How to Get One-Click Unsubscribe Right
The List-Unsubscribe and one-click unsubscribe headers that let people unsubscribe directly from their email client, now required by major mailbox providers for bulk senders.
Samir Haddad
The key figures
- Standard
- RFC 8058 defines one-click unsubscribe with List-Unsubscribe-Post
- Bulk sender requirement
- Gmail and Yahoo require one-click unsubscribe for bulk marketing mail
- Processing time
- Gmail expects unsubscribes to be honored within two days
- CAN-SPAM
- requires honoring opt-outs within 10 business days
Why this is worth getting right
Making unsubscribing easy reduces spam complaints, and Gmail and Yahoo require one-click unsubscribe from bulk senders of marketing mail.
Do this, not that
Do
- Add List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers
- Keep a visible unsubscribe link in the email body
- Process unsubscribes automatically and quickly
- Offer preference options without blocking unsubscribes
- Suppress unsubscribed addresses across all tools
Don’t
- Requiring login to unsubscribe
- Hiding unsubscribe links in tiny text
- Delaying removals
- Re-adding unsubscribed contacts through imports
When to bring in help
Our advice Bring in help when spam complaints rise, or when your email platform does not support one-click headers.
Where this comes from
- RFC Editor — RFC 8058 Signaling one-click functionality for list email headers
- Federal Trade Commission — CAN-SPAM Act: A compliance guide for business
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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