What are the requirements for one-click unsubscribe in email marketing?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests ideally the link goes to a form page that populates the email address and has a confirmation button.
Email marketer from Email on Acid recommends including a link to a preference center along with the one-click unsubscribe option. This allows subscribers to manage their communication preferences beyond just unsubscribing.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that CAN-SPAM Act requires a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt-out of receiving future emails. This includes a return email address or another easy internet-based way to opt-out.
Email marketer from StackOverflow highlights the importance of confirming the unsubscribe request to the user, either via a confirmation page or an email. Also states that clear instructions on how to resubscribe should also be provided.
Email marketer from SendGrid explains the List-Unsubscribe header allows recipients to unsubscribe directly from their email client. It is necessary to support both 'mailto:' and 'https:' options.
Email marketer from Reddit warns about problems with improperly configured one-click unsubscribe, explaining that it can lead to unintended unsubscribes by security software.
Marketer from Email Geeks says the requirement is about implementing RFC8058 and links to the RFC documentation. States it was specifically designed to avoid “automatic clicks”.
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms list-unsubscribe / list-unsubscribe-post is a requirement as part of changes coming and links to Google and Yahoo documentation.
Email marketer from SparkPost highlights the importance of managing your suppression list. Email bounces, spam complaints, and unsubscribes are used to build suppression lists.
Email marketer from Klaviyo explains that one-click unsubscribe should be implemented using the List-Unsubscribe header and List-Unsubscribe-Post header. It also requires a mechanism to process the unsubscribe request automatically.
Email marketer from Gmass explains that the List-Unsubscribe header is important because it allows people to easily unsubscribe from your emails with one click without marking it as spam.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that one-click unsubscribe (List-Unsubscribe) must be implemented and working as advertised to comply with mailbox provider requirements.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares that the CAN-SPAM requirements are click to a web page, provide at most an email address and click a preference.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that if the volume threshold of 5,000 messages a day is met, a one-click unsubscribe is required for compliance with the new Google and Yahoo requirements.
Expert from Email Geeks states the form should not have a way to enter an email address. The unsub page should only allow you to unsub the address from the link you followed.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that the link in the body of the message should go to a web page where the user has to click a button (http POST) to unsubscribe.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that as of 2024, senders need to implement one-click unsubscribe, which means supporting the List-Unsubscribe header with both mailto: and HTTP options as per RFC 8058.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft specifies that bulk senders must support one-click unsubscribe and process unsubscribe requests within two business days. This is a requirement to maintain good sender reputation.
Documentation from RFC 8058 (defines one-click unsubscribe) explains that it specifies a method for unsubscribing from email lists using an HTTP POST request, triggered by a 'List-Unsubscribe' header. This provides a more reliable and automated unsubscribe process.
Documentation from Gmail Help explains that senders must include a List-Unsubscribe header in all bulk emails. This allows recipients to easily unsubscribe from mailing lists.
Documentation from the CAN-SPAM Act explains that you must provide recipients with a clear and conspicuous explanation of how to opt out of receiving email from you in the future. The act also specifies that you must honor opt-out requests promptly.