Data Management22% of the exam

What Contact Delete removes and leaves behind

Which data a Contact Delete removes (lists, sendable data extensions, tracking and preferences) and which it leaves (non-sendable data extensions outside populations, FTP files, other Enterprise 2.0 accounts), how data views and re-added contacts behave afterwards, and how retention policies and the storage report cover the gaps.

Official exam objective
Given a scenario, describe how data is affected by the Contact delete process.

~6 min read · 9 practice questions ·

What the exam expects

  • Predict which stores a completed Contact Delete clears and which still hold the person's data.
  • Explain what a re-added contact keeps, and why data views no longer show a deleted subscriber.
  • Tell a Subscribers-tab delete apart from a Contact Delete, and handle exported FTP files.
  • Scope a deletion across Enterprise 2.0 business units and separate Enterprise 2.0 accounts, and explain why deletions take time.
  • Use retention policies and the storage report to cover the data Contact Delete doesn't reach.
  • Key terms: final deletion (removal from lists and sendable data extensions after the suppression period); non-sendable data extension (a table not marked Is Sendable); population (a Data Designer link that makes rows contacts); soft delete (a reversible Subscribers-tab delete); retention policy (a rule that permanently deletes rows or data extensions after a period).

Key facts

Removed
Detail
Lists and sendable data extensions, including tracking and preferences
Not covered
Detail
Non-sendable data extensions outside a Data Designer population
Re-added contact
Detail
New unique ID; no previous information
Subscribers tab delete
Detail
Soft delete that can be reactivated
FTP files
Detail
Removal isn't guaranteed; delete through your FTP account, and deleted files can't be recovered
Batch limit
Detail
Up to one million records
Cancel
Detail
Can't be canceled once started
System data extensions
Detail
Not counted toward the storage allotment
Sources for this section (4)
  • How long does a data extension keep records when no retention policy is set?
  • Why can't rows removed by a retention policy be brought back later?
  • Which calculation in the storage CSV points to data extensions with unusually large records?
  • When does a role need an extra permission to download the data extension storage details?

The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.

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