What are the best practices and legal considerations for 1-click versus 2-click email unsubscribes?

Key findings

• Legal shift: Major mailbox providers, including Google and Yahoo, now require a one-click unsubscribe option for bulk senders as of early 2024. This applies to commercial and promotional messages, making 1-click the new standard for compliance.
• User experience: Users generally prefer a frictionless experience. A simple, one-click unsubscribe process reduces frustration and fosters a more positive perception of your brand, even when they choose to leave.
• Deliverability impact: Complex unsubscribe processes (e.g., requiring logins or extensive forms) can lead to users marking emails as spam, which negatively impacts your sender reputation and deliverability rates. A smooth unsubscribe flow helps maintain a healthy email list and better inbox placement.
• Security scanner concerns: While 2-click (or a confirmation page) has been used to mitigate accidental unsubscribes by security scanners, modern email authentication and the adoption of the List-Unsubscribe header (specifically via POST requests as per RFC 8058) are designed to handle this issue more effectively for 1-click methods.

Key considerations

• Compliance requirements: Ensure your unsubscribe process adheres to relevant laws like CAN-SPAM (US), CASL (Canada), and GDPR (EU), which mandate easy and timely opt-out mechanisms. The CAN-SPAM Act states that recipients must be able to stop receiving commercial emails.
• Clarity and visibility: Regardless of the click method, the unsubscribe link must be clear, conspicuous, and easy to find within the email. Avoid hiding it in small print or obscure locations.
• Immediate action: Unsubscribe requests should be honored promptly, typically within 10 business days, as required by law. Delaying removal can lead to complaints and penalties.
• Confirmation: Even with a 1-click process, it is best practice to provide a clear confirmation message to the user that their unsubscribe request has been processed. This reduces uncertainty and further complaints.
• Preference centers: Offer a preference center as an alternative, allowing users to manage their subscription settings without fully opting out. This can help retain subscribers who might just want fewer emails or different content. For more on managing preferences, see our guide on why companies should honor opt-out requests.

Key opinions

• Preference for 2-click: Many marketers, especially those concerned about false positives from security scanners, expressed a preference for a 2-click process to ensure genuine unsubscribe requests.
• User experience focus: There's a strong consensus that even with a 2-click process, the second click must be straightforward and prominent, without additional questions or login requirements.
• Minimizing friction: Marketers emphasize that the process of revoking consent should be at least as easy as giving it, pointing towards the need for simplicity.
• Autofill convenience: For 2-click systems, auto-filling the user's email address on the confirmation page is considered a best practice to prevent mistypes and streamline the process.

Key considerations

• Avoiding 'n-click' scenarios: Any process requiring more than two clicks, or demanding additional information like logins or surveys, is deemed overly complex and can violate compliance standards, increasing the risk of being marked as spam. For ways to avoid common issues, consider how to fix emails going to spam.
• Clear communication: When using a 2-click process, it's crucial to communicate clearly on the landing page that the user is about to confirm their unsubscribe, avoiding any confusion.
• Balancing user desire and data integrity: Marketers must find a balance between providing an easy unsubscribe experience for users and protecting their lists from unintended removals, which 1-click solutions are increasingly mandated to address automatically (e.g., via List-Unsubscribe headers).
• Adaptation to new requirements: The shift towards mandatory one-click unsubscribe via the List-Unsubscribe header means marketers must adapt their systems to accommodate these new technical and compliance standards.

Key opinions

• Mitigating false positives: Some experts recommend a 2-click approach to reduce unintended unsubscribes triggered by security devices or bots following links, protecting list integrity from automated actions.
• Compliance interpretation: It has generally been acceptable to have a 2-click unsubscribe, where one click leads to a page and the second confirms the change, as long as it adheres to CAN-SPAM and CASL requirements for ease of access and execution.
• RFC 8058 relevance: The existence of RFC 8058 points to methods for preventing accidental unsubscribes by appliances, specifically for List-Unsubscribe headers, while still enabling a 1-click user experience for humans.
• Impact on sender reputation: Experts agree that making it difficult to unsubscribe can lead to increased spam complaints, which significantly damages a sender's reputation and can result in blocklisting (or blacklisting). This is crucial for overall email deliverability.

Key considerations

• Technical implementation: When implementing a 1-click unsubscribe, ensuring the List-Unsubscribe header is correctly configured to use POST requests (as specified in RFC 8058) is vital. This helps distinguish between human unsubscribe requests and bot activity.
• Evolving industry standards: Mailbox providers are increasingly enforcing strict 1-click unsubscribe requirements for high-volume senders. Ignoring these updates can lead to poor inbox placement or even rejection of emails.
• Managing legitimate unsubscribes: The focus should be on making it as easy as possible for a legitimate subscriber to opt out. Frustrated users will mark emails as spam, which is far worse for your reputation than a simple unsubscribe.
• Impact on list hygiene: A simple unsubscribe process encourages unengaged subscribers to opt out, leading to a cleaner and more responsive email list. This proactive approach improves overall engagement metrics and deliverability.

Key findings

• CAN-SPAM Act: This US law requires that commercial emails include a clear and conspicuous way for recipients to opt out of receiving future emails, which must be honored promptly. It stipulates that only an email address and opt-down preferences can be requested.
• GDPR and CASL: These regulations emphasize that consent must be easily revocable, often implying a process that is as simple as the one used to obtain consent, pushing towards minimal steps for unsubscribing.
• RFC 8058 (List-Unsubscribe): This standard defines how to implement a one-click unsubscribe function using a POST request in the List-Unsubscribe header. This is designed to prevent accidental unsubscribes by automated systems while still offering a true single-click experience for users.
• Mailbox provider requirements: As of early 2024, major providers like Google and Yahoo have explicitly mandated a 1-click unsubscribe mechanism via the List-Unsubscribe header for bulk senders.

Key considerations

• Unsubscribe link visibility: Documentation often specifies guidelines for the placement and sizing of unsubscribe links, suggesting they should be no more than 2 points smaller than the body copy and no smaller than 8 points, ensuring they are easily noticed.
• Automated handling: The preferred method for 1-click unsubscribe is via the List-Unsubscribe header. This allows email clients to display a prominent unsubscribe button, simplifying the process for the user and reducing spam complaints. This is key for complying with new sender requirements.
• Prompt processing: Legal frameworks universally demand that unsubscribe requests are processed swiftly, typically within a few business days, to avoid ongoing unwanted communications.
• No barriers to opting out: Documentation explicitly prohibits requiring recipients to provide additional information beyond their email address or logging into an account to unsubscribe. The process should be free of any unnecessary hurdles.