> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nudgen.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Contact lifecycle

> Import, updates, unsubscribes, and suppression

## What this page helps you do

Understand how contacts move from import through engagement and suppression. This helps you keep your list healthy and avoid sending to bad or opted-out addresses.

## Lifecycle stages

### Import and storage

* You add contacts via **Upload CSV** or **Add contact**. Emails and names are validated and encrypted at rest.
* Duplicates (same email in the same workspace) are merged on upload; existing contacts may be updated.
* New contacts start as **active** and can receive campaigns until something changes their status.

### Active and receiving

* **Active** contacts count toward your plan limit and can be included in campaign audiences (all, by tags, or manual).
* They receive emails when you send or run a drip. Opens, clicks, and bounces are recorded and reflected in analytics and suppression.

### Unsubscribe

* When a recipient clicks the **unsubscribe** link in an email, they are marked **unsubscribed** and are excluded from future campaign sends.
* You can still see them in the contact list. Some teams manually re-subscribe in rare cases; the app respects the unsubscribed status unless you change it.

### Bounces and suppression

* **Soft bounces** (e.g. mailbox full, temporary failure) may be retried by the delivery provider. Repeated failures can lead to suppression.
* **Hard bounces** (invalid address, domain doesn’t exist) are suppressed immediately. We sync with the delivery provider’s suppression list so those addresses are not used again.
* Suppressed or bounced contacts are excluded from future sends to protect your sender reputation and deliverability.

### Updates and deletion

* You can edit contact details (e.g. name, tags) in the contact list. Re-uploading a CSV with the same email updates that contact.
* Deleting a contact removes them from the workspace. They no longer count toward limits and cannot receive campaigns.

## How this affects campaigns

* When you pick an audience (all, tags, or manual), only **active** contacts that are not suppressed are included. The wizard’s reach estimate reflects that.
* Drip campaigns skip later steps for contacts who unsubscribed or were suppressed after an earlier step.

## What happens next

* [Contacts overview](/en/contacts/overview) — Encryption, masking, and tags.
* [Upload contacts](/en/contacts/upload) — CSV format and validation.
* [Deliverability basics](/en/concepts/deliverability-basics) — Bounces and sender reputation.