How do Gmail and Yahoo's new one-click unsubscribe requirements work?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that Gmail and Yahoo's new requirements mean senders need to implement one-click unsubscribe to avoid deliverability issues. They need to authenticate their email, keep spam rates low, and make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe.
Email Marketer from MailerLite emphasizes that the unsubscribe process should be clear and straightforward. One-click unsubscribe simplifies this process for the recipient. They also suggest regular list cleaning to improve engagement and reduce spam complaints.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that if you are talking about the link in the body of the email, then yes, it meets the requirement of the upcoming GMAIL and Yahoo change. However, you also need to meet the One-Click List-Unsubscribe header requirements, which are a lot trickier.
Email Marketer from Email on Acid Blog explains how these new requirements benefit email users by making it easier to unsubscribe from unwanted emails, thus reducing spam and improving the overall email experience.
Email marketer from Reddit notes that even smaller senders need to comply with one-click unsubscribe if they want to maintain good deliverability with Gmail and Yahoo. It might require updates to their email marketing platform or custom coding.
Email marketer from StackOverflow explains the technical steps involved in adding List-Unsubscribe headers. This includes formatting the headers correctly, configuring the web server to handle unsubscribe requests, and updating the database to reflect the unsubscription.
Email marketer from Sender Blog highlights the importance of a seamless unsubscribe experience. One-click unsubscribe should immediately remove the recipient from the mailing list, and senders should avoid requiring additional steps or information.
Email Marketer from GMass Blog highlights that implementing one-click unsubscribe is crucial for maintaining good deliverability rates with Gmail and Yahoo. Senders who fail to comply may see their emails being filtered into spam folders.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog advises that senders should audit their current unsubscribe process and ensure they support one-click unsubscribe via List-Unsubscribe headers. Also, they should monitor deliverability metrics and spam complaints closely.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that it’s an email header, like “From:” or “Subject:“, nothing to do with the body of the mail.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that one click unsub is really more of a platform thing and to you, they're just unsubs.
Expert from Email Geeks recommends treating a one-click unsubscribe the same as a click on the unsubscribe link in the body of the message. If the unsub doesn’t work and the recipient keeps getting mail from you then they’ll be unhappy, increasing spam report rates.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that you need List-Unsubscribe: and List-Unsubscribe-Post: headers, and the server to support them.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that to achieve one-click unsubscribe you need to include the List-Unsubscribe header. There are three types of list-unsubscribe header: Mailto, URL and Post.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Gmail's new requirements will require all senders to authenticate email, implement one-click unsubscribe and keep spam rates below 0.1%.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Google Workspace Updates explains that senders who send 5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail accounts need to enable one-click unsubscribe. Gmail requires a prominently visible unsubscribe link in the message body and support for List-Unsubscribe headers. When a user unsubscribes using the one-click unsubscribe, the sender must process the request within two days.
Documentation from Microsoft explains the technical details for implementing the List-Unsubscribe header in Exchange Online. It involves creating a custom transport rule to insert the necessary headers into outgoing email messages. This allows for one-click unsubscribe functionality.
Documentation from Yahoo Mail Blog shares that all bulk senders must implement one-click unsubscribe. This includes including a List-Unsubscribe header in the email and processing unsubscribe requests within 24 hours. They also emphasize maintaining low spam rates.
Documentation from RFC 2369 details the correct format for the List-Unsubscribe header, explaining that it can contain a mailto: URL for email-based unsubscription or an HTTP URL for web-based unsubscription. It also notes the associated List-Unsubscribe-Post header.
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that they automatically add the List-Unsubscribe header to emails sent through their platform and handle the processing of one-click unsubscribe requests, making it easier for users to comply with Gmail and Yahoo's new requirements.