Paste in a list you already have
Paste your list into Create with Nelly. When it reads like your own items, NellyList offers to add them as they are, instantly and without using your Nelly allowance. For a few items in an existing list, type them into the add field separated by commas.
Got a list in Notes, an email or a text? You don't need to retype it, and you don't need Nelly to rewrite it. Paste it into Create with Nelly and NellyList offers to add your items exactly as they are.
Make a new list from what you pasted
- On My Lists, tap +, then Create with Nelly.
- Paste your list into the field. Put each item on its own line, or separate them with commas or semicolons.
- When it reads like your own items, a card appears under the field: These look like your own 12 items, with Add them as they are — instantly, without using a generation. Tap it.
- The Create New List form opens with a card showing the items you typed. Give the list a name, pick its type, label, icon and color, and tap Create List.
A few tidy-ups happen on the way in:
- Bullets and numbering (
-,•,1.) are dropped. - Each item starts with a capital letter.
- Repeated items are added once.
- A short intro ending in a colon, like "Packing for Iceland:", is left out of the items.
Changed your mind? Tap Discard on the form's card and the form goes back to a blank list.
When the card doesn't appear
The check is strict on purpose, so an ordinary request never gets mistaken for a list. The card only appears when there are at least four short items. Long sentences, or words that ask for ideas ("best", "suggest", "things to do"), make it read as a request for Nelly instead.
If yours doesn't qualify, create the list with Start with a blank list and add the items with commas, as below. And if Nelly ever runs into trouble with something you pasted, the error screen offers a button to add your items as they are instead.
Add to a list you already have
Open the list and paste into the add field, with commas between items: tent, sleeping bags, lantern, matches. Each becomes its own item. The add field is a single line, so commas are what separate items there. See Add items quickly.
FAQ
Does pasting a list use my Nelly allowance?
No. Add them as they are skips Nelly entirely. Only tapping Create my list asks Nelly to build something. See How your Nelly allowance works.
Can I paste on the web too?
Yes. Everything here works the same in the iPhone app and on the web.
My list is on paper. Can I skip the typing?
On iPhone, yes: scan it instead. See Scan a paper list (iPhone).