# Missing Observations in Life List **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [June 15, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186 "2019-06-15T20:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kumarihb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kumarihb/32/2547_2.png) [@kumarihb](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kumarihb)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/1 "2019-06-15T20:44:00Z")
I am finding that fewer than about 40% of my observations of plants are showing up on my life list. My life list only lists 7 observations, some of which are only specific to the family or genus level, others to the species level. The majority of my observations are absent from my life list, even though inaturalist has recognized the species enough to add the scientific name of the species (or in a couple instances, genus) as I was uploading the observation. I can find no logic to why so e were added to the list and others not. Any help/explanations would be welcome! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![cmcheatle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cmcheatle/32/37_2.png) [@cmcheatle](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cmcheatle)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/2 "2019-06-15T20:52:28Z")
Lists are a very old part of the site and filled with bugs. On the list page near the top is a drop down marked tools. Run the 2 things there in order and it will try and refresh the list, but no guarantee how long it will stay in synch. ---
**Author:** ![caththalictroides](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/caththalictroides/32/435_2.png) [@caththalictroides](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/caththalictroides)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 1:20pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/3 "2019-06-16T13:20:59Z")
I did this, and lost 2 research-grade observations from my life list (sigh…) I do hope iNat tackles this. ---
**Author:** ![tchakamaura](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tchakamaura/32/1800_2.png) [@tchakamaura](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tchakamaura)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/4 "2019-06-16T15:40:37Z")
Fwiw I run them in reverse order for it to work. ---
**Author:** ![whaichi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/whaichi/32/277_2.png) [@whaichi](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/whaichi)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/5 "2019-06-16T17:05:01Z")
> [@tchakamaura](#): > > Fwiw I run them in reverse order for it to work. This is also the way that I’ve been refreshing my Life List. ---
**Author:** ![kumarihb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kumarihb/32/2547_2.png) [@kumarihb](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kumarihb)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/6 "2019-06-22T21:58:42Z")
Thank you! I will try these! ---
**Author:** ![kumarihb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kumarihb/32/2547_2.png) [@kumarihb](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kumarihb)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/7 "2019-06-22T22:02:25Z")
And they worked! I did it in reverse order… Thank you! –K ---
**Author:** ![arboretum\_amy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/arboretum_amy/32/2328_2.png) [@arboretum\_amy](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/arboretum_amy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/8 "2019-06-23T16:00:20Z")
I think the life list is a very cool feature, and it frustrates me how it doesn’t work properly. I wish there were plans to fix it instead of people just repeating “oh that’s an old and nearly defunct area of the site.” ---
**Author:** ![cmcheatle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cmcheatle/32/37_2.png) [@cmcheatle](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cmcheatle)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/9 "2019-06-23T16:02:17Z")
Apparently lists are among the oldest pieces of computer code on the site, staff have commented in the past that fixing it is not realistic or viable, that it would have to be redone from scratch to use similar technology and approaches as the newer areas of the site. So it is not a simple fix. ---
**Author:** ![arboretum\_amy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/arboretum_amy/32/2328_2.png) [@arboretum\_amy](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/arboretum_amy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/10 "2019-06-23T17:20:25Z")
The app already has a working version, yes? But you can’t view it on the website. Would it be so hard to import? [Screenshot\_2019-06-23-10-19-41|281x500](https://forum.inaturalist.org/uploads/short-url/uneUubdlVzUF4pAmfWOTgHrJcAA.png) ? ---
**Author:** ![cmcheatle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cmcheatle/32/37_2.png) [@cmcheatle](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cmcheatle)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 5:40pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/11 "2019-06-23T17:40:11Z")
It’s likely not that simple. Programming for the web, and programming for a mobile device are 2 completely different things. They are usually done using totally different technologies and programming languages. You typically can’t just take something done for one and drop it into the other. ---
**Author:** ![schoenitz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/schoenitz/32/56_2.png) [@schoenitz](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/schoenitz)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 1:16am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/12 "2019-06-24T01:16:25Z")
@arboretum_amy what you’re showing in the app screenshot is functionally equivalent to [the species tab in the explore view](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?user_id=arboretum_amy&view=species), and since (in the app) it can’t be sorted or filtered, it’s not all that useful anyway. If I read the tea leaves correctly, what we’re used to calling “lists” will be covered by a reworked [explore view](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations). So a better effort on our part may be to voice specifics of what we’d like to see there. Speaking for myself, I’d like to see a working [first seen/last seen feature](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/sort-list-by-first-last-observed/4069), and I’d like to be able to display the species on my life list in a [taxonomic view](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/implement-taxonomic-view-for-observations-search-page/244). ---
**Author:** ![arboretum\_amy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/arboretum_amy/32/2328_2.png) [@arboretum\_amy](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/arboretum_amy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/13 "2019-06-24T02:57:10Z")
It never occurred me to put my own name into the explore tab, but you’re right, that’s basically what the app does. I also appreciate hearing about the recoding of the explore feature next year. Maybe they can do away with the life list entirely if the new explore makes a suitable replacement. ---
**Author:** ![silversea\_starsong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7c8e57/32.png) [@silversea\_starsong](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/silversea_starsong)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/14 "2019-08-07T00:10:22Z")
Everything is added to the Life List. What is bugged is whether it counts them as “observed” or “unobserved”. When something does not show on the calendar as being new, it is because the Life List considers it “unobserved”. To see the full list just make sure both “observed” and “unobserved” are visible, or use observation search to see all your observations with the species tally shown there. ---
**Author:** ![juliereid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/juliereid/32/1953_2.png) [@juliereid](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/juliereid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/15 "2019-08-07T03:28:03Z")
Not in order - ‘Re-apply list rules’ which shows up last in the tools, has to be done first for it to work. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 3:42am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/missing-observations-in-life-list/4186/16 "2019-10-06T03:42:47Z")
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