Inactive Subscriber
A subscriber who has not engaged with your emails (opened or clicked) within a defined period.
Definition
An inactive subscriber is someone on your email list who has not engaged with your emails for an extended period - typically 60-180 days depending on your sending frequency. They remain subscribed but show no opens, clicks, or other interactions. Inactive subscribers may have lost interest, changed email addresses, or be experiencing deliverability issues.
Why It Matters
Inactive subscribers hurt your email performance. They drag down engagement metrics, potentially affect deliverability as mailbox providers notice lack of engagement, and cost money on platforms that charge by list size. Managing inactive subscribers is essential for email program health.
How It Works
Email platforms track engagement per subscriber. You define inactivity criteria (e.g., no opens in 90 days). The platform flags or segments subscribers meeting this criteria. You then run re-engagement campaigns, move them to reduced frequency, or remove them from active sending.
Example
Inactive subscriber management workflow:
90 days inactive: → Add to "At Risk" segment → Send re-engagement email 1: "We miss you"
100 days inactive (no response): → Send re-engagement email 2: "Last chance"
110 days inactive (no response): → Send final email: "We're removing you unless..."
120 days inactive: → Move to suppression list → Stop sending marketing emails
Best Practices
- 1Define inactivity based on your sending frequency
- 2Run re-engagement campaigns before removing subscribers
- 3Offer preference changes (less frequent emails) before removal
- 4Segment inactive subscribers from active for better metrics
- 5Remove persistently inactive subscribers to protect deliverability