Suppression List
The suppression list contains email addresses that should not receive any emails from your organization. This helps protect your sender reputation and ensures compliance with email best practices.
Why Use a Suppression List?
- Protect sender reputation - Avoid sending to addresses that bounce or complain
- Reduce costs - Don't waste emails on undeliverable addresses
- Improve deliverability - Email providers reward senders who respect bounces
- Stay compliant - Honor user requests to stop receiving emails
Accessing the Suppression List
- Go to People in the sidebar
- Click Suppression List
How Addresses Get Added
Addresses are added to the suppression list automatically when:
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| Hard Bounce | Email permanently undeliverable (invalid address) |
| Spam Complaint | Recipient marked your email as spam |
| Manual Block | You manually add an address |
Managing Entries
View Suppressed Addresses
The suppression list shows:
- Email address
- Reason for suppression
- Date added
Use the search bar to find specific addresses.
Add an Address Manually
- Click Add Email
- Enter the email address
- The address will be immediately blocked from receiving emails
Remove an Address
- Find the address in the list
- Click the delete icon
- Confirm removal
Warning: Removing an address allows it to receive emails again. Only remove addresses if you're sure the issue is resolved.
Suppression vs Unsubscribe
These are different concepts:
| Suppression List | Unsubscribed |
|---|---|
| Technical blocks (bounces, complaints) | User preference |
| Cannot receive any emails | Can re-subscribe |
| Managed by organization | Managed by recipient |
| Found in People → Suppression List | Found in audience contact details |
Best Practices
Review Regularly
Check your suppression list periodically to:
- Identify patterns in bounces
- Clean up old entries if addresses become valid
- Monitor for unusual spam complaints
Before Importing Contacts
Before importing a new contact list:
- Clean the list of known bad addresses
- Use email verification services for old lists
- Start with a small batch to identify issues
High Complaint Rates
If you're seeing many spam complaints:
- Review your signup process (ensure consent)
- Make unsubscribe links prominent
- Check email content isn't misleading
- Verify you're sending to opted-in contacts
Impact on Sending
When you send an email campaign:
- System checks each recipient against suppression list
- Suppressed addresses are automatically skipped
- You'll see "suppressed" in delivery reports
- This does not count toward your email limit
Exporting the List
To export your suppression list:
- Go to People → Suppression List
- Click Export (if available)
- Download as CSV
This is useful for:
- Backing up your suppression data
- Cleaning external lists before import
- Compliance documentation