Marketing Audience Import Preflight
Review a proposed email audience import for permission evidence, existing exclusions and status mapping before a contact becomes eligible for a campaign.
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When to use this template
Use this when a founder is preparing a legitimate audience migration or importing owned signup records. Review the mapping and permission history before an authorized operator changes the email system.
Choose another approach when: The list is scraped or purchased, permission cannot be evidenced, or the purpose is to reactivate people who unsubscribed or complained without a valid new basis.
Gather these inputs
- The source list’s provenance, signup wording, timestamps and relevant permission scope.
- Current subscription, suppression and duplicate states in source and destination.
- The minimum necessary field mapping, intended campaign purpose and accountable import owner.
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Worked example
Illustrative example, not a Crany customer result. Replace every example detail with facts you can verify.
Fictional example: a founder plans to move an owned newsletter audience into a new email tool. The source file includes subscribed contacts, unconfirmed signups and people who previously opted out. The preflight maps those states separately. A destination's default “subscribed” import option is not accepted for the entire file, and an old opt-out is not erased because a duplicate row has a newer project tag. Unknown provenance remains held for investigation. The team keeps permission evidence in a private controlled location and reviews a minimal sample mapping. This worksheet does not import, delete, subscribe or contact anyone. Having an address in a customer database is not presented as proof of permission for the proposed newsletter.
How to use it
- Establish list provenance and the permission scope for the proposed content.
- Map every meaningful source state and reconcile exclusions before bulk changes.
- Review controlled mapping evidence and hold unknown or conflicting eligibility.
Check before using it
- The import does not silently convert pending or opted-out contacts into subscribers.
- Duplicate handling preserves exclusions rather than selecting the most permissive row.
- Only necessary fields enter the migration and private contact evidence stays protected.
What to measure
Track mapping conflicts and records held because permission or status is unresolved. Verify actual destination eligibility only after a separately authorized import. This preflight is an operational review, not legal certification or permission to message contacts.
Research and sources
Mailchimp requires express verifiable marketing permission and respect for audience contact types. This original import preflight protects state mapping and evidence; provider policy is not a universal legal opinion or a performed migration.
- Mailchimp: The Importance of Permission — checked 2026-10-24. Verifiable permission and clear identity for marketing audiences; provider policy, not a universal legal opinion.
- Mailchimp: Requirements and Best Practices for Audiences — checked 2026-10-24. Audience preferences, opt-in practices and maintenance of subscribed audiences.
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