Restore deleted contact records

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How to Restore Deleted Contact Records

In ActiveCampaign, the ability to restore deleted contact records is a vital feature for account administrators. This functionality allows users to recover contacts that may have been accidentally deleted, ensuring that crucial data is not permanently lost. With the option to restore deleted contacts within a 30-day window, administrators can manage their contacts more effectively, minimizing disruptions to their marketing and communication efforts.

Why This Matters

Restoring deleted contact records is essential because maintaining a complete and accurate contact database is crucial for effective marketing campaigns. A single deleted record can result in lost opportunities or broken communications. The option to restore provides an additional safety net, helping businesses avoid the repercussions of accidental deletions.

How to Access This Feature

To access the feature for restoring deleted contact records, you must be logged into your ActiveCampaign account as an admin.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps to restore deleted contacts:

1. Navigate to the Contacts Overview page.
2. Click the ellipses (three dots) on the top right of the page.
3. Select the Restore Contact(s) option from the dropdown menu.
4. The Restore Contacts page will load. Here, you can select the contact record(s) you wish to recover. You may use the date and name fields to search for deleted contacts by the date they were deleted, their name, or email address. This allows you to restore up to 100 contacts at a time.
5. Click the Restore Contact(s) button to initiate the restoration.
6. If you prefer, you can also click Restore all contacts to restore every contact deleted within the last 30 days, with any applied filters. This method can restore more than 100 contacts at once.
7. A confirmation modal will prompt you to confirm the restoration. Click the Restore button to proceed.
8. To exit the page, simply click the X next to the word "Esc."

Please note that the restore process may take up to 15 minutes to complete. You can leave the page while the action processes in the background. It’s important to remember that you can only perform one restore job at a time.

Configuration Options and Settings

When utilizing the restore feature, consider the following important points:

• Admin User Access: Only users in the Admin group of your account can restore deleted contact records.
• Automation Triggers: Restoring contacts will not trigger any automations to run or campaigns to send.
• Merge Limitations: If a contact has been merged with another, it cannot be restored.

Best Practices and Tips

1. **Regular Backups**: Although the restore feature allows you to recover contacts, implementing regular backups of your data can help safeguard against data loss. 2. **Monitor Deleted Contacts**: Periodically check the deleted contacts list to ensure that crucial records are available for restoration if needed. 3. **User Training**: Train users on how to properly manage contacts, to minimize accidental deletions. 4. **Use Filters**: When restoring contacts, utilize date and name filters to quickly locate the specific contacts you want to recover. 5. **Keep Track of Deleted Dates**: Maintain a record of when contacts are typically deleted to help monitor and restore data efficiently.

Common Use Cases with Examples

- **Accidental Deletion**: An administrator accidentally deletes a contact while cleaning up the database. They use the restore feature to retrieve that contact within the allowable 30 days. - **Campaign Re-activation**: A marketing team decides to restart an old campaign and realizes that some critical contacts were deleted. They can quickly restore these contacts to re-engage with them. - **Data Management**: An analytic report shows that several contacts were incorrectly categorized and subsequently deleted. The admin restores them to correct the data.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while restoring contacts, consider the following:

• **Check Admin Privileges**: Ensure that you are logged in as an admin user; only admins have the rights to restore contacts.
• **Verify Time Limit**: Confirm that the contacts you are trying to restore were deleted within the last 30 days.
• **Contact Merging**: Remember that contacts that have been merged cannot be restored. If you attempt to restore such a contact, ensure you look for alternative solutions.

FAQ

Can I restore contacts that were deleted more than 30 days ago?

No, the restore option is only available for contacts deleted within the last 30 days.

What happens to the tags of restored contacts?

All tags are restored unless they have been deleted.

Can I restore multiple contacts at once?

Yes, you can restore up to 100 contacts at a time. Alternatively, you can choose Restore all contacts to recover more than 100 contacts if they were deleted within the last 30 days.

Will restoring contacts trigger any automations?

No, restoring contacts will not trigger any automations or campaigns.

What if I need to restore a contact that has been merged?

Once a contact has been merged, it cannot be restored. You may need to recreate the contact manually.

How can I check if a contact has been restored?

You must perform a search for the contact to verify if they were successfully restored to your account.

Is there a limit on how many times I can restore contacts?

You can only perform one restore job at a time, but you can repeatedly restore contacts within the 30-day limit.

For further details on managing contacts, refer to the Contacts category. ```