Summary
Double opt-in (DOI) offers numerous advantages, including building a higher quality list of engaged subscribers, improving deliverability, reducing spam complaints and bounce rates, and protecting sender reputation. It also aids in regulatory compliance and may lead to higher open rates, especially for political senders. However, DOI can reduce list growth, increase the cost per acquisition (CPA), and potentially create a negative user experience if not implemented carefully. Alternative methods like improved data management, soft confirmations, 2FA, CAPTCHAs, and segmentation can mitigate some downsides. Testing and segmenting are recommended to determine the best approach.
Key findings
- Enhanced List Quality: DOI builds a higher-quality list with engaged and valuable subscribers, resulting in more responsive lists.
- Improved Deliverability: DOI improves email deliverability, reducing the likelihood of emails landing in the spam folder.
- Reduced Spam and Bounce Rates: DOI reduces spam complaints and bounce rates by ensuring valid and interested subscribers.
- Stronger Sender Reputation: DOI protects sender reputation, crucial for avoiding blocklisting, especially for smaller senders.
- Regulatory Compliance: DOI supports compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR by obtaining explicit consent.
- Potential for Higher Open Rates: Political senders may experience significantly higher open rates with DOI.
Key considerations
- Decreased List Growth: DOI can reduce list growth due to subscriber drop-off during the confirmation process.
- Increased Acquisition Costs: DOI can increase CPA as fewer subscribers complete the sign-up process.
- Potential for Negative User Experience: DOI can create a negative user experience if the confirmation process is confusing or poorly designed.
- Alternative Mitigation Strategies: Strategies like CAPTCHAs, real-time email validation, soft confirmations, 2FA, and non-clicker filters can mitigate risks associated with not using DOI.
- Importance of Testing and Segmentation: Testing and segmenting audiences are crucial to determining whether DOI or single opt-in (SOI) is the best approach for a specific context.
- Data Integrity Focus: Focus on ensuring accurate data collection and management practices as an alternative or supplement to DOI.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Double opt-in (DOI) offers several advantages for email list management, including higher engagement rates, reduced bounce rates, and improved sender reputation due to a more engaged and verified subscriber base. It also aids in compliance with privacy regulations. However, DOI can decrease list growth due to subscriber drop-off during the confirmation process, potentially increasing acquisition costs and creating a negative user experience if not implemented carefully. Testing and segmenting your audience can help determine if DOI is the right approach for your specific needs.
Key opinions
- Engagement Boost: DOI leads to higher open and click-through rates as subscribers are genuinely interested.
- Reduced Bounce Rates: DOI verifies email addresses, minimizing hard bounces from invalid or mistyped addresses.
- Sender Reputation: DOI protects sender reputation by reducing spam complaints and improving deliverability.
- List Quality: DOI ensures a higher quality list with more engaged and valuable contacts.
- Political Open Rates: Double opt-in lists can have higher open rates.
Key considerations
- List Growth: DOI reduces list growth due to subscriber drop-off during the confirmation process.
- Acquisition Cost: DOI increases cost per acquisition (CPA) as fewer people complete the subscription process.
- User Experience: DOI can create a negative user experience if the confirmation process is confusing or poorly designed.
- Testing and Segmentation: Testing and segmenting your audience can help determine if DOI is the right approach for your specific needs.
- COI Alternatives: Mitigation measures like captchas, real-time email validation, and non-clicker filters can be used as alternative approaches.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Quora explains that double opt-in ensures higher list quality. Subscribers who take the extra step to confirm their subscription are more likely to be engaged and valuable contacts, contributing to a cleaner and more responsive list.
6 Jun 2023 - Quora
Marketer view
Email marketer from OptinMonster mentions that one downside of double opt-in is list churning. Some people might subscribe but then fail to confirm, which means your list growth is slower compared to single opt-in methods. This can be especially noticeable for offers with a short lifespan.
5 Jan 2024 - OptinMonster
What the experts say
7 expert opinions
Experts highlight that double opt-in (DOI) helps prevent spam trap hits and malicious sign-ups, contributing to a better sender reputation, especially for smaller senders. It ensures subscribers are genuinely interested and engaged. However, DOI can reduce successful sign-ups and might be considered a crude tool, with improved data management offering alternative approaches to achieve similar advantages without the downsides. Other methods include focusing on data integrity, soft confirmations, and two-factor authentication.
Key opinions
- Spam Trap Prevention: DOI helps prevent spam trap hits, contributing to a better sender reputation, especially crucial for smaller senders.
- Engagement: DOI ensures subscribers are genuinely interested and more engaged.
- Data Integrity: Focusing on data integrity (correct data from the start) is as important as initial permission.
- Alternative Methods: Improved data management, soft confirmations, and two-factor authentication offer alternative approaches to gain similar benefits without requiring DOI.
Key considerations
- Reduced Sign-ups: DOI can reduce successful sign-ups, potentially impacting list growth.
- Crude Tool: DOI may be considered a less refined tool compared to more modern data management strategies.
- Alternative Data Solutions: Consider using methods like CAPTCHA and 2FA to help prevent bot subscriptions.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that improved data management allows for segmenting users based on confirmation status, trust, or engagement, offering advantages similar to requiring all users to confirm without the downsides.
5 Nov 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks provides archived links to Litmus articles discussing the case for and against single- and double-opt-in. Highlights that some links redirect to a single opt-in article.
22 Jul 2021 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Documentation from various sources highlights that double opt-in (DOI) enhances email list quality by ensuring engaged subscribers, reducing spam complaints, and improving deliverability. DOI also aids in compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR by obtaining explicit consent. However, a key drawback is the potential reduction in list size, as not all subscribers complete the confirmation process.
Key findings
- Higher Quality List: DOI builds a higher quality list of engaged subscribers.
- Reduces Spam Complaints: DOI significantly reduces spam complaints, protecting sender reputation.
- Improves Deliverability: DOI often leads to better email deliverability by ensuring emails reach the inbox.
- Regulatory Compliance: DOI aids in compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR by obtaining explicit consent.
Key considerations
- Reduced List Size: DOI can reduce the number of subscribers who actually join your list.
Technical article
Documentation from ActiveCampaign shares that double opt-in significantly reduces spam complaints. Since only truly interested users confirm, they're less likely to mark your emails as spam, protecting your sender reputation.
9 Jan 2022 - ActiveCampaign
Technical article
Documentation from Litmus shares that double opt-in often leads to better email deliverability. Because you're only sending to engaged subscribers, your emails are more likely to reach the inbox rather than the spam folder, which boosts your deliverability rates.
15 Mar 2024 - Litmus
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