It depends on whether people should be removed when they leave the import's source, and whether they should come back if they return. You set the refresh type in each import's advanced settings. If people regularly leave and rejoin your report or list view, for example board members or a dynamic membership list, use Refresh.

What each refresh type does

• Update (Add, Update Subscribers): adds new people and updates active ones. It never removes anyone and never re-adds deleted people.

• Replace (Add, Update, Remove Subscribers): also deletes anyone on the list who is no longer in the import's source. It does not re-add deleted people.

• Resubscribe (Add, Update, Resubscribe Deleted Subscribers): adds and updates people, and sets deleted people who are in the source back to active. It never removes anyone.

• Refresh (Add, Update, Remove, Resubscribe Deleted Subscribers): removes people who leave the source and re-adds deleted people who come back.

People who leave and come back (code 205)

When a Replace import removes someone, Campaign Monitor moves them to that list's deleted list. If they later reappear in the source, Replace tries to add them as a normal subscriber and Campaign Monitor refuses with code 205, "Email Address exists in deleted list". This repeats on every run until the import type is changed.

Refresh and Resubscribe retry those people with re-subscribe turned on, so they become active again. Switching from Replace to Refresh keeps the removals and stops the 205 errors. Switching to Resubscribe also stops the errors, but people who leave the source will no longer be removed.

Note: Campaign Monitor does not record why someone was deleted, so Refresh and Resubscribe cannot tell a person removed by an import from a person deleted by hand in Campaign Monitor. Either can be re-added if they are in the source. A person is re-added once Salesforce shows them as deleted on the list, or Campaign Monitor reports the address as deleted during the import. To keep someone off a list, remove them from the source report or list view.

Note: Replace and Refresh only remove people after an import run completes without errors, so a failed run will not remove anyone.

Unsubscribed and suppressed people

No refresh type re-adds people who unsubscribed themselves (code 206) or who are on your suppression list (code 204). They stay unsubscribed whichever type you choose. See re-subscribing via the import wizard for your options.

Related Articles

• Import Wizard [Full Guide]

• What is re-subscribing and how does it work via the import wizard?

• Why has a subscriber been set to deleted in Campaign Monitor?