A valid email Smart List is a saved, filtered list of contacts who can actually receive your email: their address is valid, they have not unsubscribed, and their email has not bounced. Sending to a clean list protects your sender reputation, which affects whether your email reaches anyone's inbox at all. You build the list once in Gym Lead Machine, then reuse it for every send.
Watch the video below for a walkthrough, or read on for the full guide.
What you can do with a valid email Smart List
Filter out invalid addresses and unsubscribed contacts in one saved list
Reuse the same clean list for every email you send
Build separate lists for leads, clients, and alumni from the same starting filters
Exclude contacts whose email has bounced
Keep your sender reputation intact by sending only to reachable contacts
Create a valid email Smart List
Go to Contacts in the left menu of your Gym Lead Machine account.
Select Smart Lists.
Add a new Smart List.
Add an Advanced Filter for email status is valid.
Add a nested filter for DND where email is disabled, which returns contacts who have not unsubscribed from your content.
Click Apply. The list narrows to contacts matching both filters.
Name the list something you will recognize, for example "Valid Email, All Contacts."
Click Create.
Create Smart Lists for specific groups
Once the valid email list exists, you can build narrower lists from it without setting up the filters again.
Create a new Smart List from the list you just saved. The existing filters carry over.
Name the new list for the group it covers, for example "Valid Email, Leads."
Add one more filter for the group. If you track leads with a tag, add a tag filter set to your lead tag.
Save the list.
Repeat for each group you send to separately, for example clients and alumni.
These steps assume you identify leads, clients, and alumni with tags. If you track them another way, use whichever filter matches how your contacts are organized.
Tag contacts whose email bounces
Excluding bounced addresses is an additional step beyond the two core filters. It requires a Workflow that tags contacts when their email bounces, so the tag can then be filtered out of your Smart List.
Go to Automation in the left menu and create a Workflow.
Select Start from scratch.
Title the Workflow, for example "Bounced Email."
Set the trigger to an email event and set the event to bounced.
Rename the trigger to something clear, for example "Bounced Email."
Add an action to add a tag.
Name the tag, for example "Bounced."
Publish the Workflow.
Contacts whose email bounces now receive that tag.
Add the bounced filter to your Smart List
Go to Contacts → Smart Lists.
Open your valid email Smart List.
Add a filter for tag is not your bounced tag.
Save the list.
The list now returns contacts who have a valid email address, have not unsubscribed, and have not bounced.
Frequently asked questions
Why does sending to a clean list matter?
It protects your sender reputation, which determines whether your email reaches the inbox. Email providers apply strict standards to sending habits, and repeatedly sending to invalid addresses or to people who have unsubscribed reduces deliverability across all of your future email, not just the campaign that went out.
Do I have to set up the filters again for every list?
No. Create each new Smart List from an existing one and the filters carry over. Build the valid email list first, then create your leads, clients, and alumni lists from it and add a single group filter to each.
What does the DND filter do?
It excludes contacts who have unsubscribed from your content. Filtering for DND where email is disabled returns the contacts who are still opted in.
Is the bounced step required?
No. The two core filters, valid email status and DND, are enough for a clean list. Excluding bounced addresses is an extra step that brings your list further into line with email best practices.
Can I use these lists for specific groups like leads or alumni?
Yes, and that is the main reason to build the base list first. Create a new Smart List from your valid email list, then add one filter for the group you want, so every group list inherits the same clean baseline.
Helpful tips
Build the valid email list first, then create every group list from it
Name your lists so the filters are obvious at a glance, for example "Valid Email, Leads"
Add the group filter last, so the two core filters stay consistent across all your lists
Set up the bounced Workflow before building the rest of your lists, so the tag exists when you need to filter on it
Send to a filtered Smart List rather than to all contacts
If you have questions about Smart Lists or email lists in Gym Lead Machine, our Support team is happy to help. Reach us at hello@usekilo.com.