Unsubscribe Best Practices

Confirming Unsubscribe Requests

LashBack does not support nor recommend a double-opt out process. Consumers wishing to unsubscribe from receiving email from you should not have to receive more email from you in order to stop receiving email from you. However, email notices of a successful opt-out request are recommended.

Unsubscribe Links vs. Unsubscribe Mechanisms

It is important that the distinction between unsubscribe links and unsubscribe mechanisms be made. An unsubscribe mechanism is the final email address or web page that an unsubscribe request is submitted to, ignoring any parameters. An unsubscribe link is the link the user selected to reach that mechanism. For email-based unsubscribes, the unsubscribe mechanism and unsubscribe link are considered the same. However, in web cases, the link clicked in an email (the unsubscribe link) and the ultimate page the unsubscribe is posted to (the unsubscribe mechanism) is generally different. The following example clarifies the distinction between and unsubscribe link and an unsubscribe mechanism:

Step 1 - Consumer clicks the following link in an email to unsubscribe:
http://www.domain.com/unsubscribe.htm

Step 2 - Consumer is automatically redirected to another page to fill in an email address and submit a form to unsubscribe:
http://www.domain.com/unsubscribeform.htm

Step 3 - Consumer submits the unsubscribe form which is posted to:
http://www.domain.com/processunsubscribe.cgi

Step 4 - Consumer is taken to a confirmation page indicating a successful unsubscribe:
http://www.domain.com/unsubsuccess.htm

In the above scenario, http://www.domain.com/unsubscribe.htm is considered the unsubscribe link and http://www.domain.com/processunsubscribe.cgi is considered the unsubscribe mechanism.

Ensuring LashBack Can Find your Unsubscribe Link

There are currently no standard labeling practices in the world of email unsubscribe. In order to find your unsubscribe link, LashBack uses multiple approaches, some of which involve human identification. The easier it is for LashBack to locate your unsubscribe link, the more likely you will have a good reputation with LashBack. Some general recommendations to ensure LashBack is able to find your unsubscribe link are as follows:

Use a List-Unsubscribe header as described in RFC 2369
In the case of email-based unsubscribe links included in the body of the email message, include the word ‘unsubscribe’ in the email address itself (e.g., unsubscribe-newsletter1@domain.com)
In the case of web-based unsubscribe links included in the body of the email message, include the word ‘unsubscribe’ in the unsubscribe link (e.g., http://www.domain.com/unsubscribe-newsletter1.cgi or http://www.domain.com/unsubscribe/newsletter1.cgi)

Ensuring LashBack Can Use your Unsubscribe Link

Equally important to finding your unsubscribe link, LashBack must be able to easily and reliability navigate and use your unsubscribe link. Some general recommendations are listed below:

Use an email-based unsubscribe link and make sure the actual recipient’s email address (and only this email address) is specified in the TO: header. If both of these conditions are met, LashBack will always be able to reliably use your unsubscribe link.
Web-based unsubscribe links should be hosted on a single web page (i.e., users should not have to navigate multiple pages to unsubscribe).
Web-based unsubscribe links should pass in all required unsubscribe parameters or only require the consumer’s email address to unsubscribe.
Web-based unsubscribe links should require users to click a button to confirm the unsubscribe request. Automatically unsubscribing user’s by simply clicking the unsubscribe link is not recommended.
Web-based unsubscribe links should provide the consumer confirmation of a successful unsubscribe which includes the words ‘unsubscribe’ and ‘successful’.
Web-based unsubscribe links should not use or require active scripting to function (JavaScript or VBScript).

Changing Unsubscribe Mechanisms

Every time a sender changes unsubscribe mechanisms, LashBack checks to see if the sender has used the mechanism in the past. If the sender has not used the mechanism in the past, all UnsubSafe processing is suspended while LashBack tests the safety of the new mechanism. This is to ensure consumers are protected from potential misuse of their unsubscribe request. Senders wanting to ensure UnsubSafe is enabled should avoid switching unsubscribe mechanisms often. Senders can change their unsubscribe link as often as they like without suspending UnsubSafe so long as the ultimate unsubscribe mechanism remains constant.

Testing Your Unsubscribe Link with LashBack

To assist senders in checking to ensure LashBack is able to find and use their unsubscribe link, LashBack provides a simple method to do so. Simply send a message with your advertisement or newsletter to unsubcheck@unsubsafe.com. Within 5 minutes of receiving the message, an email message will be returned to the sender of the email (the FROM: address) with results indicating whether LashBack was able to a) find your unsubscribe link and b) use your unsubscribe link. If you are having problems getting your unsubscribe link to work with LashBack, LashBack may be able to assist you with making changes.

Expectations for Segmenting Unsubscribes

While the CAN SPAM Act dictates that senders must provide consumers an option to opt out, it is sometimes unclear about what unsubscribe options should be provided to consumers and how unsubscribe requests should apply within. LashBack’s unsubscribe segmentation expectations are designed to match consumer expectations. However, LashBack does not warranty that the segmentation expectations here will protect senders from legal liability under the CAN SPAM Act. Senders and advertisers should always consult legal counsel in making these policy decisions. When in doubt, Senders should err on the side of caution and treat requests globally.

Opt In Communications
In general, unsubscribe segmentation should match opt-in segmentation. For example, if a consumer explicitly signs up for a newsletter with an organization, then a consumer would expect that an unsubscribe request would eliminate this future correspondence. In cases where a consumer has opted in for general communication from your organization but this was not specific to a specific type of communication, then opt out requests should be treated globally in the organization.

Acquisition Emails
All emails sent advertising products or services to customers that do not have a preexisting relationship with the actual seller/provider of the product of service. In cases of acquisition email, all unsubscribes should be applied globally within the organization. If there are two parties involved in the transmission of the email – a sender and an advertiser – both parties should provide a global unsubscribe link accessible from the email sent. Segmenting unsubscribes by offer, brand, domain or other method is not accepted to qualify for UnsubSafe.

Mirror Unsubscribe Mechanisms with Unsubscribe Segmentation
LashBack uses several techniques to determine when a sender or advertiser is not honoring unsubscribe requests. One of the primary techniques LashBack uses to identify repeat attempts for a consumer to unsubscribe using the same unsubscribe mechanism after 10 business days (failure to honor). Senders and advertisers should be aware of this, since using the same unsubscribe mechanism for multiple lists may cause false positives in their unsubscribe reputation. LashBack CSRs review all unsubscribe issues to confirm the problem, but senders should be aware of the problems this may cause. LashBack recommends all senders and advertisers to use unique unsubscribe mechanisms to match unsubscribe segmentation expectations set forth above. However, it should be reiterated that senders or advertisers that constantly change unsubscribe mechanisms will either have a poor reputation or no reputation and will not qualify for UnsubSafe.sts globally.