Over time, even the most carefully maintained email lists will accumulate broken or outdated contacts. People change jobs, switch providers, or abandon email accounts, leaving behind invalid addresses that hurt your deliverability and campaign performance. Fixing these broken email contacts isn’t just about cleaning your list—it’s about preserving valuable relationships and maximizing ROI from your email efforts.
Identify and Segment Problem Contacts
Start by identifying which contacts are problematic. Common signs include high bounce rates, low engagement (no opens or clicks), and email addresses that trigger delivery errors. Use your email marketing platform’s reporting tools to filter out:
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Hard bounces (invalid addresses)
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Soft bounces (temporary delivery issues)
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Inactive subscribers (no engagement over 3–6 months)
Once identified, segment these contacts into groups based on email data the issue—broken, inactive, or outdated. This helps you decide which ones to attempt recovering and which to remove or suppress.
Use Verification Tools and Re-Engagement Campaigns
For broken or unverified email addresses, use a trusted email verification service like ZeroBounce, NeverBounce, or BriteVerify. These tools can validate syntax, domain existence, and deliverability status. For slightly outdated addresses (like someone who changed jobs), try enriching the contact using tools like Clearbit or Hunter to find updated professional using ai to clean up your phone number dataemails.
For inactive but still valid addresses, run a re-engagement campaign. This could include a “We Miss You” email with a value-based message or incentive (e.g., a discount or free resource). Let users confirm if they still want to hear from you. Those who don’t engage after a few attempts should be unsubscribed or moved to a dormant list taiwan lists to protect your sender score.
Automate Future List Maintenance
To prevent broken contacts from piling up again, set up automation and ongoing hygiene protocols. This includes:
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Real-time email validation at sign-up
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Regular engagement tracking and cleanup schedules
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Double opt-in confirmation to ensure accuracy from the start
Incorporate alerts for bounce spikes or low engagement, and sync your CRM with your email tool to keep contact information fresh and unified across platforms.
