# Unsubscribe or delete a contact

> The two ways to remove a contact from a list, how to do each, and which to choose.

Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/contacts-audiences/unsubscribe-or-delete-a-contact
Updated: 2026-06-10

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There are two ways to remove someone from a list, and the difference matters. Unsubscribing keeps their record for compliance and lets them return later; deleting wipes everything permanently. This guide covers both, and when to use each.

## Unsubscribe a contact

1. Go to **Audience**, then **Contacts**.
2. Choose your list.
3. Find the contact with the magnifying glass.
4. Click the **...** in their row.
5. Select **Unsubscribe**. A confirmation appears at the top of the page.

## Permanently delete a contact

Deleting removes all of the contact's information - it can't be undone.

1. Go to **Audience**, then **Contacts**.
2. Choose your list.
3. Find the contact with the magnifying glass.
4. Click the **...** in their row.
5. Select **Permanently delete** and confirm.

## Which should you use?

- **Unsubscribe** keeps an audit trail for compliance and lets the contact re-subscribe later with their history intact. This is the right choice for almost every "they don't want our emails" case.
- **Delete** is for permanently removing invalid or problematic data. Use it sparingly, and export a backup first if there's any doubt.

Either way, honour unsubscribe requests promptly - it's what keeps your sender reputation healthy.

## Troubleshooting

**Can't unsubscribe a contact** - they may already be unsubscribed; check your permissions and that they're in the selected list.

**An unsubscribed contact still gets emails** - they're probably on another list too. Make sure the unsubscribe applied everywhere, and allow 24-48 hours to propagate.

**Can't permanently delete** - the contact may be in an active automation; try unsubscribing first, and check you have administrator permissions.

**A deleted contact reappears** - they're likely being re-imported. Check your import source and look for duplicate variations of the address.

**They want to re-subscribe** - edit the contact to change their status, but only with written consent, and check they're not on the suppression list.

For how opt-outs are handled automatically, see **[Use your suppression list](/knowledgebase/senders-deliverability/use-your-suppression-list)**. If a removal won't take, [open a support ticket](/knowledgebase/getting-started/how-to-create-a-support-ticket-in-mykualo).

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_Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/contacts-audiences/unsubscribe-or-delete-a-contact · © Kualo Ltd._