What are bulk actions?
Bulk actions allow you to perform multiple operations on large groups of contacts at once, rather than updating them individually. You can target contacts from multiple sources (lists, segments, or tags) and apply several actions to them in a single bulk action.
When and why you'd use bulk actions
Bulk actions are designed for managing large contact databases efficiently and performing complex updates in one step. You might use bulk actions when you need to:
Tag thousands of contacts from multiple lists for segmentation or campaign targeting
Move contacts between lists while tagging them for better organization
Remove contacts from drip campaigns and add them to a new list when transitioning between automation workflows
Delete inactive contacts from multiple segments at once to clean up your database
Apply multiple changes simultaneously such as adding a tag, removing from a campaign, and updating a list membership
Target contacts across your entire account by combining lists, segments, and tags as sources
Bulk actions save significant time compared to manually selecting and updating contacts or running multiple separate operations. They're especially valuable when working with hundreds or thousands of contacts across different parts of your database.
Important: Bulk actions for deleting contacts and unsubscribing contacts are irreversible. Once started, they cannot be cancelled. Read all warnings carefully before proceeding.
Available bulk actions
You can perform these actions in bulk:
Add contacts to a tag
Remove contacts from a tag
Subscribed to a list
Confirmed to a list
Remove contacts from a list
Delete contacts permanently
Unsubscribe contacts from all emails
Added to a drip campaign
Removed from a drip campaign
Marked as Bounced
Marked as Spam
Each bulk action can be applied to contacts from any list, segment, or tag in your account.
How bulk actions work: Triggers and actions
Bulk actions in SendX use a powerful trigger-and-action system that lets you combine multiple sources and multiple operations in a single bulk action.
Triggers (OR logic): Triggers determine which contacts are affected. You can select multiple triggers, and the bulk action will apply to contacts in ANY of these sources:
List A OR Segment B OR Tag C
For example, if you select:
List A containing 2 contacts
Tag B containing 1 contact
Segment C containing 5 contacts
The bulk action will process all unique contacts across these three sources. If some contacts exist in multiple sources, they're only counted and processed once.
Actions (AND logic): Actions define what happens to the triggered contacts. You can apply multiple actions, and ALL of them will be performed on each contact:
Add Tag X AND Remove from Drip Campaign Y AND Add to List Z
There is no limit to how many triggers or actions you can combine in a single bulk action.
How to create and run a bulk action
Method: Via the Automation menu
Navigate to Automations in your SendX dashboard.
Click on Bulk Actions from the submenu.
Click the Run Bulk Action button.
Give your bulk action a descriptive name (e.g., "Q1 Campaign - Tag and Move to Nurture List")
Configure your triggers (who will be affected):
Select your first trigger source: choose a list, segment, or tag.
Click + Add Contact Group to add additional trigger sources.
Repeat to add as many trigger sources as needed. All contacts from ANY of these sources will be included.
Configure your actions (what will happen):
Select the first action you want to perform (add tag, remove from list, add to drip, etc.).
Configure the action details (which tag, which list, which campaign, etc.).
Click + Add Action (or the equivalent button) to add more actions.
Repeat to add as many actions as needed. ALL actions will be applied to each contact.
Execute the bulk action:
Review all your triggers and actions carefully, especially for delete or unsubscribe actions.
Click Run Bulk Action to start the process.
Once you click Run Bulk Action, you'll see the confirmation message: "Bulk action has been created successfully and is being executed."
Note: Processing time depends on the number of contacts being updated. Bulk actions on larger lists (100,000+ contacts) will take longer than smaller lists.
Example bulk action scenarios
Here are practical examples showing how to combine triggers and actions:
Scenario 1: Tagging webinar attendees and removing them from promotion drip
Triggers:
Segment: "Opened Webinar Reminder Email" OR
Tag: "Clicked Webinar Registration Link"
Actions:
Add Tag: "Webinar Attendee 2026"
Remove from Drip Campaign: "Webinar Promotion Series"
Result: All contacts who either opened the reminder email or clicked the registration link will be tagged as attendees and removed from ongoing promotional emails.
Scenario 2: Consolidating multiple old lists into one master list
Triggers:
List: "2023 Newsletter Subscribers" OR
List: "2024 Blog Subscribers" OR
List: "Event Attendees 2023-2024"
Actions:
Add to List: "Master Subscriber List 2026"
Add Tag: "Consolidated from Old Lists"
Result: All contacts from the three older lists are combined into one master list and tagged for tracking purposes.
