Is it bad to have a hidden unsubscribe link in email footers?

Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that, technically, hiding the unsubscribe link with CSS might not break anything immediately. However, email clients are increasingly sophisticated, and such deceptive practices can be flagged, impacting deliverability. It's better to ensure the link is visible but styled appropriately.

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that it is critical to maintain trust between emailers and consumers. Hiding an unsubscribe link degrades this and could lead to lower engagement, more spam complaints and ultimately worse inbox placement.

Email marketer from Litmus explains hiding an unsubscribe link creates accessibility issues for users with disabilities. If the link is not easily found or usable, it can frustrate subscribers and damage your brand's reputation.

Email marketer from HubSpot explains that hiding an unsubscribe link with CSS is generally not recommended as it goes against email marketing best practices and could potentially violate anti-spam laws like CAN-SPAM. Transparency and ease of unsubscribing are crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation.

Email marketer from Reddit responds that while hiding the link might seem like a way to reduce unsubscribes, it's a short-sighted strategy. A visible, easy-to-use unsubscribe link builds trust and ensures that people who genuinely don't want your emails can opt out cleanly, improving your overall list quality.

Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that email design considerations include an easy to use unsubscribe. Hiding an unsubscribe link reduces ease of use and can impact deliverability

Email marketer from Reddit shares that hiding an unsubscribe link is generally frowned upon. While it might not always trigger spam filters directly, it can lead to lower engagement, more spam complaints, and ultimately, damage your sender reputation, affecting deliverability in the long run.

Email marketer from Mailchimp explains that while they recommend visible unsubscribe links for transparency and compliance, hiding them with CSS is a risky practice. It can be seen as deceptive and negatively impact your sender reputation, leading to deliverability issues.

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor responds that under the CAN-SPAM Act, unsubscribe mechanisms must be clear and conspicuous. Hiding the unsubscribe link, even if technically functional, likely violates the spirit and possibly the letter of the law, potentially leading to fines.

Expert from Email Geeks responds that unsubscription links in the body are just links in the body, same as any other. If the links have bad reputation it’ll impact things, if they don’t, they won’t.

Expert from Email Geeks recommends to fix the SSL issue first, and explains that if something is working (and 98% delivery is working) then ... why change it?

Expert from Email Geeks shares as long as you have valid RFC 8058 unsubscription (https links in the List-Unsubscribe header, a List-Unsubscribe-Post header and DKIM covering both headers) nobody is going to care much about unsubscription.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that there is nothing obviously wrong with having a hidden unsubscribe link, unless it's the only link in the email with that hostname.

Expert from Spamresource.com explains that the CAN-SPAM Act mandates that unsubscribe mechanisms be readily apparent and easily accessible. Hiding the link, even with CSS, is a violation that could lead to penalties.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that mail is more likely to be delivered to the bulk folder, but if that mail is, overall, liked by the recipients and they don't complain or otherwise signal "this is bad mail" then no one cares and the mail goes to the inbox.

Expert from Email Geeks states unless you get a HORRIBLE shared IP your mail is going to be fine off the shared IP. Like, that reputation is going to have to be so bad that your mail is rejected during the SMTP transaction to affect delivery of the mail.

Expert from Email Geeks explains improving reputation isn't a technical thing. Improving reputation is about sending mail your recipients act in ways that tell the machine learning filters that the mail is something they want in their inbox.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that unsubscribe alignment isn't a significant factor, except for a few individuals with extreme views.

Expert from Word to the Wise answers that while technically feasible, concealing the unsubscribe link with CSS or other methods is not a wise practice. It demonstrates a lack of respect for subscribers, damaging your sender reputation and causing increased complaints.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that while she isn't thrilled about the hidden unsubscribe link, a 98% delivery rate suggests it's not significantly affecting mail acceptance.

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that while RFC 2369 defines the List-Unsubscribe header, it doesn't explicitly forbid hiding unsubscribe links in the email body. However, it emphasizes providing a clear and easy way for recipients to opt-out, suggesting that a hidden link would be against the intended spirit.

Documentation from European Union explains GDPR emphasizes the right of users to withdraw consent easily. Hiding an unsubscribe link is seen as hindering this right, potentially leading to non-compliance and penalties for EU residents.

Documentation from FTC explains the CAN-SPAM Act requires a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of receiving future emails. Hiding the unsubscribe link goes directly against the law.

Documentation from Google explains their sender guidelines emphasize a positive user experience. Hiding unsubscribe links degrades this and could lead to lower engagement, more spam complaints and ultimately worse inbox placement.