How to Delete and Export Contacts
Managing your contact list regularly helps you keep your data clean, stay within your contact limit, and maintain good deliverability. In MailerLogic, you can delete individual contacts, bulk-delete contacts, export your contact list, and handle GDPR erasure requests from CRM → Contacts.
Delete a Single Contact
You can delete an individual contact directly from your contact list.
Go to CRM → Contacts.
Find the contact using their email address or name. You can also filter contacts by tag, status, or date added.
Open the contact's row and select Delete.
Confirm the deletion.
The contact is removed immediately. You can also open the contact's profile and use the delete action there.
Deleting a contact also removes them from any segments they belong to.
Delete Contacts in Bulk
Use bulk deletion when you need to remove a larger group of contacts, such as stale contacts, inactive segments, or hard bounces.
Go to CRM → Contacts.
Apply a filter to define the contacts you want to delete. You can filter by tag, status, segment, or date range.
Select the checkbox at the top of the list.
Choose one of the following options:
Select all on this page to select the contacts displayed on the current page.
Select all matching the filter to select every contact that matches the filter, including contacts on other pages.
Select Delete from the bulk actions.
Type the number of selected contacts in the confirmation panel.
Confirm the deletion.
The number-typing confirmation helps prevent accidental bulk deletion. Once confirmed, the deletion runs with a progress indicator showing the number of successful and failed deletions.
Contacts to Delete First
For routine list clean-up, consider removing contacts in this order:
Hard bounces: These addresses will not deliver.
Unsubscribes already on your suppression list: They cannot receive emails, so keeping them in your contact list may provide little value.
Long-dormant contacts: Contacts with no opens or clicks for 12+ months can be re-engaged or removed.
Spam complainants: These contacts are already suppressed and can be removed to keep your list clean.
After cleaning your list, run email validation on the remaining contacts to identify addresses that may not deliver.
Export Contacts
You can export your contacts for backup, migration, or data-portability requests.
Go to CRM → Contacts.
Apply any filters you want the export to include, such as a tag, status, or segment.
Select Export.
The contacts are downloaded as a CSV file named
contacts_YYYY-MM-DD.csv.
The export includes the following information:
| Column | Contents |
|---|---|
Email | Email address |
First name | First name, if set |
Last name | Last name, if set |
Status | Contact status |
Tags | All tags, separated by semicolons |
Created at | When the contact was added, in ISO timestamp format |
The export includes every contact matching your filter, not just the contacts displayed on the current page. Custom properties are not included in the standard export. If you need custom properties or per-contact activity history, contact support with your requirements.
When Should You Export Your Contacts?
Consider exporting your contacts:
Before a major clean-up: Create a backup before bulk deletion in case the wrong filter is applied.
Before migrating to another ESP: Export your contacts, including unsubscribes, so suppressed contacts can be imported appropriately on the new platform.
Periodically: A monthly or quarterly export can serve as a backup.
For a data-subject access request: Export the relevant contact information when a contact requests a copy of their data under GDPR.
Handle GDPR Erasure Requests
A contact can request that you delete their personal data under the GDPR right to be forgotten. The request is made to you, and you complete the deletion in MailerLogic.
To delete a contact in response to an erasure request:
Go to CRM → Contacts.
Find the contact using their email address.
Delete the contact.
This removes the contact's record and custom properties from your account. Event history, such as sends, opens, and clicks, is retained according to your plan's retention period and ages out afterward.
Important: Keep a record of the erasure request and when you fulfilled it. GDPR requires requests to be handled without undue delay, typically within one month.
For complete account-level data erasure, see Exporting your data & closing your account.
What Does Deleting a Contact Remove?
Deleting a contact removes their contact information and list membership, but some data remains available.
| Removed | Kept |
|---|---|
| Contact record, including email, name, and custom properties | Aggregate campaign statistics |
| Membership in segments and tags | Event data until it reaches the retention limit |
| Presence in the contact list and search | Suppression list entries |
Suppression entries are intentionally retained. If an address was previously unsubscribed or hard-bounced, deleting the contact does not remove the suppression. This helps prevent the address from being accidentally re-imported and emailed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a deletion?
No. Contact deletion is permanent. You can re-add the contact manually if you still have their email address and the address is not suppressed.
I deleted a contact but can't re-add them. Why?
The address may be on your suppression list because the contact previously unsubscribed or hard-bounced. Check Suppressions before attempting to re-add the contact.
Only remove a suppression when the original reason no longer applies, such as when an address was incorrectly entered and the typo has been corrected.
Can I export deleted contacts?
No. Deleted contacts cannot be exported. Because deletion is permanent, export your contacts before deleting them if you may need the data later.
Does deleting a contact remove them from segment counts?
Yes. Segment membership is recalculated from the active contact list, so deleted contacts are no longer included in segments.
Why hasn't my contact count changed?
The contact count may take a short time to refresh. Wait a few seconds and refresh the page. If the count is still incorrect, contact support with the relevant numbers.
Can I schedule automatic contact deletion?
Not directly. For recurring clean-up, such as deleting contacts inactive for 12 months, create a segment using the required criteria and bulk-delete the segment when needed.
What's the difference between deleting and suppressing a contact?
Deleting removes the contact from your list entirely.
Suppressing keeps the address on a do-not-send list while retaining the contact record. Suppression is generally appropriate for unsubscribes, while deletion is appropriate for stale or duplicate data.
Related Articles
How to Add and Manage Contacts: Learn how to add and import contacts.
Compliance: GDPR, CAN-SPAM and Consent: Learn about the legal requirements for contact data.
Exporting Your Data & Closing Your Account: Learn how to export account data and close your MailerLogic account.
Email Validation: Validate contacts after cleaning your list.
Plans, Usage & Limits: Learn about contact limits and data retention.
