Subscriber Status in Salesforce Marketing Cloud | Peoplewoo Skills

You can edit text on your website by double-clicking on a text box on your website. Alternatively, when you select a text box, a settings menu will appear. Your website by double clicking on Managing subscribers, is a fundamental part of successful email marketing in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC). Understanding the different subscriber statuses helps you control deliverability, prevent issues, and maintain compliance.

This blog explains each subscriber status, how SFMC handles it, and what actions you can take. It's perfect for beginners, marketers, and Salesforce admins!

What is Subscriber Status?

In Salesforce Marketing Cloud, a subscriber’s status indicates their deliverability and interaction state. The system automatically updates these status based on engagement, bounces, and unsubscribes.

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Common Subscriber Status and Their Meaning

In Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC), every subscriber has a status that reflects their current relationship with your email communications. Understanding these statuses helps you maintain compliance, improve deliverability, and ensure proper list hygiene.

State	Description	Can Receive Emails?
Active	The subscriber is valid and can receive emails.	Yes ✅
Bounced	Recent sends to this subscriber failed (e.g., mailbox full, server error).	Yes (after retry) ⚠️
Held	Repeated bounces have occurred. The subscriber is now on hold.	No ❌
Unsubscribed	The subscriber opted out of your emails (manually or via unsubscribe link).	No ❌
Deleted	The subscriber has been removed from the list or All Subscribers list.	No ❌

How Salesforce Updates Subscriber Status Automatically

After 3 hard bounces, a subscriber is marked as Held.
When a user clicks “Unsubscribe”, status changes to Unsubscribed.
Subscribers removed from All Subscribers are marked Deleted.

What You Can Do Based on Subscriber Status

Active: Continue sending, monitor engagement.
Bounced: Retry send, but monitor bounce reason.
Held: Remove or re-confirm address outside SFMC.
Unsubscribed: Do not re-add without new opt-in.
Deleted: Re-import with proper opt-in only.

Best Practices for Subscriber List Hygiene

Use confirmed opt-in (double opt-in) wherever possible.
Monitor bounce reports and clean held addresses regularly.
Segment subscribers based on engagement.
Never force re-subscription after unsubscribing.
Use Automation Studio for regular list cleansing.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What causes a subscriber to be placed in Held status?

When a subscriber receives 3 or more hard bounces, Salesforce automatically moves them to Held to prevent more send attempts.

2. Can I re-activate a Held subscriber?

You must verify and re-import their email address with a new opt-in confirmation outside the platform.

3. What’s the difference between Unsubscribed and Deleted?

Unsubscribed means the user opted out. Deleted means the user was manually removed from All Subscribers but may still exist in lists.

4. How often should I clean my subscriber list?

It’s recommended to review bounce and held subscribers monthly, especially before major campaigns.

5. What happens if I continue sending emails to Held or Unsubscribed subscribers?

This can harm your sender reputation, increase spam complaints, and violate CAN-SPAM or GDPR regulations.

Conclusion

Understanding subscriber status in Salesforce Marketing Cloud is crucial for maintaining email deliverability, compliance, and healthy engagement. By regularly monitoring and cleaning your subscriber lists, you ensure your campaigns reach active, engaged audiences while protecting your sender reputation.

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