Marketing Cloud Engagement | Impact and Considerations When Deleting Contacts from Contact Builder or API

When a contact is deleted from Contact Builder or the API, it enters a logically deleted state for 2 days or 14 days by default (depending on when the environment was created), after which it enters a physically deleted state. Depending on each deletion state, the impacts differ as follows.

Note

1. You can check and change the logical deletion period settings in the Parent BU of your environment via Contact Builder > Contacts Configuration > Contact Deletion > Manage Settings.

2.  As described below, this affects Sendable Data Extensions, Reply Mail Management (RMM), etc. In addition, contacts once deleted cannot be restored by us, so please check the impacts and considerations below before deleting contacts.

Impacts of Contact Deletion

Logically Deleted State

• Message delivery to the contact becomes impossible.

• In Query Activities, the insertion of the contact into the target DE is excluded.

• In Data Filters and Filter Activities, the contact is excluded.

• In imports to Lists and Email Studio's [All Subscribers], the contact is excluded.

• If the contact exists in a running Journey, they remain in the Journey (they do not exit).

• If a contact with the same Contact Key is added to the Entry DE of a running Journey, they will not be newly entered.

• Data Views: The contact will no longer appear in _Subscribers, Email Studio's [All Subscribers], and Contact Builder's [All Contacts].

• Reply Mail Management features (such as auto-reply and forwarding) will stop functioning.

Physically Deleted State

• In addition to Data View: _Subscribers, Email Studio's [All Subscribers], and Contact Builder's [All Contacts], information regarding the contact will disappear from all Sendable Data Extensions, Tracking, Reports, and other various data.

• Insertion of the contact into a DE using a Query Activity becomes possible.

• Importing the contact into Lists and Email Studio's [All Subscribers] becomes possible.

• In Data Filters and Filter Activities, the contact becomes subject to filtering again.

• Email sending to the contact becomes possible (after the contact is re-registered).

• If the contact exists in a running Journey, they will exit the Journey.

• If a contact with the same Contact Key is added to the Entry DE of a running Journey, they will be newly entered.

Also, based on the above impacts, please note the following when deleting contacts.

Considerations Regarding Contact Deletion

Use test Contact Keys that do not overlap with production values

If you delete a contact using the same Contact Key for testing as for production, it may impact production deliveries during the logical deletion period (some contacts may not be targeted for delivery). Therefore, it is recommended to use test Contact Keys that do not overlap with production values. Furthermore, if a need arises to deliver to a contact that is in the logically deleted state, please accommodate this by changing them to the physically deleted state using the following steps. If they are in the physically deleted state, they will be targeted for delivery.

1. Click [Manage Settings] under [Contact Builder] | [Contacts Configuration] | [Contact Deletion], set the Contact Deletion setting to 0, and save.

2. Click the trash can icon on the right side of the [Contact Builder] | [All Contacts] screen, and select [View Pending Deletions].

3. Confirm that the values in the deletion status column are all [Complete].

Check the validity of the contacts to be deleted in advance

Data cannot be restored once contacts are deleted. Therefore, if possible, please check carefully whether the contacts are okay to be deleted by comparing them with external systems. If that is difficult, please verify them based on your Contact Key numbering design.

Do not delete a large amount of data at once

 If a large amount of data is deleted at once, the deletion process may fail due to high load. The maximum number of contacts that can be deleted at one time is 1,000,000. Also, please do not execute them in parallel.

Regarding the deletion of MobilePush channel contacts

After deleting a MobilePush channel contact, importing the same ContactKey, DeviceID, and SystemToken will not resume communication with the application. To resume communication (such as message delivery) with the application for a deleted MobilePush channel contact, the application must be deleted and reinstalled.

Regarding the deletion of Marketing Cloud Connect contacts

Deleting the original record in the CRM synchronized with Marketing Cloud will not delete the contact from Marketing Cloud. Therefore, it is necessary to delete the contact from Marketing Cloud after deleting the original record in the CRM.

When deleting a Hidden Triggered Send list, use the steps in the following document

If you execute deletion based on a Contact Key when deleting a Hidden Triggered Send list, unintended contacts may also be deleted. Please refer to the steps in How to Delete Subscribers from Hidden Managed Lists in Marketing Cloud before proceeding.