If you'd like to block certain leads from ever getting imported into any of your campaigns, you can use the Blocklist feature in Settings - Blocklist.
There are four ways you can add leads/ email accounts to your block list. Watch the full video here or follow the steps below.
Default option
You can make a Google sheet(check our sample sheet here), CSV, or add them manually, and in the first column of your sheet, add a first row that says 'Blocked', followed by the emails you'd like to block.
You can block the entire domain or a specific email using the following formats:
mycompetitor.com (blocks all leads on that domain)
[email protected] (block specific email account)
After you upload the contacts, you'll be able to manage your global blocklist inside your workspace.
The Default blocklist is applied both during the uploading of lead data and across ongoing campaigns.
When you import new leads, our system always checks them against the blocklist. Additionally, if a lead is already imported into any campaign within the same workspace, our Default blocklist feature will also automatically prevent emails from being sent to them if they are subsequently added to the blocklist.
Google Sheets
Make a new Google sheet or check our sample sheet here. Here are the detailed steps to add leads to the blocklist using Google Sheets:
In the first column of your sheet, add a first row that says 'Blocked', followed by the emails you'd like to block.
Click on the Share button on the top right of your Google Sheets page
Click 'Change' below "Get link"
Change permissions to "Anyone with the link as Editor"
Click on "Copy link" and paste it back into Instantly.
When you finally click "Set block list", Instantly will notify you of the number of rows that have been imported, and inform you that these are now saved.
You can delete columns B-Z so that your Google Sheet is simpler for you to keep track of (Optional)
The Google Sheet blocklist is checked only during the importing/uploading of lead data. If you'd like to block the emails to leads already in your active campaigns, it's recommended to upload the leads to the Default Blocklist instead.
Automatically add uninterested leads to a blocklist
Go to Preferences and enable "Automatically add unsubscribes to blocklist".
Remove a lead from Unibox
Skipped leads
You will see a lead be skipped if this lead is added to your Default blocklist after being added to a campaign.
In the meantime, our system analyzes bounce data in real-time to automatically skip any known high-risk recipients (based on the data from our logs and millions of emails sent). Check more details here.
FAQ
Q: Why do I have an error when I try to upload a sheet in blocklist?
A: If you are experiencing the issue when you try to upload a sheet in the blocklist, please check the following:
The file is not public or is not shared as an editor. Please share the link of the document with "access to edit"
Google sheet has more than one column - make sure to have only one column