# Data views for bounce, complaint and list health

*Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator Study Guide · Subscriber Data Management · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-engagement-administrator/subscriber-data-management/data-views-for-bounce-complaint-and-list-health*

Which system data view answers each list-health question (_Bounce, _Complaint, _Unsubscribe, _Job, _ListSubscribers, _Subscribers versus _EnterpriseAttribute, _AutomationInstance), how long each keeps data, which views run only at the parent or enterprise level, and the bounce and complaint thresholds that tell you a list is unhealthy.

- Certification: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator
- Exam section: Subscriber Data Management
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-engagement-administrator

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, evaluate data quality.

## What the exam expects

- Choose the system data view that answers a list-health question: undelivered addresses, spam reports, opt-outs, send job details, list membership or profile attributes.
- Recall which data views keep six months of data and which keeps only seven days.
- Explain which data views run only at the parent account or enterprise level, and where triggered-send data goes when it isn't added to a list.
- Use _AutomationInstance and _AutomationActivityInstance to spot automations that run long before they fail.
- Judge list health against Salesforce's bounce and complaint targets.
- Key terms: **data view** (a system table you query in Automation Studio); **_Job** (one row of metadata per email send job); **hard bounce** (a permanent delivery failure); **complaint** (a recipient marking mail as spam); **enterprise level** (the top of an Enterprise 2.0 account, above child business units).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Where data views are queried | SQL Query activity in Automation Studio, up to six months | [Data Views](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_views.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Six-month views | _Bounce, _Click, _Complaint, _FTAF, _Open (_Sent and _Unsubscribe also state six months on their own pages) | [Data Views](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_views.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| _ReconcilableDispositionView | Retained for seven days | [Data Views](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_views.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| _Subscribers | Statuses only, no attributes; enterprise level only | [Data Views](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_views.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| _EnterpriseAttribute | Subscribers with profile attributes | [Data Views](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_views.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| _BusinessUnitUnsubscribes | Parent account only | [Data Views](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_views.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Triggered send not added to a list | Missing from enterprise-level views; query the sender's account | [Data Views](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_views.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| _AutomationInstance | Automation health for six months; finds long-running processes; single business unit; one row per notification address, so use a shared distribution list | [Data View: Automation Instance](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_view_automation_instance.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| List-health targets | Bounce rate under 2%; complaints at or under 0.1% | [Sending Reputation and Warming](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_ip_address_warming.htm&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why does a query of _Subscribers return no profile attribute columns?
- When does a query of _ReconcilableDispositionView come back empty for a real send?
- Which data view lists who is on a publication list before a send?
- Why might opens from a child business unit's triggered send be missing at the enterprise level?

## Sources

- [Data Views](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_views.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Data View: Automation Instance](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_view_automation_instance.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Data View: Sent](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_view_sent.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Data View: Unsubscribe](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_data_view_unsubscribe.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Sending Reputation and Warming](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_ip_address_warming.htm&type=5)
- [Deliverability Frequently Asked Questions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005389036&language=en_US&type=1)
- [Review Subscriber Data Management](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/marketing-cloud-admin-certification-prep-setup-and-data/review-subscriber-data-management)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 13 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams