Why am I seeing a sudden spike in Gmail unsubscribes?

Email marketer from Litmus answers that analyzing why subscribers are unsubscribing is crucial. If possible, have an unsubscription survey.

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign answers that an increase in unsubscribes can be because emails aren't relevant to certain people. An email segmentation strategy should combat this issue.

Email marketer from Email on Acid suggests that 'list fatigue' could be to blame if there is a sudden unsubscription spike and recommends re-engaging with subscribers with incentives or targeted campaigns.

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that they have seen similar issues. They share the opinion it might be how Gmail now handles unsubscribes, also mentioned an increase in spam complaints coinciding with the update, so they started auditing their list and removing inactive subscribers.

Email marketer from Email Geeks mentions that Google has been making their first party *Unsubscribe* button more visible, which triggers the `List-Unsubscribe` header.

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog suggests that a sudden spike in unsubscribes could be due to several reasons, including changes in email content, sending frequency, or audience targeting. He recommends analyzing recent campaigns and subscriber feedback to identify the root cause.

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor answers that subscribers who no longer interact with your emails are a risk of unsubscriptions and/or increased spam complants, lists should be reviewed and managed. Subscribers can be removed, or moved to re-engagement campaigns.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that Gmail is rolling out/testing ways to show the unsubscribe button more prominently, including larger text in blue and when hovering over messages in the inbox. Suggests it could be UI related, or potentially due to inbox placement changes or targeting adjustments.

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests considering inbox placement testing data and Google Postmaster Tools data to check for changes in complaints. Also shares experience of a large unscribe increase due to the Unroll.me app in 2016.

Email marketer from Mailchimp answers that to decrease unsubscribes, ensure your email frequency matches subscriber expectations, provide valuable content, and make unsubscribing easy. They also emphasize the importance of a preference center where subscribers can choose the type and frequency of emails they receive.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that in their experience, a sudden spike in unsubscribes after a Gmail update might be connected to how Gmail is displaying the unsubscribe button. If you've recently had a big increase in visibility due to inbox placement improvements, that could be exposing the unsubscribe link to more people.

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog shares that high unsubscribe rates can result from irrelevant content, too-frequent emails, or misleading subject lines. They advise segmenting email lists and personalizing content to improve relevance and reduce unsubscriptions.

Expert from Word to the Wise suggests a few possibilities and shares that it is not always a negative. She shares that it could be caused by new subscribers or subscribers who aren't interested. She also suggests that it could be caused by Google adding an unsubscribe button to emails, which means it is easier for users to unsubscribe.

Documentation from Google Support explains that adhering to Gmail's bulk sender guidelines is essential to avoid deliverability issues, which can indirectly lead to higher unsubscribe rates. Key guidelines include authenticating emails, providing an easy unsubscribe process, and maintaining a low spam complaint rate.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools answers that to monitor sender reputation, which effects where your email is placed.

Documentation from M3AAWG explains best practices around sender authentication, list management, and feedback loops, all of which can help maintain a healthy sender reputation and reduce the likelihood of Gmail users unsubscribing due to deliverability issues.

Documentation from RFC answers that including a 'List-Unsubscribe' header is considered a best practice, and that Gmail may automatically display a more prominent unsubscription link based on this header.