Find the master suppression list

If you cannot locate your master suppression list in the shared folder and you have organization administration permissions, go to the Opt-Out Suppression Settings area. The name of the suppression list is shown in this area.

If you are and organization administrator and want to find out which user has the master suppression list, do an advanced search for master suppression list.

If you still cannot locate the master suppression list and this is a new or demo org, it is most likely because no one has opted out of a email yet. The master suppression list is automatically created and the list appears in the Private folder of the first user.

Move the master suppression list

You can move the master suppression list to the shared folder, so that everyone in the organization can view and edit the list. You can also move the master suppression list to another user.

1. To move the master suppression list to another user from the Private folder follow these steps.
   1. Go to Data.
   2. Select the Suppression Lists tab.
   3. Click Private. Note: Only one person has access to the master suppression list in the Private folder. If everyone in the organization needs access, move the list to the Shared folder.
   4. Check the box next to the master suppression list.
   5. Select Move to.
   6. Click Move to user.
   7. Select a user from drop down list.
   8. Click OK.
2. To move the master suppression list to the Shared folder follow these steps. Important: The master suppression list cannot be moved back to the Private folder.
   1. Go to Data
   2. Select the Suppression Lists tab.
   3. Click Shared.
   4. Check the box next to the master suppression list.
   5. Select Move to.
   6. Click Move to folder.
   7. Click Shared.

      You can also move the list to folders within the Shared folder.

   8. Click OK.

How can a contact can end up on the master suppression list?

Contacts can end up in a suppression list based on how your organization administrator configured the opt out/suppression settings.

1. The contact chose to opt out of your database by clicking your unsubscribe link.
2. If contacts are marked as undeliverable due to hard bounce or reaching the organization limit of soft bounces within a specific time frame.
3. You manually opt out a contact from the database. This involves checking the box by the contact's record in the database and clicking opt out contact.
4. Abuse complaints.
5. Opt outs that contacts do within their email provider.
6. The ListImport API call is used to add multiple contacts at one time to the master suppression list or to a list level suppression list.
7. An API call, such as RemoveRecipient, is run to opt out a contact.
8. The OptOutRecipient API.

Undeliverables - Are contacts who are flagged as undeliverable due to either hard bouncing or reaching the org limit of soft bounces in a specific time frame.

Note: If you want to know more about a specific contact's record, click the contact from the database Search pane to open contact insight.

What do you do if you cannot find a contact in the master suppression list?

Do an advanced search for Keyword master suppression list, Category All, Within Users to be sure that there is not another suppression list with the same name.

You are likely to find the contact in this another suppression list in someone's Private folder.

What happens to the contact record in the database when a contact email address is added to the master suppression list?

Adding a contact's email address to the master suppression list has numerous consequences.

When a contact is added to the master suppression list, a copy of the record is created and added to the list. The contact record within the database remains with the status of opted in. The contact is added to the database suppression list and their status on the Suppression List Summary page shows as opted in, because they are 'opted in' to the suppression list. This opt-in date shows when the contact unsubscribed from the email list.

When emails are sent to the database, the contact is suppressed based on the master suppression list at the org level.

If you want to change the contact status within the database you can perform an import update. You can change the opt in status of a contact within your master database by using a further import update and selecting Opt out contacts, to update the status.

While a contact's email address is on an organization-level master suppression list, he or she does not receive email from any database in the organization. If a contact's email address is on a database-level suppression list, he or she does not receive email from that particular database.

Export a custom or master suppression list

• Contacts are included in a contact list because:
  • A user added them by query, import update, API or manually.
  • They are added via a subscription group in a web form or preference center.
• Undeliverables should not be included in a contact list because they are filtered on the database level.
• Contacts are added to the master suppression list because they are hard bounced, opted out via 1 click (if set), marked as undeliverable, or manually had status updated to opted out.

1. Go to Database.
2. Select the Suppression Lists tab.
3. Select the name of the suppression list you want to export.
4. Click Export Suppression List in the top right corner of the page.
5. Choose the option that matches the information you want to export.

   Note: While suppression lists appear like regular databases, they do not use opt-outs the same way. Choose Export Contacts, Opt-Outs, Snoozes and Undeliverables to export all contacts.

6. Click Next and then click Submit.
7. Click Data Job ID to view job status and details.
8. When the job is complete, click Download and enter your password when prompted.

Remove or purge contacts from the master suppression list

1. In Acoustic Campaign, go to Data.
2. On the Suppression Lists tab, place a check in the box next to the master suppression list. Note: The master suppression list might be in your or one your colleague's Private tab.
3. Click the Purge button (it's the last icon below the tabs and above the lists).
4. In the second field, select the list that contains contacts that you do not want to be in the master suppression list.
5. Click Next.
6. Click Submit.

After the resulting data job completes, you should find that any contacts that are in the list that was in the second field are removed from the master suppression list. A new contact source that contains the contacts that were removed is created and is given a name that ends in '_PURGE'. You can delete this contact source if you do not need it.

Purge the master suppression list to a database

You can eliminate the contacts from your database that are being suppressed in order to clean your database and get a true count of the number of active contacts, then you can purge your database.

1. Select Data.
2. Click the Suppression Lists tab.
3. Select the check box beside the master suppression list.
4. Click Export.
5. Make sure the Export Contacts Only radio button is selected.
6. Under Field Selector(Optional) click Include These Fields From the Database for each contact.
7. Click Remove all in the right window, then select Email in the left window and press the right blue arrow.

   Email should be the only field in the right window. Click Apply at the bottom.

8. Select Next.
9. Click Submit.
10. Click on the link Data Job ID: xxxxxxxx

    You may have to refresh a couple of times. When status says Complete you will see a files name, for example, File Name: MASTER SUPPRESSION LIST - OptIns - Jul 15 2019 03-34-39 PM.CSV Download.

11. Click Download to have the file download to your computer. Note: You will have to put in your login password for authentication.
12. Save the file, and open it. You should just have one column: Email.

    If you have more, delete all columns except Email.

13. Navigate to Import New.
14. Give this new database a name. Select Single Opt-in Database from the What type of database or list would you like to create? drop down. Browse to your local hard drive for the file we exported. Click Next.
15. Select the check box First row contains field names, click Next, then Next, then Next again. Now click Submit.
16. Click on the link Data Job ID: xxxxxxxx, You may have to refresh a couple of times. Once Status says Complete, Click on Data in blue bar.
17. On the main list page select Purge.
18. In the first box select your main database you want to purge from.
19. In the second box, select the newly imported database.
20. Click Next then Submit.
21. Click on the link Data Job ID: xxxxxxxx, You may have to refresh a couple of times. Once status says Complete the purge is complete.
22. Click on Data in the blue bar, your list of databases are here.

The database you chose to purge should now reflect the current number of contacts. There will be a new database with your main database name with today's date and purge on the end. These databases are the contacts removed from your database.

Undeliverables in the master suppression list after the email is sent

If your database contains contacts with misspelled email addresses, these contacts are set as undeliverables in the master suppression list after the email is sent.

Note: These contacts have a different Recipient ID in the database than the Recipient ID in the master suppression list.

When you correct the misspelled email addresses in the database, then these contacts receive the next email. However, those email addresses that are misspelled remain on the master suppression list as undeliverable.