Keep a working copy#
Start with a copy of the original export. Include the stable contact ID, source and consent fields if they are already present. The email column alone is rarely enough to reconnect results to the right record later.
Map before you clean#
Check the header setting and selected email column. Review several rows, especially files with quoted commas or line breaks. MailMaid preserves original columns and adds separate result columns so a correction never silently rewrites source data.
- Choose the email column.
- Review exact duplicates and format failures.
- Export unchecked, risky and invalid segments separately.
Review the writeback#
A cleaned export is not permission to delete every rejected contact. Preserve the source record, suppress where appropriate and record the reason. Reconcile by contact ID before updating a CRM. Keep a dated copy of the decisions for the person responsible for the next send.