Overview
Contact deactivation is an automated system mechanism that prevents contacts from receiving messages in Mapp Engage when defined deliverability thresholds are reached.
When a contact generates qualifying email responses—such as hard bounces or spam complaints—the system marks the contact as deactivated. This status excludes the contact from messaging across channels until it is manually changed or automatically updated based on configuration.
Unlike blacklisting, deactivation is not applied manually but triggered by system-defined criteria.
Deactivation Triggers
Contacts are automatically deactivated when they generate a predefined number of qualifying email responses returned by mailbox providers.
Typical triggers include:
Invalid addresses (hard bounces)
Spam complaints (via feedback loops)
Note
Only email responses are considered for deactivation. SMS, mobile push, and in-app activity do not trigger deactivation.
The exact thresholds are defined in your deactivation configuration.
System-Wide Behavior
By default, deactivation is enforced system-wide.
If a contact is deactivated in one group, the deactivation applies across all groups in your Engage environment. This ensures consistent deliverability protection.
Group-level overrides are possible. However, bypassing system-wide deactivation may negatively impact deliverability and should be used with caution.
Managing Deactivated Contacts
Deactivated contacts can be managed in different ways, depending on your permissions and configuration:
Reactivate individual contacts
Reactivate contacts at the group level
Reactivate contacts system-wide
Remove contacts from a group
Automatically reactivate or remove contacts after a defined period
Delete or anonymize the contact profile
Removing a contact from a group does not delete the contact profile. Deleting or anonymizing a contact permanently removes profile data from the system.
Each option serves a different purpose and affects either group membership or the entire contact profile.
For step-by-step instructions on reactivating contacts or managing deactivation settings, see the related How-To guides.
Automatic Handling
You can define rules that automatically:
Reactivate contacts after a specified number of days
Remove contacts from a group after a specified number of days
Rules are configured per response category and help balance deliverability protection with engagement recovery.
If no automatic handling is configured, contacts remain deactivated until manually reviewed. This may protect deliverability but can reduce engagement if valid contacts are not reactivated.
For configuration instructions, see Automate Handling of Deactivated Contacts.
Recommended Handling by Response Category
Different response categories reflect different types of delivery issues. The appropriate handling strategy depends on the severity and cause of the issue.
The following guidance reflects common practices:
Transient – Temporary delivery issues (for example, full inbox).
Often suitable for automatic reactivation after a short delay (for example, 7–14 days).
Unknown – Delivery failure without a clearly identified reason.
May be suitable for automatic reactivation after a short delay.
Communication Failure – Temporary server or connection issues.
Consider automatic reactivation with a slightly longer delay (for example, 14–21 days).
Blocked – Delivery blocked due to server policy, blacklist, or filtering.
Manual review is recommended before reactivation.
Spam Complaint – Explicit negative feedback from the recipient.
Reactivation is not recommended.
Always align your configuration with your deliverability strategy and compliance requirements.