Overview #
The Unsubscribe and Preferences system gives recipients control over the messages they receive and helps you maintain good sending practices. Each Mass Email Notification can include an unsubscribe mechanism—either a simple automatic footer or a fully customizable preferences form. This feature improves trust, ensures compliance with email standards, and reduces the risk of messages being flagged as spam.
All of this is optional. By default, nothing changes—you can continue sending emails exactly as before if you prefer not to include unsubscribe features.
There are two levels of functionality:
- Free Version – can automatically add a standard unsubscribe footer to every message (optional).
- Premium Version – expands this with custom link text, custom landing pages, preferences forms, and per-feed unsubscribe logic, along with the ability to resubscribe users if needed.
Why It Matters #
Providing a visible unsubscribe option is more than courtesy—it’s a sign of professionalism.
It helps you:
- Stay compliant with CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and similar regulations.
- Protect your sender reputation and deliverability.
- Maintain trust with your audience.
- Avoid having your domain or email account blacklisted for spam-like behavior.
How the System Works #
Each outgoing mass email includes a unique link that identifies the recipient. When the link is clicked, the plugin updates the Unsubscribe List so that address is skipped in future sends (or temporarily paused, depending on configuration).
The Unsubscribe Modal inside your dashboard provides a full overview of these entries:
- Email – the address that unsubscribed or was paused.
- Global Status – whether the user is globally unsubscribed or paused.
- Feeds – which specific feeds or campaigns they opted out of.
- Last Updated – when the change occurred.
Premium users also see Remove buttons to manually resubscribe or clear paused statuses.
Free vs Premium Capabilities #
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-appended footer | ✅ | ✅ |
| Customize link text | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom landing page | ❌ | ✅ |
| Merge tag–based unsubscribe links | ❌ | ✅ |
| Preferences form support | ❌ | ✅ |
| “Pause until” option | ❌ | ✅ |
| Segment by feed or category | ❌ | ✅ |
| Remove users manually | ❌ | ✅ |
| Unsubscribe headers for Gmail | ❌ | ✅ (experimental) |
Core Concepts #
Unsubscribe #
Removes a recipient from all or selected feeds. Once unsubscribed, they will no longer receive related mass emails unless cleared from the Unsubscribe list.
Pause #
Temporarily halts emails until a selected date or after a specified number of days. When the date or duration passes, the user automatically becomes eligible to receive messages again.
Preferences Form #
A custom Gravity Form that allows recipients to control what kinds of messages they receive. When a user clicks the link in an email, their address is pre-filled in the email field. Optional fields like Pause Until or Control Field (checkboxes, radio, select) can be added to give recipients more options.
Control Field #
A multi-choice field that lets users unsubscribe from specific categories (e.g., marketing, updates). Each choice can be mapped to one or more feeds, allowing segmented unsubscribes.
Unsubscribe Headers (Gmail and Others) #
When enabled, the plugin adds standard List-Unsubscribe headers to outgoing emails. This can make a one-click Unsubscribe button appear in Gmail and other email clients.
This feature is still in testing and depends on several factors:
- Gmail must be able to reach the unsubscribe URL (it will not work in local or private development environments).
- The email must meet Gmail’s criteria for promotional or bulk messages; purely transactional emails often won’t show the button.
- Your domain reputation and sending score also influence whether the button appears.
- Some third-party plugins or SMTP services may strip or overwrite headers.
It’s safe to enable this option—it won’t cause harm—but Gmail may or may not display the Unsubscribe button depending on the above conditions.
Typical Setup Patterns #
Simple Compliance (Free) #
Enable the default footer to automatically include an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every mass email.
Custom Experience (Premium) #
Change the link text and set your own landing page to match your site branding.
Advanced Segmentation (Premium) #
Use merge tags to create links that lead to a preferences form. Recipients can choose what to receive or pause messages.
Hybrid Setup #
Combine both footer and merge-tag methods—for example: “Click here to unsubscribe” and “or here to manage your preferences”.
Admin Experience #
Admins can view all unsubscribed or paused recipients under Mass Email → Unsubscribe List.
The modal shows:
- Global Status (paused/unsubscribed)
- Feeds affected
- Last Updated
- (Premium) Remove / Remove All actions
Removing a record immediately re-enables the user for future sends.
Summary & Best Practices #
- Always keep an unsubscribe option active—never remove it manually.
- Use clear, user-friendly wording (“Manage preferences” often performs better than “Unsubscribe”).
- Test your links and landing pages to confirm redirects work as intended.
- Enable Gmail Unsubscribe Headers for better compliance (even if Gmail doesn’t always display them).
- Periodically review your Unsubscribe list to keep it accurate and organized.
The unsubscribe and preferences system makes your emails more transparent, compliant, and user-friendly—all while protecting your deliverability and brand reputation.
