Blacklists vs. Robinson Lists

Choosing the Right List Type

Both blacklists and Robinson lists in Mapp Engage prevent messages from being sent to specific contacts. They serve similar goals but differ in how they handle data, when they apply, and what level of control they offer. Use this comparison to decide which method best fits your compliance and communication needs.

Which method is right for your use case?

To decide between a blacklist and a Robinson list, consider what should happen with the contact data and how strictly you want to block communication.

Use a Blacklist when:

• You need to remove the contact from the system entirely, for example:

  • A user requests permanent data deletion (e.g., GDPR “right to be forgotten”)

  • A contact has abused your system (e.g., spam complaints or legal issues)

• You want to prevent re-imports or re-subscriptions

• You need a hard block — no messages, no data, no trace

Use a Robinson List when:

• You want to keep the contact and their data, but still block sendouts

• The contact opted out temporarily but may return later

• You manage multiple systems or brands and need shared exclusions

• You want faster imports, without real-time blacklist checks

In short:

Blacklist = hard block + data removal

Robinson List = soft block + data retention

Comparison at a Glance