What is list hygiene in email marketing?

• A. A method of cleaning the HTML code to reduce size.
• B. A strategy to buy new contacts to grow the list.
• C. Practices that remove invalid, unengaged, or non-deliverable addresses to maintain a healthy mailing list.
• D. A process to disinfect emails to avoid viruses.

Answer: (C)

List hygiene is keeping your email list healthy by regularly removing addresses that can hurt deliverability. It involves cleaning out invalid addresses (typos or domains that no longer exist), non-deliverable addresses (hard bounces and other undeliverable emails), and unengaged subscribers (those who rarely open or click). By doing this, you reduce bounce rates and spam complaints, protect your sender reputation, and improve inbox placement for future campaigns. Practical steps include removing hard-bounced addresses, re-engaging or suppressing inactive subscribers after a set period, verifying emails with a validation service, and honoring unsubscribes.

This isn’t about cleaning HTML code, buying new contacts, or disinfecting emails for viruses, which are unrelated to maintaining a healthy mailing list.