Dynamics Community Forum Thread Details

Hello MK-07040144-0,

You're right, managing a global opt-out list across multiple CRMs is a common challenge. While Dynamics 365 doesn't have a dedicated, separate "global opt-out list" feature that is entirely disconnected from Contacts and Leads in the way some other platforms might, you can achieve a similar outcome using a combination of features and a specific approach to avoid "dirtying" your Contact and Lead data.

Here's the recommended approach:

Leveraging Marketing Lists for a Master Opt-Out List:

You can utilize Marketing Lists in Dynamics 365 to create and manage your master opt-out list without necessarily creating Contact or Lead records for these email addresses. Here's how:

Create a Static Marketing List:
- Navigate to Marketing > Marketing Lists.
- Click + New.
- Name: Give it a clear and descriptive name, such as "Global Email Opt-Out List".
- List Type: Choose Static. This type allows you to manually add and remove members.
- Targeted At: Select Account. While these are email addresses, you need to target an entity for the list. Accounts are a good general-purpose entity that you might not be heavily using for these external opt-outs. You won't necessarily create actual Account records for these.
- Member Source: Leave this blank for now as you'll be adding members manually or via import.
- Save the Marketing List.

Add Email Addresses to the Marketing List:
- Manual Copy and Paste (for smaller lists):
  - Open your "Global Email Opt-Out List".
  - In the Members section, click + Add Members.
  - In the lookup field, you won't find existing Contacts or Leads. However, you can use the + New button.
  - Crucially, instead of creating a full Contact or Lead record, you can create a minimal Account record.
  - Required Fields: You'll likely need to populate the Account Name (you could use the email address as the account name or a generic identifier like "Opt-Out - [Email Address]").
  - Email Address Field: Ensure you populate the Email Address field on the Account record with the email address you want to opt-out.
  - Save and Close the Account record. This Account record will then be added as a member of your "Global Email Opt-Out List".
  - Repeat this process for each email address you need to add.
- Upload via Import (for larger lists):
  - Prepare an Import File (CSV or Excel): Create a file with a single column for the Email Address. You might also include a column for a temporary Account Name (which can be the email address itself).
  - Navigate to Settings > Data Management > Imports.
  - Click Import Data.
  - Follow the import wizard:
    - Select your file.
    - Map the Email Address column in your file to the Email Address field of the Account entity.
    - Map the temporary Account Name column to the Account Name field of the Account entity.
    - Crucially, in the "On Duplicate Records" section, choose "Ignore". This will prevent the creation of duplicate Account records if you import the same email address multiple times.
    - Complete the import.
  - Once the import is successful, open your "Global Email Opt-Out List" and click Add Members. Use Advanced Find to search for Account records where the Email Address is in your imported list and add them as members.

Using the Opt-Out List in Your Email Sends:
- When you create marketing emails in Dynamics 365, you can exclude your "Global Email Opt-Out List" from the target audience of your email campaigns.
- In the Go Live settings or the segment definition of your email campaign, you'll have options to exclude specific marketing lists. Select your "Global Email Opt-Out List" here.

Why this Approach Works and Avoids "Dirtying" Data:

Minimal Account Records: You are creating minimal Account records with only the necessary information (email address and a name). You don't need to populate other CRM-centric fields that are relevant to actual customers.
Segmentation: Marketing Lists are designed for segmentation and exclusion. This keeps your opt-out data separate from your actual Contacts and Leads.
Control: You have direct control over adding and removing email addresses from this list.

Important Considerations:

Data Privacy Regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.): Ensure your process for collecting and managing opt-out requests complies with all relevant data privacy regulations. Maintain records of consent and opt-out requests appropriately.
System Maintenance: Periodically review and update your "Global Email Opt-Out List" as new opt-out requests come in.
Integration: Once your integration with the other CRMs is complete, you'll want to automate the process of updating this Dynamics 365 opt-out list.

In summary, while Dynamics 365 doesn't have a completely detached "email-only opt-out list," leveraging Static Marketing Lists targeted at the Account entity and creating minimal Account records with just the email address is a practical way to manage your global opt-out list without cluttering your Contact and Lead data in the short term. Remember to plan for your long-term integration to automate this process.

If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.

Regards,

Daivat Vartak