After you send out emails, some things can happen. Some email addresses might bounce. This means the email could not be delivered. Maybe the email address is wrong. Or, the person's inbox is full. Mailchimp automatically identifies these bounced emails. Also, people can choose to unsubscribe. They might not want to receive your emails anymore. Mailchimp respects these choices. It stops sending emails to unsubscribed contacts. These bounced and unsubscribed contacts are called "cleaned contacts."
Does Mailchimp Count Cleaned Contacts?
This is an important question for Mailchimp users. You want to know what you are paying for. Mailchimp's pricing depends on the number of contacts in your audience. So, what about those cleaned contacts? Do they still count towards your total? Let's find out more about this.
Understanding Mailchimp's Contact Types
Mailchimp has different categories of contacts. Knowing these categories is helpful. It helps you understand how billing works. There are subscribed contacts. These are people who have agreed to receive your emails. Then, there are non-subscribed contacts. You might have their information, but they haven't agreed to marketing emails. Furthermore, there are cleaned contacts. As we discussed, these are bounced or unsubscribed addresses. Finally, there are archived contacts. These are contacts you have manually removed.
So, when Mailchimp calculates your bill, which contacts do they count? They primarily count your subscribed contacts. These are the people you can actively send emails to. However, it's important to understand how the other contact types play a role. For example, non-subscribed contacts might affect your plan limits in some cases.
The Role of Cleaned Contacts in Billing
Now, let's get back to cleaned contacts. The good news is that Mailchimp does not usually count cleaned contacts towards your billing limit. Once a contact is cleaned (either bounced or unsubscribed), Mailchimp stops charging you for that contact. This is beneficial for you. It means you are not paying for contacts you cannot even reach. Consequently, keeping your list clean helps manage your costs effectively.
Therefore, it's a good practice to regularly review your audience. Pay attention to cleaned contacts. Understand why they were cleaned. For instance, a high bounce rate might indicate issues with your list collection methods. Similarly, a high unsubscribe rate might suggest your content is not resonating with your audience.
Benefits of a Clean Email List
Maintaining a clean email list has several advantages. Firstly, it improves your email deliverability. When you send emails only to engaged contacts, your emails are more likely to reach their inboxes. This is because email providers like Gmail and Yahoo see you as a sender with good engagement.
Secondly, a clean list improves your email marketing metrics. Your open rates and click-through rates will likely be higher. This is because you are sending emails to people who actually want to hear from you. As a result, your campaigns will appear more successful. Moreover, a clean list helps you save money on your Mailchimp bill. You are only paying for active, engaged contacts.
Thirdly, it helps you comply with email marketing regulations. Laws like GDPR and CAN-SPAM require you to respect people's preferences. By promptly removing unsubscribed contacts, you are adhering to these regulations. Thus, you avoid potential legal issues.
How to Manage Cleaned Contacts in Mailchimp
Mailchimp makes it easy to manage your cleaned contacts. You can view them in your audience dashboard. Navigate to your audience. Then, click on "View Contacts." From there, you can filter by "Email Marketing Status" and select "Cleaned." This will show you all the bounced and unsubscribed contacts.
Image 2: A screenshot of the Mailchimp audience dashboard with filters applied to show "Cleaned" contacts highlighted.
Furthermore, Mailchimp provides reasons why a contact was cleaned. For bounced emails, it might tell you if it was a permanent failure or a temporary issue. For unsubscribed contacts, it simply indicates that they opted out. This information can give you insights into the health of your list.