Data Hygiene

The Short Answer

Data hygiene is the ongoing practice of keeping a database accurate: removing duplicate records, correcting formatting errors, verifying contact information, and suppressing records that should no longer be contacted (such as deceased individuals). Clean data improves deliverability, campaign accuracy, and the reliability of any analysis built on top of it.

How It Works

A hygiene pass runs a database through several checks at once: duplicate detection, formatting standardization, contact verification, and suppression of records that should not be contacted, such as deceased individuals or prior opt-outs.

Why It Matters

Clean data improves deliverability, keeps reporting accurate, and reduces wasted spend on records that were never going to convert. It is ongoing maintenance, not a one-time fix, since decay never stops.

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