Anyone who’s managed email lists knows the pain: old, stale contacts pile up, bounce rates creep higher, and suddenly, your carefully crafted campaigns are circling the drain. If you’re using Verifybee, you’ve already got a jump on keeping things tidy. Still, cleaning out outdated contacts isn’t a one-and-done job—especially if you actually want your emails to land where they should.
This guide is for folks who want real, actionable steps—not vague advice or wishful thinking. You’ll find out what matters, what’s a waste of time, and how to keep your Verifybee lists sharp without turning it into a second job.
Why You Really Need to Clean Up Contacts
Let’s be blunt: Bad data costs you. Old emails bounce, domains die, and when you keep sending to ghosts, you pay for it—literally (in wasted sends, poor deliverability, and a bad sender rep). Some services claim “list hygiene” is automatic, but there’s no magic button.
Regularly clearing out outdated contacts means:
- Fewer bounces and spam complaints
- Better open/click rates (no, really)
- Lower costs on pay-per-contact platforms
- Less frustration with messy, useless lists
If you’re not convinced, just check your last campaign’s bounce rate. If it’s over 2%, you’ve got work to do.
Step 1: Get a Clear View of Your Contacts
Before you start hacking away, get a sense of what’s actually in your Verifybee account. It’s easy to lose track over time, especially if you’re syncing from multiple sources.
What to do:
- Export your full contact list from Verifybee. Work in a spreadsheet; it’s easier to sort and filter.
- Look for duplicates. Verifybee helps, but don’t assume it catches everything—especially if you import from odd sources.
- Scan for obviously bad data: emails like
test@test.com,asdf@, or anything with typos.
Pro tip: Add a “Date Added” or “Last Verified” column if you haven’t already. This will save you headaches later.
Step 2: Use Verifybee’s Verification—But Don’t Blindly Trust It
Verifybee’s built-in email verification is solid for catching:
- Invalid addresses (typos, dead domains)
- Role-based emails (like
info@orsales@) that often don’t engage - Disposable/temporary email services
But here’s the thing: Verification tools only know what they see right now. Some “valid” emails are actually deadweight—think old leads who never opened an email, or contacts who haven’t engaged in years.
What works:
- Running verification on all new imports
- Scheduling a full re-verification every 3–6 months
- Setting up automation to flag risky addresses (if you have the volume)
What doesn’t:
- Assuming “Deliverable” means “good”—lots of deliverable addresses are just digital tumbleweeds.
- Ignoring engagement data—Verifybee can tell you what’s valid; you still need to know what’s active.
Step 3: Layer in Engagement Data (If You Can)
If you’re using Verifybee alongside an email platform (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, whatever), pull in engagement stats. This is where you separate “valid” from “valuable.”
Look for contacts who:
- Haven’t opened or clicked an email in 6–12 months
- Consistently bounce or mark you as spam
- Unsubscribed, but somehow still linger (it happens)
How to do it:
- Export “cold” contacts from your email platform.
- Cross-reference with your Verifybee list. (Yes, this is a bit manual, but it’s worth it.)
- Tag or segment these contacts as “inactive” or “to review.”
Pro tip: Don’t delete unengaged contacts right away. Try a re-engagement campaign first—just one, not a dozen. If they still don’t bite, let them go.
Step 4: Actually Remove or Archive Outdated Contacts
This is the step most people put off. Don’t. Keeping old, dead contacts “just in case” is a trap.
How to approach it:
- Delete contacts that are hard-bounced, invalid, or obviously fake.
- Archive (don’t delete) contacts you’re on the fence about—most tools, including Verifybee, support this.
- Remove inactive contacts after a failed re-engagement attempt.
What to ignore:
Don’t get hung up on the idea that bigger lists are better. Quality > quantity, every time.
A word of warning:
Double-check before deleting. If you’re nervous, export a backup. But don’t let indecision stall progress.
Step 5: Automate What You Can (and Skip the Rest)
You don’t need to turn your contact list into a science project. Automate the basics, but don’t waste hours optimizing for edge cases.
What’s worth automating:
- New contact verification on import (Verifybee handles this well)
- Scheduled re-verification every few months
- Simple rules for flagging risky addresses (role-based, disposable, etc.)
What’s not:
- Overly complex workflows that catch 0.1% of cases—most of the payoff comes from the basics.
- Buying fancy “list cleaning” add-ons unless you’re dealing with hundreds of thousands of contacts.
Pro tip:
Set a recurring calendar reminder to review your list every quarter. It’s boring, but it works.
Step 6: Keep a Simple Audit Trail
If you’re in a team or regulated industry, you might need to show what you deleted and why.
Easy ways to do this:
- Keep a spreadsheet of deleted/archived contacts with dates and reasons.
- Use tags or notes in Verifybee to mark why someone was removed.
- Store exported backups for a limited time (30–90 days).
Don’t overthink it—just enough to answer, “Why did we remove this person?” if anyone asks.
Quick Wins and Common Pitfalls
What actually works:
- Regular, scheduled cleanups (even if you miss a few)
- Using both verification and engagement data
- Not letting “maybe someday” contacts clog up your list
What doesn’t:
- Waiting for a “perfect” process (done > perfect)
- Trusting vendor hype about “set and forget” data hygiene
- Obsessing over every single contact—focus on the 80% that matter
Final Thoughts
Keeping your Verifybee contacts clean isn’t glamorous, but it saves you money, improves deliverability, and just makes life easier. Don’t try to make it perfect. Just set up a simple routine, automate what you can, and don’t be afraid to trim the deadweight. Your future self—and your inbox—will thank you.