is it possible to not send to a record when a lookuprows fails?

Question

I have an email where if the join to the content Data Extension produces no record, I don't want to send to that email address.

is there any way through ampscript to error off that record and not include it in the send?

example:

%%[
    SET @contentRowset = lookuprows("HR_ContentTable","template",@template,"subnum",@subnum)
    if rowcount(@contentRowset) > 0 then
        SET @contentRow = row(@contentRowset,1)
        Set @subline = field(@contentRow,"subline")
    else
        ERROR THE RECORD SOME HOW
    endif
]%%

Answer 1

Yes, RaiseError(). http://help.exacttarget.com/en/documentation/exacttarget/content/ampscript/ampscript_syntax_guide/api_ampscript_functions/#RaiseError

%%[ 
SET @contentRowset = lookuprows("HR_ContentTable","template",@template,"subnum",@subnum) 
if rowcount(@contentRowset) > 0 then 
    SET @contentRow = row(@contentRowset,1) 
    Set @subline = field(@contentRow,"subline") 
else 
    RaiseError("ERROR THE RECORD SOME HOW",true)
endif
]%%

'True' will skip that email in the send, 'False' will cancel the job.

Answer 2

If you don't want to "munch a send" you can use an Exclusion Script in the User-Initiated Send Definition. You still get charged for a send if you use raiseError(). SFMC Support can enable the Exclusion Script box if it doesn't show on the UI Send Def page.

NOTE: The exclusion script must evaluate to True or False like this:

rowcount(lookuprows("LOOKUP_DATA_EXTENSION", "EmailAddress", emailaddr)) > 0