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Clean and Validate Your List

Removing invalid, hard-bounced, and inactive subscribers keeps your sending reputation healthy and your reports honest. Run this hygiene pass on a schedule, and always before a large Broadcast.

Before you begin​

  • Confirm you have permission to edit the audience or segment you plan to clean.
  • Decide what counts as "inactive" for your program (for example, no opens or clicks in the last 6–12 months).
  • Export a backup of the list before you remove anyone, so removals are reversible.
  • Know the difference between a hard bounce (permanent — the address is invalid) and a soft bounce (temporary — full mailbox, server down). Hard bounces should be removed; soft bounces usually recover on their own.

Steps​

  1. Open the audience you want to clean and review its recent Broadcast results for bounce and engagement data.
  2. Filter for hard bounces and remove or suppress those subscribers. These addresses are permanently undeliverable and continuing to mail them hurts deliverability.
  3. Filter for inactive subscribers using your threshold (no opens/clicks over your chosen window). Consider a re-engagement Broadcast before removing them.
  4. Remove obvious invalid or role addresses (typos, test@, noreply@, duplicates) that slipped in through imports or forms.
  5. Add confirmed hard bounces and unsubscribes to your account-wide suppression list so they stay excluded across every Folder and Broadcast.

(confirm the exact filter and removal steps in your account)

Result​

Your audience count drops to engaged, deliverable subscribers only. Future Broadcasts show lower bounce rates and more reliable open/click metrics, and your sender reputation is protected.

Canonical terms: Author, Edition, Folder (Project Folder), Broadcast. See the Glossary.