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
Go to Smart Marketing.
Select Contacts.
Click Bulk Deactivate at the top of the page.
Review the informational modal explaining the impact of deactivation.
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
Once satisfied with the selection, click Deactivate Contacts.
Review the confirmation summary, including:
Number of contacts being deactivated
Change to your active contact total
Billing and campaign impact
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
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.