When managing email and SMS lists, one crucial aspect to consider is how unsubscribed contacts are handled during list imports. Often, promoters may re-upload entire contact lists to ensure they’re working with the latest data. However, this process can have unintended consequences for fans who previously unsubscribed. 

The impact of re-importing contact data

When an entire list is re-uploaded, any unsubscribe preferences are overridden. This means that fans who opted out will be re-added to the list upon import, potentially receiving messages again unless they unsubscribe once more. 

Example: Consider a fan who unsubscribed from your list but is later re-imported as part of a complete list update. Their previous unsubscribe status won’t be maintained, and they’ll be re-subscribed to receive updates.

Best practices for re-importing contact data

To keep your lists updated without affecting unsubscribe preferences, try these methods:

1. Use Segments Instead of Full List Imports
   Instead of uploading your entire list, segment your lists to update only new or modified contacts. This approach helps retain unsubscribe statuses for existing contacts and reduces the risk of re-subscribing fans who have opted out.

2. Helpful Guides for Segmenting Audiences
   To dive deeper into audience targeting and segmenting, check out these guides:
   
   • Targeting Your Audience: using Segments and Tags
   • How to create, rename or delete a segment

3. Export contacts who are subscribed to your marketing lists: 

   Apply the filter "Subscribed to list" to include only subscribers. This will help you ensure that you’re re-importing only those contacts who have opted in to receive marketing communications.
   

   Once filtered, you can export this to avoid including unsubscribed contacts in future imports, keeping your list compliant and targeted. 

Following these practices helps promoters maintain clean lists while respecting fans' preferences, ensuring that those who opted out remain unsubscribed.