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Automated List Cleaning

Recart automatically removes deactivated, unreachable, and high-risk phone numbers from your SMS subscriber list each day — improving deliverability, reducing wasted spend, and lowering compliance risk without requiring any manual action.

Table of Contents

  1. What is automated list cleaning?
  2. What automated list cleaning removes
  3. How automated list cleaning works
  4. What happens to cleaned subscribers?
  5. Litigator checks on new opt-ins
  6. Where to see list cleaning activity
  7. How estimated cost saved is calculated
  8. Frequently asked questions

 

What Is Automated List Cleaning?

Automated List Cleaning is a background process that continuously protects your SMS list by identifying and unsubscribing phone numbers that can no longer receive messages or pose a legal or compliance risk.

The feature runs automatically for all merchants with SMS enabled and requires no setup.

What Automated List Cleaning Removes

Recart automatically identifies and unsubscribes subscribers in the following categories:

Deactivated Numbers

Phone numbers reported by carriers as disconnected, ported, or no longer in service. Sending messages to these numbers is guaranteed to fail.

Known TCPA Litigators

Phone numbers that appear in third-party TCPA litigator databases. These numbers are associated with individuals who have previously filed SMS-related lawsuits and represent a high legal risk.

Landline or Technically Unavailable Numbers

Numbers that cannot receive SMS messages, such as landlines, or numbers flagged with permanent delivery error codes.

Reassigned Numbers (Maine Only)

Numbers identified in the Reassigned Numbers Database (RND) as having a new owner. In Maine, consent is no longer valid once a number is reassigned, and checks are legally required every 45 days.

 

How Automated List Cleaning Works

Daily Background Process

Every day at 7:00 AM CET, Recart automatically:

  1. Retrieves the latest deactivated number data
  2. Cross-references your subscriber list against deactivation, litigator, and reassigned number databases
  3. Unsubscribes any matching subscribers
  4. Records the specific reason in the subscriber’s history

What Happens to Cleaned Subscribers

When a subscriber is automatically cleaned:

  • They are unsubscribed from SMS
  • Their subscriber profile is fully preserved
  • A clear unsubscription reason is recorded:
    • Deactivated number
    • Litigator risk
    • Unavailable number
    • Reassigned number
  • The removal appears in your List Cleaning analytics

 

Litigator Checks on New Opt-Ins

All new SMS opt-ins are checked against TCPA litigator databases in real time.

If a number is flagged:

  1. The subscriber is created and receives the welcome message (to maintain compliance)
  2. The subscriber is then automatically unsubscribed with the reason Litigator risk

 

Where to See List Cleaning Activity

Subscribers Page

Navigate to Subscribers in the main dashboard. You’ll see:

Subscribers chart - cleaned by Recart_

Overview Stats

  • Cleaned by Recart — Total number of subscribers automatically cleaned
  • Over last 30 days — Recent cleaning activity
  • Estimated SMS cost saved — Cumulative savings from avoided messages

List Cleaning Chart

  • Toggle between List Growth and List Cleaning
  • Daily breakdown by category:
    • Deactivated
    • Litigator
    • Landline
    • Reassigned
  • Default view: Last 30 days
  • Hover over any day to view category totals

Individual Subscriber Profile

Within a subscriber profile, the History section shows the automated unsubscription event along with the specific removal reason.

Profile details - with segments and lists_

 

How Estimated SMS Cost Saved Is Calculated

The Estimated SMS cost saved metric shows how much spend you avoid by not sending messages to unreachable or high-risk numbers. Our calculation:

  • Uses your actual sending frequency
  • Blended cost per SMS segment
  • Savings are calculated across three months
  • The total is cumulative and increases over time

For new merchants without historical data, Recart uses average sending values.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off automated list cleaning?

No. Automated List Cleaning runs for all merchants to reduce wasted spend and compliance risk and cannot be disabled.

Will I be notified when subscribers are cleaned?

You can view all cleaning activity on the Subscribers page.

Does this delete subscriber data?

No. Only the SMS subscription status changes. All subscriber data and history remain intact.

Does this affect analytics or reporting?

Yes — positively. Removing unreachable numbers improves delivery rate accuracy and overall reporting.

How can a subscriber re-subscribe? 

Subscribers are removed based on external carrier and compliance databases. If a number becomes valid again, the subscriber would need to re-opt in.

 

Summary

Automated List Cleaning keeps your SMS list accurate, compliant, and cost-efficient by removing invalid and high-risk numbers every day — automatically and without any manual effort.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach us at support@recart.com - We’re always happy to help!