AI columns can return a specific output format instead of free text. When you configure an AI column, choose Number, Score, Rating, Select, Date, or Checkbox, and the AI output is constrained to that format. Results stay consistent from lead to lead, so you can use them to prioritize accounts, segment prospects, and filter your leads table.

Limitations

A Select column returns one of the options you configure for the column. The AI cannot return an option you haven't configured.
A Score column returns a value from 0 to 100. A Rating column returns a value from 1 to 5.

Prerequisites

A campaign with leads in its Leads list.

Output formats

Text: free-form content.
Number: numerical values.
Score: a value from 0 to 100.
Rating: a value from 1 to 5.
Select: one predefined option.
Date: date values.
Checkbox: true/false answers.

Set the output format of an AI column

Phase 1: Create the AI column

Open the Leads list. Open your campaign and go to the Leads list tab.
Create an AI column. Click + Add, then select Create AI column.
Choose a starting point. Pick a template or click Create from scratch. For the full setup of an AI column, see Use AI variables in lemlist.

Phase 2: Choose the output format

Select the format. In the Configure tab of the AI column panel, open Output format and choose the format that matches the answer you expect.

Phase 3: Add options (Select only)

Add the options. If you chose Select, add the options the AI can choose from. The AI only returns options from this list.

Phase 4: Write the prompt and generate

Write the prompt. In the Instructions field, describe what the AI should evaluate for each lead.
Test the prompt. Click Test prompt to preview the output on a sample lead.
Generate the column. Click the arrow next to Generate and choose which rows to generate.

✅ Verify: each generated cell contains a value in the format you selected.

Phase 5: Filter leads on the AI column

All AI column formats can be used in filters.

Open Filters. In the leads table, click Filters.
Pick the AI column. In the column list, select the AI column. AI columns are marked with a small blue AI tag.
Set the condition. Choose the value condition you want to filter on.

Practical example: match the format to the use case

Score accounts against your ICP criteria: use Score.
Classify prospects by segment or qualification status: use Select.
Store a qualification answer: use Checkbox instead of getting variations of "yes" and "no".

Troubleshooting & pitfalls

Issue: The AI column returns variations of "yes" and "no"

Root cause: The column uses the Text format, so the AI writes the answer freely.

Fix:

Create an AI column with the Checkbox format.
Generate the column.

Issue: Numbers, scores, or categories come back in different forms from lead to lead

Root cause: The column uses the Text format, so the output is not constrained.