When an entry is deleted in Cognito Forms, update the contact status in Mailchimp
When an entry is deleted in Cognito Forms, this workflow updates the matching member in your Mailchimp audience, for example their status, so people whose entries you remove don’t stay on your list as if nothing changed.
Cognito Forms
Mailchimp2 steps Setup ~5 min Used on 2.3k sites Free to import
What this workflow does
Removing someone's Cognito Forms entry often means they withdrew, asked to be forgotten, or were a test. If the same person was added to Mailchimp from that form, they stay on your audience list unless someone remembers to change them. This workflow updates their Mailchimp record whenever an entry is deleted.
The Cognito Forms trigger fires when an entry is deleted. FlowMattic captures the data Cognito sends with the deletion. The Mailchimp step then runs Update Member, which finds the member by email address and applies the change you set, such as the status you want people in this situation to have.
Update Member only works on people who are already on the list. If the email from the deleted entry isn't in your audience, the step fails for that run and Task History shows Mailchimp's error. Nobody new is added. Delete a test entry for a known subscriber after import to confirm the email arrives and the update applies.
Withdrawn applications
An applicant asks you to remove their Cognito Forms application, and their Mailchimp record is changed so your recruiting newsletter treats them accordingly.
Removing test sign-ups
Staff test the form with real addresses and delete the entries afterwards. The workflow updates those addresses in Mailchimp too, so they stop looking like active sign-ups.
Handling data removal requests
When you delete a person's entry at their request, their Mailchimp member is updated at the same time, so you don't have to edit two systems by hand.
How this workflow runs
What happens at each step once the workflow is on, and what you need before you import it.
Cognito Forms Entry DeletedFires when an entry is deleted in Cognito Forms. The data sent with the deleted entry, including the email field if your form has one, is passed to Mailchimp.
- Mailchimp Update Member
Updates an existing Mailchimp member, matched by the email from the deleted entry. Choose the audience and set the change you want, then confirm it with a test run.
What you need
- FlowMatticCore
- Cognito Forms AccountAccount
- Mailchimp AccountAccount
After importing, map your own data. To keep the template universal, not every step is pre-filled. Open each step in the builder and connect your accounts and fields (channels, lists, sheets, recipients) before you switch the workflow on.
Make it yours
Changes worth making after you import it.
- Make sure your Cognito form has an email field and map it into the Mailchimp step. Without an email, Mailchimp has no member to update.
- If you'd rather keep the person's data but stop counting them in the list, swap Update Member for Mailchimp's Archive Member action, which can be reversed.
- Add a Filter after the trigger that continues only when the email field is not empty, so entries without an address end the run instead of producing a Mailchimp error.
Questions about this workflow
What if the Cognito entry's email isn't in my Mailchimp audience?
Update Member fails when the member doesn't already exist, so that run ends with an error in Task History. The workflow never adds new people to Mailchimp.
Which Mailchimp status should I set for deleted Cognito Forms entries?
That depends on why you delete entries. Pick the status that matches your policy in the Update Member step, then delete a test entry to check the result.
Does editing a Cognito Forms entry trigger this workflow?
No. Only deletions start a run. Cognito has a separate Update Entry trigger in FlowMattic for edits.
Does Mailchimp delete the person completely?
No. Update Member changes the existing record. Mailchimp also has a separate Delete List Member action if you need permanent removal.
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