A recipient list needs more than valid email addresses. You need to know why the data is there, which messages people should receive and how their decision to opt out survives future updates. Make these decisions before importing a file.
The fictional Workshop Collective is bringing its newsletter subscribers into IdRelay. Some already exist in the system, some are new and one person previously unsubscribed. This example illustrates a working method; it is not an instruction to turn a membership database into a marketing list.
Separate contact rules from data protection
Ask two questions: may you use the personal data for this purpose, and may you contact the person through this channel? A lawful basis under the GDPR does not, by itself, authorise a marketing email or text message.
The legal example here concerns Swedish law. Electronic marketing to an individual generally requires prior consent. The existing-customer exception has specific conditions: the address was collected during a sale, the person has not objected, the marketing concerns your own similar products, and an easy, free opt-out is available at collection and in every subsequent message. Marketing to a legal entity must also provide a valid address for stop requests. See sections 19–20 of the Swedish Marketing Act.
A practical booking update and an offer for the next course may serve different purposes. Assess the whole message: calling advertising a reminder does not make it service information. For cross-border activities, also establish which national contact rules apply.
Explain the subscription
State who will send the newsletter, what it contains and roughly how often it arrives. An original example:
Yes, I would like Workshop Collective’s email newsletter with opening hours, activities and repair tips, approximately once a month. I can unsubscribe at any time.
This sample wording needs your own information about the processing of personal data alongside it. When offering a newsletter during event registration, keep the choice separate from the booking. Providing a mobile number for event updates does not, by itself, mean choosing to receive future promotional texts.
Define fields and responsibilities
Collect information for a defined need and assign someone to keep it current. A simple field map might look like this:
| Information | Purpose | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | Deliver the newsletter | Correct column and valid format. |
| First name | Optional personal greeting | Readable greeting when the value is missing. |
| Language | Select a language version | Consistent values across imports. |
| Subscription and source | Assess permitted communication | Record where the choice and its scope can be checked. |
This is a planning tool. It does not mean every item automatically becomes a dedicated IdRelay system field. Decide who has access, how corrections are handled and when data should be removed.
Test a small import first
IdRelay supports importing recipients from Excel and CSV, mapping columns to fields and duplicate handling. Review the import options before applying them to the full file. Use synthetic data for a controlled test:
| Test record | What to check |
|---|---|
| New subscriber | Correct fields and intended channel status. |
| Existing subscriber | Update without an unwanted duplicate. |
| Previously unsubscribed person | The import does not reactivate them against their choice. |
| Missing language | Selection and content follow your fallback rule. |
| Address listed twice | Duplicate handling produces the intended result. |
IdRelay maintains separate email and SMS subscription statuses. Check both when using both channels. Adding someone to another list is not a new subscription choice. Removing a list membership is also different from deleting the person from the entire account.
Preserve the decision to opt out
People who object to the processing of their data for direct marketing have the right to have that processing stopped. See the Swedish privacy authority’s guidance on objections in Swedish.
Maintain a clear suppression process through system changes and recurring synchronisation. If the source database keeps supplying the same record, the process must respect the unsubscribe. Review the import result, investigate discrepancies and send only after checking the audience.
Read about data and responsibilities in IdRelay and integrations. Continue with the newsletter workflow.