Scenario 3: Re-engaging inactive subscribers
Triggers:
Segment: "No Opens in 90 Days" OR
Segment: "No Clicks in 120 Days"
Actions:
Add Tag: "Inactive - Needs Re-engagement"
Add to List: "Re-engagement Campaign"
Remove from Drip Campaign: "Regular Newsletter"
Result: Inactive contacts are tagged, moved to a re-engagement list, and removed from regular mailings to improve overall engagement rates.
Monitoring bulk action progress
While a bulk action runs, you can track its progress in real-time:
View the count changing:
If adding contacts to a tag, watch the contact count in that tag increase
If deleting contacts, watch the total contact count decrease
If moving contacts to a list, watch the destination list's contact count change
If applying multiple actions, observe changes across all affected areas
Check the bulk action history:
Navigate to Automations > Bulk Actions.
View the list of all bulk actions you've run, including their status and configuration.
This history shows completed actions and any that may be in progress, helping you track what changes you've made to your database over time.
Important limitations and warnings
Bulk actions cannot be cancelled
Once you start a bulk action, it cannot be stopped. All triggers will be processed and all actions will be applied to completion. Only proceed if you're certain about the changes you're making.
Delete and unsubscribe actions are irreversible
Bulk deleting contacts or bulk unsubscribing contacts cannot be undone within SendX. If you accidentally delete contacts, you must contact SendX support immediately to request data recovery from the backend team. Recovery is only possible for a limited time period after deletion.
Actions execute simultaneously
When you configure multiple actions in a bulk action, they all execute at the same time on each contact, not one after another. This means you cannot control the order of operations, so ensure your action combination makes logical sense together.
Cannot run multiple bulk actions on the same contacts
You cannot run two separate bulk actions simultaneously if they target overlapping contacts. For example:
Not Allowed:
Bulk Action 1: Delete contacts from List A (running)
Bulk Action 2: Add contacts from List A to a tag (trying to start)
This creates conflicts because some contacts might be deleted before being tagged, producing unpredictable results.
Allowed:
Bulk Action 1: Delete contacts from List A (running)
Bulk Action 2: Add contacts from List B to a tag (starting)
These bulk actions target different contact groups, so they won't conflict.
However, WITHIN one bulk action, you can combine as many operations as needed.
Allowed:
One Bulk Action with Triggers: List A OR Segment B
One Bulk Action with Actions: Add Tag AND Remove from Drip AND Add to List C
This single bulk action will work perfectly because it's one coordinated operation.
No limits on complexity
There are no limits on:
How many triggers you add to a bulk action
How many actions you apply in a bulk action
The total number of contacts processed
How many bulk actions you can run per day (as long as they don't overlap)
Any plan-based restrictions (all plans have full bulk action access)
Empty sources are handled gracefully
If you include a list, segment, or tag with zero contacts as a trigger, the bulk action will simply skip that source and process contacts from other triggers. If ALL triggers are empty, the action will complete immediately showing "0 contacts affected."
Duplicate contacts are handled automatically
If a contact appears in multiple trigger sources (e.g., they're in both List A and Segment B), they are only processed once. The bulk action automatically deduplicates contacts before applying actions.
Duplicate tags can occur
If contacts already have a tag and you add the same tag again through bulk action, they may receive duplicate instances of that tag. This typically doesn't cause issues since contacts can have multiple tags, including duplicates.
Common questions and troubleshooting
Why should I name my bulk action?
Giving your bulk action a descriptive name helps you identify it later in your bulk action history. Use names that explain both what contacts were targeted and what was done to them.
Good examples:
"Q1 Webinar - Tag Attendees + Remove from Promo"
"List Consolidation - Merge 2023 Lists into Master"
"Cleanup - Delete Unengaged Segment"
Bad examples:
"Bulk Action 47"
"Test"
"Fix"
Clear naming makes it easier to track changes and reference past operations when needed.
How do I know how many contacts will be affected?
Before running a bulk action, check the contact count in each trigger source:
Go to each list/segment/tag you're using as a trigger
Note the contact count displayed
Add up all counts (remembering that duplicates across sources are only counted once)
This gives you an estimate of the total contacts that will be affected.
Can I test a bulk action before running it on all contacts?
Yes. Create a test segment with 10-20 contacts that match your criteria, then run the bulk action using only that test segment as the trigger. Review the results, and if everything looks correct, create the full bulk action with all your intended triggers.
What if I select conflicting actions?
SendX processes all actions simultaneously, so conflicting actions might produce unexpected results. For example:
Problematic combination:
Action 1: Add to List A
Action 2: Delete contacts
Contacts might be deleted before fully being added to the list. Avoid combining actions that logically conflict with each other.
Can I rerun a bulk action?
Yes. In your bulk action history under Automations > Bulk Actions, you can view past actions. While you cannot directly rerun them with one click, you can reference the triggers and actions used, then create a new bulk action with the same or similar configuration.
