Simply use 1’ and 0’ values in the Do Not Email and Opted Out fields. These values will overwrite settings in Pardot during the import, simplifying any issues if you accidentally mark your database as “Do Not Email”.
However, with great power, there also comes all phone number in cambodia great responsibility. So, whilst the Do Not Email’ field can be ideal for imports, please be aware that changing “Opted Out” to true via an import without prospects opt-in consent is not GDPR compliant!
How to upgrade Prospect Mailability?
The upgrade is available for all Pardot editions with Salesforce Professional, Enterprise, and Unlimited editions.
The setting can only be enabled by Admins. If you are an admin (and have read our considerations below) you can enable the Mailability changes from the banner that appears at the top of the Pardot Dashboard.
Currently, the upgrade is optional, but Salesforce has advised that by the end of 2021, every Pardot account which still has the original fields will be upgraded automatically.
The update is instant and a Mailability’ section will show on all prospect records right away.
Once upgraded, the icons and tooltips will update to show prospects' mailable status and the types of emails they can receive. This makes it much easier to determine than the plain email icon we’re used to!
Pardot email icons
My favourite feature so far is being able to filter prospects in the Prospect Data Table based on mailable statuses! Even after only a couple of days of enabling this feature, it’s crazy to think how I ever lived without it.
Dropdown showing unmailable prospects
Considerations
The upgrade isn't reversible.
It changes the way Do Not Email’ and Opted Out’ field settings work. Whilst it won't change an existing prospect’s current values in these fields, the fields will now behave independently of one another. This is a good thing!
From now on, Do Not Email’ will be a field owned by Pardot users and the ‘Opted Out' field is controlled by the prospect. They can update this field by unsubscribing.
Tip: Salesforce has a super handy table which explains what a prospect’s mailable status is depending on the fields.
Due to the change in behaviour of the Do Not Email’ field, we recommend reviewing any automations, or segmentation rules which feature Do Not Email’ and update them to refer to the hard bounce field.
Once this upgrade has happened in your org you can change Opted Out’ and Do Not Email’ values for email automation rules, Engagement Studio programs, dynamic lists, and on prospect import files - be cautious of which users will have access to do this.
After you upgrade, users can view and edit Mailability settings on the prospect record. For example, users can clear the soft bounce value from prospect records. This should ideally only be done once the email address is verified.
The upgrade doesn’t change a prospect’s current value for Opted Out’ or Do Not Email’. It changes how those fields determine a prospect's mailable status and the types of emails they can receive. Therefore, after upgrading you may need to update a prospect’s Do Not Email’ or Opted Out’ settings to ensure it displays their actual email marketing preferences.
After you’ve upgraded, the new default behavior for prospect syncing is similar to how the Overwrite Prospect Opted Out’ setting works. The field is removed upon upgrading, and won’t be visible on your Connector Preferences anymore.
If you have any questions about the Prospect Mailability feature, how to use Pardot email marketing like a pro, or you get stuck during the upgrade, we’re here to help! We have flexible Pardot support packages available to suit all business needs.