from shortlist** or **Bring back selected**.

Fohr confirms each change with a message, such as **Sophie Wood removed from shortlist** or **Tadashi King no longer excluded**. The dialog stays open, and when the last creator leaves it, it reads **No shortlisted creators yet.** or **No excluded creators yet.** Select **Close** to dismiss it. In table view, you can also select the pin on a shortlisted row to take the creator off the shortlist.

After you undo an action:

- A creator you remove from the shortlist stays in the pool only while they still match your criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.).
- A creator you bring back returns to the results only while they match your criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.).

## Troubleshooting

The following questions come up when you shortlist and exclude creators:

**A creator disappeared from the results**

Someone may have excluded the creator. Check the **excluded** list in the side panel and select **Bring back** to restore them.

If the creator is not on that list, they may have stopped matching your criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.). See [Why pool results change](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/#why-pool-results-change). To keep a creator in the pool whatever their data does, shortlist them.

**The excluded link is missing**

The **excluded** link appears only while the pool has at least one excluded creator. With none excluded, the side panel shows the **shortlisted** link if the shortlist holds creators. When both lists are empty, neither link appears.

## Related articles

**[Pool](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/)**

How Pool works, from pools and lanes (One complete definition of the creators you want. A creator must match every criterion in the lane.) to the shortlist and the override rules.

**[Build a Pool](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/build/)**

Create a pool, add criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.), and choose how each criterion (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) matches.

**[Read a Pool's Results](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/results/)**

Read the cards, the match popover (The small box that opens when you hover over the funnel icon. It shows why a creator matches.), the creator panel, and the demographics, and choose how the pool shows results.

**[Send Creators from a Pool](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/send/)**

Open creators in Creator Review, add them to a campaign, bulletin (An open opportunity a brand posts for creators to apply to.), or group, or export them.