Lists can now be configured with behavior settings that control automatic item assignment and retention. If you’ve wanted more control over which lists receive automatic assignments or need lists that auto-cleanup old items, these settings should help.
The Problem
Our automatic list assignment has been helpful - new items get categorized into relevant lists based on their content. But several users reported wanting more granular control:
Selective Auto-Assignment: Some lists are carefully curated references that shouldn’t accept automatic assignments. Users had to manually remove unwanted items that the AI added automatically. Archive lists, reading queues, and project-specific collections often need manual curation rather than automatic population.
Item Retention: Temporary lists like “Read This Week” or “Check Later” accumulate items indefinitely. Users wanted these lists to automatically remove old items after a set period without manual cleanup. Several users maintained weekly reading lists and manually deleted old items every few days.
We heard consistent feedback that while automation is useful, users need override controls for specific lists.
What Changed
List Behavior Settings
Each list now has a settings panel (gear icon next to AI Analysis and Sharing settings) with two configurable behaviors:
Auto-Assignment Control Toggle whether the list accepts automatic item assignments. When disabled, new items won’t be automatically added to this list by the AI categorization system. You retain full manual control.
Default: Enabled (preserves existing behavior)
Use cases:
- Reference collections you curate manually
- Archive lists for completed projects
- Lists requiring strict editorial control
- Personal reading queues
Auto-Removal Configuration Enable automatic removal of items after a specified number of days (1-365). Items older than the threshold are removed from the list automatically. If an item only exists in that list, it’s deleted entirely. Items in multiple lists remain accessible in other lists.
Default: Disabled
Use cases:
- Weekly reading lists (remove after 7 days)
- Temporary bookmarks (remove after 30 days)
- News/article feeds (remove after 14 days)
- Time-sensitive research lists
Configuration at Creation
The “Create List” form now includes these behavior settings. Configure them upfront rather than adjusting later. Settings can be changed anytime from the list’s settings panel.
Usage
Existing Lists:
- Open any list
- Click the gear icon (⚙️) next to the AI Analysis settings
- Configure auto-assignment and auto-removal
- Save changes
New Lists: The “Create List” form includes behavior settings below the description field. Configure them during creation or leave as defaults.
Typical Configurations:
Reading Queue: Auto-assignment enabled, auto-removal after 14 days
Reference Archive: Auto-assignment disabled, no auto-removal
News Feed: Auto-assignment enabled, auto-removal after 7 days
Project Research: Auto-assignment disabled, no auto-removal
Settings are per-list, so you can mix approaches based on each list’s purpose.
Note: Auto-removal scheduling is currently being implemented. Lists with auto-removal enabled will begin cleaning up items once the background processing service is deployed (expected within the next release cycle).