Understanding the Problem

The key challenge in this scenario is to avoid triggering an update to the All Subscribers table with the old email address via the SubscriberKey. This requires a careful approach to ensure that the old email address is not updated in the All Subscribers table.

Solution Overview

To solve this problem, you can use the following approach: first, make sure that the old address is the one that the subscriber has on All Subscribers. Then, send the first communication but not with a journey, rather with Automation Studio / send flow. This will send the email to the email address the subscriber has in All Subscribers, which is the old email address.

Next, send the second communication through a Journey, and this one will update the All Subs table with the new email address. Alternatively, if the new email address is already updated in All Subscribers, you can send two journeys: the first one would update All Subs with the old email, and right after, the second journey will change it again to the new one.

The root cause of this problem is the way SFMC handles email address changes and updates to the All Subscribers table. By default, SFMC will update the All Subscribers table with the new email address when a journey is triggered, which can cause issues if you need to send notifications to both the old and new email addresses.

Another important consideration is the setting in Journey Builder that allows you to reference an email address in the journey entry data extension (DE) versus the associated email on the All Subs. This setting can be used to control which email address is used when sending notifications.

In terms of implementation, the following code snippet illustrates how you can use Automation Studio to send an email to the old email address:

Automation Studio Code

/* Send email to old email address using Automation Studio */
var oldEmail = '[email protected]';
var emailSendDefinition = {
  'CustomerKey': 'your_customer_key',
  'Email': {
    'Subject': 'Old Email Notification',
    'HTMLBody': 'This is a notification sent to the old email address',
    'TextBody': 'This is a notification sent to the old email address',
    'From': {
      'Name': 'Your Name',
      'Address': '[email protected]'
    }
  }
};
var sendEmail = new SendEmail();
sendEmail.init(emailSendDefinition);
sendEmail.send({
  'To': oldEmail
});

Best Practices and Next Steps

To ensure a smooth implementation, follow these best practices and next steps:

Checklist

• Make sure the old email address is the one that the subscriber has on All Subscribers
• Use Automation Studio to send the first communication to the old email address
• Use Journey Builder to send the second communication to the new email address
• Configure the Journey Builder setting to reference the email address in the journey entry DE
• Test and verify the implementation to ensure it works as expected
• Document the implementation and configuration for future reference

In conclusion, sending notifications to both the old and new email addresses in SFMC without updating the All Subscribers table requires a careful approach. By using a combination of Automation Studio and Journey Builder, you can achieve this goal and ensure a smooth transition for your subscribers.

Heads up: Always test and verify your implementation to ensure it works as expected and does not cause any unintended updates to the All Subscribers table.

What is the best way to send notifications to both the old and new email addresses?

The best way to send notifications to both the old and new email addresses is to use a combination of Automation Studio and Journey Builder.

How do I configure Journey Builder to reference the email address in the journey entry DE?

You can configure Journey Builder to reference the email address in the journey entry DE by using the Journey Builder setting that allows you to reference an email address in the journey entry DE versus the associated email on the All Subs.

What are the implications of updating the All Subscribers table with the old email address?

Updating the All Subscribers table with the old email address can cause issues with your email marketing campaigns and subscriber management, as it can lead to duplicate or incorrect subscriber records.

How do I test and verify my implementation?

You can test and verify your implementation by sending test emails to both the old and new email addresses and verifying that the notifications are sent correctly and that the All Subscribers table is updated as expected.