Skip to main content

How to Bulk Deactivate Contacts in Smart Marketing

Learn how to bulk deactivate Smart Marketing contacts using filtering rules to stop campaigns, reduce active billing counts, and keep your contact list clean.

Written by Michelle Carone

Overview

Bulk deactivation allows you to deactivate a group of contacts at once instead of managing them individually. Deactivated contacts:

  • Stop receiving future Smart Marketing campaigns

  • Are removed from your active contact billing count

  • Can be reactivated later on an individual basis

This process uses a temporary filtering workflow similar to the Segment Builder, giving you full control over which contacts get excluded.

Before You Start

Before bulk deactivating contacts, keep the following in mind:

  • You must have access to Smart Marketing contacts

  • Deactivated contacts stop receiving future campaigns and are removed from your active contact billing count

  • Deactivated contacts can be reactivated later, but only one contact at a time (bulk reactivation is not supported)

  • The contacts shown in the builder are exactly the contacts that will be deactivated

Note: If you exit the process without confirming, no contacts are deactivated.

How To Do It

Step 1: Open Bulk Deactivate

  1. Go to Smart Marketing.

  2. Select Contacts.

  3. Click Bulk Deactivate at the top of the page.

  4. Review the informational modal explaining the impact of deactivation.

  5. Click Start finding contacts to continue.

Step 2: Review the Prebuilt Criteria

You are taken to a temporary builder called Bulk Deactivate Contacts.

By default, a condition is already applied:

  • Last Opportunity Date

    • More than → 24 | months → In the past

This condition targets contacts that have not had an opportunity in the last 24 months.

Step 3: Edit the Criteria (Optional)

You can modify the conditions to better match your desired group of contacts.

  • Add, remove, or change conditions

  • Watch the contact count update in real time

  • Review the list of contacts included

❗️ Note:

  • The contact list shown in the slideout is a preview only and displays up to 30 contacts at a time.

  • The total count reflects all contacts that match the criteria and will be deactivated when you proceed.

💡SmartTip: Take time to review the contact total and criteria carefully before proceeding to avoid unintended deactivations.

Step 4: Deactivate Contacts

  1. Once satisfied with the selection, click Deactivate Contacts.

  2. Review the confirmation summary, including:

    • Number of contacts being deactivated

    • Change to your active contact total

    • Billing and campaign impact

  3. Click Confirm and Deactivate to proceed.

What Happens Next

  • You are returned to the Contacts page

  • A success message confirms the process has started

  • Deactivation runs asynchronously in the background

  • Selected contacts move from Active to Inactive

  • Your active contact count updates once processing is complete

The temporary Bulk Deactivate Contacts segment is automatically deleted after completion.

Closing Without Action

If you exit the builder using the back arrow, Close button, or by navigating away:

  • No contacts are deactivated

  • The temporary segment is automatically deleted

Viewing and Reactivating Inactive Contacts in Smart Marketing

Deactivated Smart Marketing contacts are kept on a separate Inactive Contacts screen, so your main Contacts list shows active contacts only. You can review your inactive contacts on the Inactive Contacts screen and reactivate any of them when you need to.

How do I view my inactive contacts in Smart Marketing?

  1. In Smart Marketing, go to Contacts.

  2. Click View Inactive. The Inactive Contacts screen opens.

  3. To find a contact, type in the Search inactive contacts... box. Enter at least 3 characters. The list filters to matching contacts, showing 20 contacts per page.

  4. To return to your active contacts, click Back to Contacts. The main Contacts list opens.

If there are no inactive contacts, the Inactive Contacts screen shows No inactive contacts found.

How do I reactivate an inactive contact in Smart Marketing?

  1. On the Inactive Contacts screen, find the contact you want to reactivate.

  2. Open the contact's action menu and click Reactivate. The Reactivate contact confirmation window opens.

  3. Review the message. It explains that the contact will be re-added to marketing features like segments and campaigns, may start receiving messages again, and will count toward your contact limits.

  4. Click Reactivate. A Contact has been reactivated. message appears. The contact moves back to your active Contacts list and is removed from the Inactive Contacts screen.

How inactive contacts work in Smart Marketing

  • The main Contacts list in Smart Marketing shows active contacts only. Inactive contacts are not mixed into it.

  • Inactive contacts do not receive campaigns and are not included in segments. They also do not count toward your contact limits.

  • The Inactive Contacts screen sits alongside the Suppressed Contacts screen, both reached from the Contacts page.

Best Practices

  • Start with broad criteria, then refine to narrow your results

  • Double-check the contact count before confirming

  • Use bulk deactivation regularly to keep your marketing audience accurate and cost-effective

Troubleshooting

I don’t see the contacts I expected.

Review your conditions carefully. Small changes in filters can significantly affect the results.

I accidentally deactivated contacts.

Contacts can be reactivated individually from their contact profile.

The process seems stuck.

Bulk deactivation usually completes quickly, but larger lists may take additional time. Refresh the page to see updated totals.

Related Articles
Did this answer your question?