Managing a big email list is already hard work. Throw in conflicting tagging systems, and things can get really messy — fast. Tags help organize your contacts and trigger automations, but when tags overlap, contradict, or are just plain confusing, your automations can break. That’s when you need a plan to fix it without pulling your hair out.
TLDR:
Conflicting tags in your email system can break automations and confuse your campaigns. Start by auditing your tag setup, then create a universal tagging strategy that your whole team can follow. Use automation tools to fix broken flows and update contact records. Keep it simple, and always test before going live.
Why Are Conflicting Tags a Problem?
Tags tell your system what to do. Think of them like traffic signs for your email automations. If one contact has both a “New Customer” and a “Lead” tag, how does your system know which email to send? Mixed signals lead to:
- Wrong automations being triggered
- Duplicate emails sent to the same person
- Leads falling through the cracks
- Frustrated subscribers (and marketers!)
It may seem like a tiny error, but at scale, it gets chaotic. Especially when your list includes thousands—or millions—of contacts.
Step 1: Audit Your Tagging System
Before you fix anything, know what you’re dealing with. Run a full tag audit. It’s like spring cleaning, but for your email list.
Here’s how to do it:
- List all current tags in a spreadsheet.
- Check for duplicates or overlapping meanings. Like “Webinar 2023” and “Attended Webinar.”
- Group tags into categories: behavior, stage in funnel, source, etc.
- Highlight tags that trigger automations.
Once you know what’s broken or looks suspicious, you’re ready to clean things up.
Step 2: Create a Standard Tag Naming System
Imagine if you had to guess what’s inside every box in your garage. Now imagine the boxes are mislabeled. Yikes, right? That’s your email list without a clear tagging system.
Create a simple naming structure everyone on your team can follow. Here are a few examples:
- Behavior Tags: clicked-link-free-ebook
- Stage Tags: lead-funnel-top, customer-paid
- Source Tags: signup-facebook-ad
Keep your tags lowercase, use dashes for spaces, and make them short but clear. Share your naming rules in a document so team members can follow the plan.
Step 3: Merge, Delete & Replace Tags
Now it’s time to play email list mechanic. Let’s fix the parts that aren’t working.
- Merge duplicate tags: If “newsletter” and “monthly-newsletter” mean the same thing, pick one and stick with it.
- Delete dead tags: Remove unused or outdated ones like “coupon-march-2019.”
- Replace conflicting tags: If someone has “lead” and “customer,” figure out which one should stay based on recent actions.
Always back up your list before making changes. Most email platforms (like ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, or Mailchimp) let you export your contacts.
Step 4: Fix the Automations
Automations run based on tags. When those tags are messy, automations get triggered weirdly—or not at all.
Here’s how to fix them:
- Open each automation and note which tags start it.
- Update start conditions to match your new tag names.
- Replace any if/then conditions that use old or deleted tags.
- Remove pauses or breaks that were caused by missing tags.
It’s a little tedious, but completely worth it. Automations only work when triggers do.
Step 5: Re-Tag Your Contacts
This step is super important. You’ve cleaned the house, now it’s time to rearrange the furniture in the right rooms.
Use bulk actions or automations to assign the new correct tags. For example:
- If someone had “webinar-attendee” and “webinar-2023,” replace it with “engaged-webinar.”
- If they had “lead” but recently made a purchase, remove “lead” and assign “customer-paid.”
This may take a while if you have thousands of contacts. But once it’s done, your entire email ecosystem runs more smoothly.
Step 6: Test Everything
Don’t skip this!
Make yourself a few test contacts with different tag combinations. Run them through your new automations and make sure:
- They get the right emails
- No duplicated messages
- The tags update correctly after each automation
It’s better to find problems with a test account than have subscribers get five emails in one day.
Step 7: Train Your Team
Now that the system is fixed, let’s keep it that way. Everyone on your team who adds contacts or builds automations needs to understand the new tag system.
Here’s how to do that:
- Create a tag library or vocabulary document
- Host a quick training video or meeting
- Limit who can create new tags
- Review tagging once a quarter
Good habits prevent future automation melt-downs.
Bonus Tip: Use Custom Fields Instead of Tags (Sometimes)
Tags are great, but don’t use them for everything. If you’re trying to store data like “favorite color” or “birthday month,” use a custom field instead.
Custom fields are better for:
- Dates (e.g., when someone joined)
- Preferences that don’t trigger automations
- Numbers, values, or unique data
Use tags mainly for stuff that triggers actions or determines someone’s journey.
Final Thoughts
Conflicting tags might look small, but they can wreck a good email strategy. You don’t need to be a tech wizard to fix them — just a little structure, teamwork, and clear naming.
Remember:
- Audit your tag list
- Standardize your names
- Clean the list carefully
- Fix broken automations
- Test test test
Happy tagging!