Things look a bit different in your SparkLoop account than they do in your ESP, especially if you’re comparing numbers.
Not to worry, this is completely normal and to be expected.
In fact, the only time the number of subscribers in your ESP and your SparkLoop account will match is right after the first import. From there, the two numbers will always be different.
Here are a few reasons why.
SparkLoop keeps historical data
SparkLoop syncs with your ESP, which means that any new subscribes and unsubscribes are updated in SparkLoop automatically.
However, deleted and unsubscribed subscribers will continue to show up in SparkLoop. While unsubscribed contacts don’t count towards pricing, they’ll still be inside SparkLoop to preserve historical data and for anti-fraud protection.
⚠️ Only active subscribers count towards your billing.
You have multiple lists set up in your ESP
Depending on which ESP you’re using, you may be able to create separate lists and/or segments of subscribers for various purposes.
If you’ve chosen to only import a certain list for your SparkLoop campaign, the number will differ from your total ESP subscriber number.
There’s an issue with the sync
Occasionally, it’s possible that something’s wrong with the sync and it’s causing subscribers not to import correctly.
For Mailchimp users:
If you’re on Mailchimp and your subscribers aren’t syncing, the most likely cause is that one or more of your custom fields are marked as required.
To see if your Mailchimp has required custom fields, follow these steps:
1. In your Mailchimp account, go to Audience. Select the list you’ve imported to SparkLoop.
2. Click on Manage Audience and select Settings.
3. On the Settings page, choose Audience fields and *|MERGE|* tags
4. Make sure that NONE of the custom fields are set as required.
⚠️ The column “Required” should be completely unchecked.
Once the “Required” box is unchecked, any subscribers who weren’t imported will automatically be re-synced by SparkLoop.
This can take between a few minutes and a few hours, depending on how many subscribers you have, but they should all be synced within 24 hours.
For Klaviyo users:
With Klaviyo, things work a little differently from other ESPs since Klaviyo doesn’t tell us in real-time when someone unsubscribes. Therefore, for unsubscribes only, we do a weekly sync to make sure that your list in SparkLoop is up-to-date and completely synced with Klaviyo.
This can cause a short-term discrepancy between lists, but since it only impacts unsubscribes, it will have no impact on your referral campaign.
If you’re on another ESP and your list isn’t syncing or there’s a noticeable discrepancy in your subscriber counts, don’t hesitate to reach out.