How unsubscribes and preferences work

Give recipients a choice that matches the mail you send. For a weekly product digest, bind the message to a topic so a reader can leave that digest. Keep the option to leave all marketing email available on the preferences page.

Two ways to opt out

Marketing email supplies two routes:

• The footer’s Unsubscribe link opens the hosted preferences page, where the recipient reviews and saves their choice.
• One-click unsubscribe headers let a supporting mailbox provider submit an opt-out directly. The provider controls whether and how it displays that button.

Transactional rendering does not add these marketing unsubscribe controls. See sending modes for the distinction.

Topic-level versus channel-level unsubscribe

A topic is a category of marketing mail, such as Weekly digest or Product updates. Email subscription controls the broader email channel. A marketing message with a topic requires both.

Unsubscribing from a topic-bound email

For the original recipient address, a one-click opt-out records a block for that address and this email’s topic. Matching contact records are then updated to remove the topic. The block protects the same address through other contacts in the workspace; changing one contact’s membership does not bypass it. Other topics and the email subscription remain unchanged.

The footer link opens preferences with the relevant topic unticked for the recipient to review and save. Leaving a topic creates a topic-scoped address block, rather than a block on all marketing email. Delivery respects the accepted opt-out while related contact updates are still being processed.

Unsubscribing from an email with no topic

A one-click opt-out from topic-less marketing removes email subscription and creates a space-scoped Unsubscribed suppression for the recipient address. The address block also protects against marketing through another contact record sharing that address.

Old email links remain tied to the address that received the message. If the contact’s address has since changed, one-click handling protects the original address without opting the replacement address out. An old preferences link may no longer be valid for the changed contact.

The public preferences page

The hosted page needs no account login. Its link contains a token bound to the recipient identity and email address. Treat it as a personal link; someone with access to a forwarded link may be able to use it.

The recipient can turn the email subscription off or back on and manage available topics, then save. The page uses the current topic configuration. Review the page’s labels before launching a new category of mail.

Private topics

Public topics are available to join from preferences. A private topic is shown when the contact already belongs to it or that recipient address has a recorded opt-out for it. That recorded topic can therefore remain available for the recipient to rejoin. Other private topics are not offered as public sign-up choices.

What gets recorded

Consent changes have audit entries identifying their timing and context. Review the contact’s current subscription, topic membership and suppression state alongside that history. The log helps explain changes; it does not replace evidence of what the person agreed to receive.

Where consent begins

Choose a collection path that records the intended permission:

• Forms can collect explicit consent, use implied consent or collect no marketing consent. Double opt-in can require a confirmation step before subscription.
• Standard CSV imports start with the subscription checkbox off. It provides a default for created contacts; explicit row subscription values can also change existing contacts.
• API creation can default the email subscription on, so supply the intended value rather than assuming every source defaults off.

Check contact creation and consent when connecting a new source. A stored flag alone does not prove an opt-in.

Resubscribing

When a recipient with a valid preferences link turns email subscription back on and saves, maxclicks clears that space’s Unsubscribed suppression. It does not clear unrelated hard-bounce, complaint, manual or legal blocks. Rejoining an available topic clears that address’s block for the selected topic and restores the contact’s membership. It does not clear a channel-wide opt-out or restore email subscription by itself. A topic-bound send still needs both channel and topic eligibility.

If a recipient asks your team to restore marketing, a member with Write permission can update the contact and review the address suppression. Restoring subscription in the contact editor does not automatically remove the address block. Record the request, make only the appropriate changes, and check all remaining eligibility rules before sending.

Inspect an apparent mismatch

A stored subscription or topic membership can briefly lag an accepted opt-out. Sending checks the address-level decision too, so a contact that still appears subscribed can already be blocked. Open the valid preferences page for the current address and inspect the current contact and suppression state before repeating a campaign.

If the email address changes, inspect the new address deliberately. An old preferences token does not become permission to edit the replacement address. An old one-click request protects the address that received the message, including a channel-wide block when it no longer matches the contact.

Related deliverability topics

Manage suppressions explains address blocks and their scope. Add and edit contacts explains the contact’s current subscription and topics.

Frequently asked questions

Does leaving one topic stop all marketing email?

A topic-level opt-out blocks that address for the selected topic. It leaves email subscription and other topics unchanged. A channel-wide opt-out instead blocks marketing for the address across topics in the workspace.

Can an old email link change a replacement address’s preferences?

No. The link remains tied to the address that received the message. A one-click request protects that original address; a preferences token that no longer matches the contact’s address can be rejected.

Why can a private topic still appear after an opt-out?

Preferences includes a private topic when the contact is a member or their address has a recorded opt-out for it. The recorded topic can remain available for the recipient to rejoin; unrelated private topics remain unavailable.