My bulk action seems stuck. What should I do?
If a bulk action appears to be processing for an unusually long time:
Verify each trigger source actually contains contacts
Check that you didn't accidentally select extremely large sources
Wait at least 15-30 minutes for actions affecting 50,000+ contacts before assuming there's an issue
If the action shows as partially completed after significant time, you can create and run the same bulk action again—it will process any remaining contacts
What happens if a bulk action partially completes?
If a bulk action encounters an issue and only processes some contacts, you can recreate and rerun the same bulk action configuration. The system will apply the actions to any contacts that weren't successfully updated the first time.
When should I use bulk actions vs. manual selection?
Use the manual Actions dropdown (selecting contacts manually and choosing an action) when:
Working with fewer than 100 contacts
You want to carefully review each contact before taking action
Making simple, one-action changes
You need immediate execution without naming or documentation
Use bulk actions when:
Managing 500+ contacts (or any number where manual selection is impractical)
You need to combine multiple trigger sources (lists, segments, tags)
You want to apply multiple actions to contacts at once
You need a documented record of the operation in your history
The change applies broadly across your database
I accidentally deleted contacts. Can they be recovered?
Contact SendX support immediately if you've accidentally deleted contacts through bulk action. The backend team may be able to recover deleted data, but only within a limited time window after deletion. The sooner you contact support, the better the chances of recovery.
There is no self-service undo feature for bulk deletes.
How do I undo adding a wrong tag to contacts?
If you added the wrong tag to contacts via bulk action, you have two options:
Option 1: Delete the tag entirely (fastest)
Navigate to your tags list
Delete the incorrectly applied tag
This removes it from all contacts who have it
Option 2: Remove the tag via another bulk action (more control)
Create a segment of contacts with the wrong tag (filter: "Tags" > "contains" > [tag name])
Run a new bulk action with this segment as the trigger
Select the action: "Remove from Tag" and choose the incorrect tag
This removes the tag only from the targeted contacts
How do I know if my triggers are using OR or AND logic?
Triggers always use OR logic. If you add multiple contact groups (lists, segments, or tags) as triggers, contacts from ANY of these sources will be included. There is no way to require contacts to be in ALL trigger sources—that's what segments are for.
If you need contacts who meet multiple criteria, create a segment with those conditions first, then use that segment as your single trigger.
Can I schedule bulk actions to run later?
No, bulk actions execute immediately when you click Run Bulk Action. They cannot be scheduled for a future date or time. Only run bulk actions when you're ready for them to process right away.
Can I export a list of contacts that will be affected before running the bulk action?
Not directly from the bulk action setup. However, you can:
Create a segment that matches your trigger criteria
Export that segment to review the contacts
Once confirmed, run the bulk action using the same sources
This gives you a preview of who will be affected.
What's the difference between using multiple triggers vs. creating a segment?
Multiple triggers (OR logic):
Quick to set up
Good for combining existing lists/segments/tags
Automatically deduplicates contacts
Best for one-time operations
Creating a segment first:
More powerful filtering options (AND/OR combinations, date ranges, custom fields)
Can be saved and reused
Gives you exact contact count before running bulk action
Best for complex criteria or repeated use
Tips for using bulk actions safely and effectively
Plan before executing
Write down your triggers and actions before starting
Verify the contact counts in each trigger source
Consider whether a segment might be clearer than multiple triggers
Test with small groups first
Create a test segment with 10-20 representative contacts
Run your bulk action on the test group
Verify results before scaling to your full database
Use descriptive naming
Include the date: "Jan2026 - Webinar Tag Cleanup"
Describe both triggers and actions: "3 Old Lists → Master List + Archive Tag"
Make it searchable for future reference
Export before irreversible actions
Always export lists before running bulk delete or unsubscribe actions
Keep these exports as backups for at least 30 days
Name export files to match the bulk action name
Document major changes
Keep a spreadsheet or document tracking significant bulk actions
Note the date, triggers used, actions taken, and reason
This helps when troubleshooting issues later or training team members
Avoid overlapping bulk actions
Wait for one bulk action to complete before starting another on the same contacts
Check the bulk action history to see what's currently running
If unsure, wait 10-15 minutes between bulk actions
Review your work
After a bulk action completes, spot-check a few contacts to verify changes
Check the destination lists/tags to confirm counts increased as expected
Review the bulk action history to ensure completion
Start simple, then scale
When learning bulk actions, start with single-trigger, single-action operations
As you gain confidence, combine multiple triggers and actions
Complex bulk actions are powerful but require careful planning
Consider timing
Run large bulk actions during off-peak hours when possible
Avoid running bulk actions immediately before important campaigns
Allow time for processing to complete before making additional changes