For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://docs.clickmax.io/en/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://docs.clickmax.io/en/llms-full.txt, and this page is available as Markdown at https://docs.clickmax.io/en/guides/clean-up-your-database.md.
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      • How do I clear out duplicates and inactive contacts?

      A big base is not a good base. Duplicate contacts distort your reports, dead contacts eat your plan quota, and invalid addresses drag down your sending reputation.

      Before you start

      • Role: Owner, Admin or Editor.
      • Deleting a contact is irreversible. The confirmation says it plainly: all information about the deleted contacts will be lost and cannot be recovered. Export a backup before any bulk delete.
      • Never delete someone who has already bought. An inactive customer is future revenue, not dead weight.

      1. Find the duplicates

      Use the filters in Contacts to locate repeated records. Duplication usually comes from an import run twice, or from the same lead being captured by different forms with slightly different details.

      Before deleting, decide which record stays: normally the most complete one, or the one with a purchase history.

      2. Separate invalid from inactive

      They are different things and the treatment is the opposite:

      TypeWhat it isWhat to do
      InvalidAn email that does not exist, a wrong phone numberRemove — it only hurts deliverability
      InactiveA valid address, a person who does not engageTry to re-engage before removing

      Contacts carry an email status in the list — Valid email, Invalid email or Email pending validation — which is the quickest way to spot the invalid group.

      3. Try re-engaging before deleting

      Before you delete inactive contacts, run the campaign described in re-engage inactive contacts. Anyone who responds is worth keeping; anyone who does not, you can delete with a clear conscience.

      4. Do the clean-up in bulk

      With a segment of who should go, use the Mass actions bar in Contacts — Export contacts for the backup first, then Delete contacts. Start with a small batch and check the result before applying it to everything.

      5. Stop it getting dirty again

      • Standardise the fields on your capture form.
      • Do not import the same spreadsheet twice — mark each batch with a tag and a date, as in migrate your contact base.
      • Review the base regularly instead of only when the quota runs out.

      If it didn't work

      • The quota did not drop after deleting: confirm the deletion finished for the whole batch.
      • You deleted someone you shouldn't have: deletion is irreversible — restore from the backup you exported.
      • Email deliverability is still poor: see email nurture sequence.