Can I Edit Misspelled Email Addresses in B2B Lists?

It is clear that some email addresses are misspelled in our system, either the name or domain (e.g., from manual entries). Can I edit them manually and send to those people?

One of the most common issues for B2B lists is obvious typos in email addresses. Consider the following scenarios:

• An in-person or telephone sales meeting where the other party shared their info with you.
• An event (conference, online registration, etc.).
• Manual import of data.

You import your contacts into your system so you can follow up, send them news, updates, and offers. Suddenly, many of those contacts are failing to deliver as non-existent. By quickly going through them, it becomes clear that their email addresses are misspelled or have incorrect input. What should you do?

There are some factors we should address first:

1. UK GDPR and the accuracy principle. You must take reasonable steps to ensure the personal data you hold is accurate. Intrusive methods such as tracing or data matching services are unlikely to be considered reasonable when updating personal data for direct marketing purposes.
2. What is reasonable will depend on your relationship with the individual.

So, what can you do after identifying such an issue? The answer is simple:

• Use technology to your advantage. Acquire contact permissions only through electronic forms with domain validation when possible. For example, use autocomplete for the @domain part.
• Use confirmed opt-in and follow up with your contacts to ensure they have received it upon form submission.
• Depending on your relationship with the individual, get in touch with your customer/contact personally via your sales or marketing teams and ask them to confirm their correct email address or re-subscribe with the correct one.

In any of the cases above, make sure that your system is updated with the correct contact details afterward, either automatically or through manual entry. You should keep a record of how and when the details are updated.

Do not simply edit the failed contacts without first ensuring that you have their consent.