Understanding Lead Status in MailOptimal

MailOptimal’s Lead Status feature helps you track the complete journey of your prospects once they’re added to an email campaign. Each lead is automatically assigned a status based on what happens next—emails sent, engagement, replies, bounces, or campaign completion—so you always know where every lead stands.

This makes it easier to manage campaigns, prioritize follow-ups, and analyze results.


Where to View Lead Status

You can view lead statuses in two places:

  1. Leads Tab – A centralized view of all prospects across campaigns

  2. Campaign → Leads View – Status of leads within a specific campaign

Each lead has a Status column that updates automatically as events occur.


Lead Status Lifecycle

When a lead is added to a campaign, MailOptimal assigns and updates its status based on system events or user actions.

1. Not Contacted

  • The lead has been added to a campaign

  • No email has been sent yet

This is the default starting status for every new lead.


2. Sent

  • At least one email has been successfully sent to the lead

  • No reply or engagement recorded yet

This indicates the lead is currently “in progress” within the campaign.


3. Engaged

  • The lead has shown positive engagement such as:

    • Opening an email

    • Clicking a link

    • Replying to an email

This is a strong signal of interest and helps you identify warm leads.


4. Replied

  • The lead has replied to one of your emails

  • Automated sending to this lead is typically stopped to avoid over-messaging

This status usually indicates a successful outcome and next-step action by your sales team.


5. Bounced / Blocked

  • The email could not be delivered due to:

    • Permanent bounce

    • Inbox rejection

    • Unsubscribe action

    • Do-Not-Contact (DNC) rules

No further emails are sent to these leads. These leads usually require list cleanup.


6. Unsubscribed

  • The lead explicitly opted out of future emails

  • Triggered by clicking an unsubscribe link or being added to a DNC list

This is a terminal status and cannot be reversed.


7. Completed

  • The lead has gone through all steps of the campaign sequence

  • No reply was received

  • The campaign sequence has ended

This helps you identify leads that may need re-engagement via a different approach.


8. Paused

  • The lead has been manually paused by the user

  • Useful for temporary holds or manual review

Paused leads will not receive further emails until resumed.


How Lead Status Changes Automatically

Lead statuses are updated automatically based on system events, such as:

  • Email sent → Sent

  • Open / click / reply → Engaged

  • Reply detected → Replied

  • Bounce or unsubscribe → Bounced / Blocked or Unsubscribed

  • Sequence finished → Completed

Users can also manually apply certain statuses like Paused where applicable .


Filtering Leads by Status

You can filter leads using Status filters in the Leads tab or within campaigns. This allows you to:

  • Focus on Engaged leads for follow-ups

  • Review Bounced leads for cleanup

  • Export leads by specific status

  • Analyze campaign performance more effectively

Multiple statuses can be selected at once for advanced filtering.


Lead Status in Campaign Analytics

MailOptimal uses lead statuses to generate campaign insights such as:

  • Distribution of leads across statuses

  • Reply and engagement trends

  • Bounce and completion rates

These insights help you understand what’s working and where improvements are needed.


Best Practices

  • Prioritize Engaged and Replied leads for manual follow-ups

  • Regularly review Bounced / Blocked leads to improve list quality

  • Use Completed leads for re-engagement campaigns

  • Pause leads when manual intervention is required


Summary

Lead Status in MailOptimal gives you a structured, real-time view of your outreach progress. By clearly showing where each lead stands, it helps you manage campaigns efficiently, improve follow-ups, and make data-driven decisions.