Why is Contact Delete Important?

• Privacy Compliance (GDPR, CCPA) — Customers can request full deletion of data.
• Improve Data Quality — Remove inactive, outdated, or duplicated contacts.
• Enhance Deliverability — Keeps your lists clean and reduces bounce rate.
• Reduce Storage Costs — Unnecessary data increases processing time.

How Contact Delete Works in SFMC

Contact Delete is NOT instant. It works in two stages:

1. Contact Deletion Request

When you request a delete, SFMC marks the contact for deletion but does not immediately remove it. The system first moves the contact into a “pending deletion” state.

2. Final Deletion by SFMC (Up to 14 Days)

SFMC runs a background Contact Delete process every 24 hours. After processing, the platform can take up to 14 days to remove all:

• Contact records
• Send logs
• Tracking data
• Journey data
• Mobile and email subscriptions

Important: You cannot undo a Contact Delete once initiated.

Types of Contact Delete Operations

How to Delete Contacts in SFMC (Step-by-Step)

Method 1 — Manual Delete from Contact Builder

1. Go to Contact Builder
2. Open Contacts Configuration
3. Select Delete Contacts
4. Choose one of the options:
   • Delete by Contact Key
   • Delete by List or Data Extension
5. Confirm the deletion

Method 2 — Using Automation Studio

1. Go to Automation Studio
2. Create a new automation
3. Add Contact Delete Activity
4. Select the Data Extension containing Contact Keys
5. Activate the automation

How Long Does SFMC Keep Contact Data After Delete?

After marking contacts for deletion:

Note: SFMC retains anonymous reporting data, but removes PII.

Real-Life Use Cases

Use Case 1 — GDPR Right to be Forgotten

A customer emails your support team requesting full deletion of their data. Your team uses Single Contact Delete to remove the contact from all systems.

Use Case 2 — Data Cleanup

You want to remove all contacts who have been inactive for 2+ years. You create a filtered Data Extension and run a Bulk Contact Delete.

Use Case 3 — Remove Hard Bounces

Contacts who hard bounce repeatedly can negatively impact your sender reputation. Using a daily automation, you delete these contacts from your database.

Best Practices for Contact Delete

• Always double-check the Data Extension before triggering a Bulk Delete.
• Use Automation Studio for periodic cleanup (monthly/quarterly).
• Keep Contact Keys consistent across all Data Extensions.
• Use suppression lists before permanent deletion.
• Document any GDPR/CCPA requests before deletion.