Which Count Should You Use to Track Billable Contacts?

You may have noticed differences in the counts displayed across various features of our product. Understanding these differences is essential for accurate reporting and decision-making. Below, we break down the key distinctions between the following counts:

Database Size for Subscription Standard Report

This count reflects the number of contacts in the database that meet specific criteria. You can follow this guide for assistance in accessing this report.

The calculation for this standard report is based on the following:

OptOut: Contacts where OpOut does not equal Y (i.e., they have not opted out of communications).

DelStatus: Contacts where DelStatus does not equal 2 (i.e., the record is not marked as bounced).

Email Address: Contacts where the email address field is not blank (Email is not '').

Note: This total includes duplicate entries if there are multiple records with the same email address. As a result, the count may be inflated if duplicate records exist in the database.

Note2: This is the same total that is found in the Admin page: 

Leads and Contacts Module List Count

The count in the Leads and Contacts module represents the total number of records in the system. This includes:

All records, including duplicates.

Records with invalid or blank email addresses.

Records with any status, regardless of opt-out preferences.

This is the most comprehensive count, encompassing every record in the database without applying any filters or exclusions.

Custom Reports

Custom reports offer flexibility in defining filters and criteria, but the counts they generate differ due to custom reports not including duplicate records. For example, a custom report might use the following filters:

OptOut: Contacts.OpOut does not equal Y.

DelStatus: Contacts.delStatus does not equal 2 (bounced).

Email Address: Contacts.Email does not equal ''.

Even if the filters in a custom report filters are identical to those used in the Database Size for Subscription Standard Report, the resulting count will differ because:

  • Duplicates: Custom reports exclude duplicate records by default, providing a more accurate representation of unique contacts.

Key Takeaways

The Database Size for Subscription Standard Report count may be higher due to the inclusion of duplicate records.

The Leads and Contacts Module List Count is an unfiltered total, encompassing all records in the database, regardless of status or validity.

Custom Reports allow for tailored filtering but exclude duplicates, leading to potentially lower counts than the Database Size for Subscription Standard Report.

To see the total number of billable contacts, refer to the Database Size for Subscription Standard Report. For additional details on email addresses, use the custom report with the understanding that it excludes duplicate records.