How does list hygiene affect reputation?

List hygiene directly impacts multiple reputation signals:

Bounce rates rise when lists contain invalid, abandoned, or mistyped addresses. High bounce rates tell providers you do not maintain your data.

Spamtrap hits occur when unmaintained lists include recycled addresses that providers converted to traps. These hits severely damage reputation.

Engagement rates decline when lists bloat with inactive recipients who never open or click. Sending to disengaged audiences triggers silent filtering.

Complaint rates can spike when old lists contain people who forgot they subscribed or whose interests changed.

Regular hygiene practices including bounce removal, engagement-based suppression, and periodic re-confirmation protect reputation.

List hygiene is like cargo manifest maintenance. Accurate records prevent shipping to addresses that do not exist and cargo that no one wants.