Connections
Managing Unsubscribes
Respect your contacts' preferences and maintain compliance by managing unsubscribe requests. Learn how to unsubscribe and resubscribe contacts, understand the system's automatic protections, and ensure you're following email marketing best practices.
What is Unsubscribe Management?
Unsubscribe management allows you to respect your contacts' preferences when they no longer wish to receive email communications. When a contact unsubscribes:
- • They are automatically excluded from all future email blasts and campaigns
- • Their email address is added to the system's unsubscribe list (if they have an email)
- • The contact's email field is disabled to prevent accidental changes
- • You can resubscribe them at any time if they request it
How to Unsubscribe a Contact
Navigate to the Connections page and find the contact you want to unsubscribe
Click on the contact to open their detail page
In the Contact Information section, locate the email field
Click the red unsubscribe button (block icon) next to the email field
Confirm the unsubscribe action in the modal dialog
Important
Once unsubscribed, the contact will not receive any emails from you through email blasts or campaigns. This action is reversible by resubscribing the contact.
Understanding Unsubscribe Status
The system provides clear visual indicators to show when a contact has unsubscribed:
Unsubscribed Contact
- • Email field is disabled
- • Red unsubscribe button (block icon) visible
- • Tooltip shows "This contact has unsubscribed from email"
- • Button changes to blue refresh icon
Subscribed Contact
- • Email field is editable
- • Red unsubscribe button (block icon) visible
- • Tooltip shows "Unsubscribe"
- • Contact receives all email communications
How to Resubscribe a Contact
If a contact requests to be resubscribed or you need to re-enable their email communications, follow these steps:
Navigate to the contact's detail page
Locate the email field in the Contact Information section
Click the blue resubscribe button (refresh icon) next to the email field
Confirm the resubscribe action in the modal dialog
Resubscription Process
When you resubscribe a contact, their email address is removed from the unsubscribe list, and they will once again receive emails from your email blasts and campaigns.
Automatic Unsubscribe Management
RealConnectPro automatically manages unsubscribe lists to ensure compliance with email marketing regulations:
Automatic Unsubscribe Processing
When you unsubscribe a contact with an email address, the system automatically adds their email to the unsubscribe list. This ensures they won't receive emails even if they're included in a group or campaign.
Automatic Resubscribe Processing
When you resubscribe a contact, their email is automatically removed from the unsubscribe list, allowing them to receive emails again.
Contacts Without Email Addresses
For contacts without email addresses, the unsubscribe status is tracked locally in your database. These contacts won't receive emails regardless of their unsubscribe status since they have no email address.
What Happens When Someone Unsubscribes?
Email Exclusion
The contact is automatically excluded from all future email blasts and campaigns. They will not receive any marketing emails from you.
Unsubscribe List Update
If the contact has an email address, it's automatically added to the system's unsubscribe list, providing an additional layer of protection.
Email Field Protection
The contact's email field becomes disabled to prevent accidental changes. A tooltip indicates the unsubscribe status.
Reversible Action
The unsubscribe action can be reversed at any time by resubscribing the contact, which will restore their ability to receive emails.
Best Practices
Respect Unsubscribe Requests
Always honor unsubscribe requests promptly. This maintains trust and ensures compliance with email marketing regulations.
Verify Before Resubscribing
Only resubscribe contacts who have explicitly requested to receive emails again. Unsolicited resubscriptions can damage your sender reputation.
Monitor Unsubscribe Rates
Keep an eye on your unsubscribe rates in email blast reports. High rates may indicate content relevance issues or too frequent sending.
Keep Contact Information Updated
Regularly review and update contact information. If a contact changes their email address, you may need to manage their unsubscribe status separately.
Compliance and Legal Considerations
- • CAN-SPAM Act: In the United States, you must honor unsubscribe requests within 10 business days. RealConnectPro processes unsubscribes immediately.
- • GDPR: In the European Union, contacts have the right to withdraw consent at any time. Unsubscribing is one way to exercise this right.
- • CASL: In Canada, you must honor unsubscribe requests within 10 business days and cannot charge fees or require additional information.
- • Automatic Processing: The system automatically excludes unsubscribed contacts from all email communications, helping you maintain compliance.
- • Record Keeping: The unsubscribe status is permanently recorded in your database for audit purposes.
Troubleshooting
Contact Still Receiving Emails After Unsubscribing
If a contact continues to receive emails after being unsubscribed, check that:
- • The unsubscribe status is correctly set in the contact's profile
- • The contact has an email address (contacts without emails cannot be unsubscribed)
- • The email blast or campaign was created after the unsubscribe action
- • The system has processed the unsubscribe request
Cannot Edit Email Field
If the email field is disabled, it means the contact has unsubscribed. To edit the email address, you must first resubscribe the contact, make your changes, and then unsubscribe again if needed.
Unsubscribe Button Not Visible
The unsubscribe/resubscribe button only appears for contacts who have an email address. If a contact doesn't have an email, they cannot receive emails and therefore don't need to be unsubscribed.
Need Help?
If you have questions about managing unsubscribes, need assistance with compliance, or encounter any issues with the unsubscribe process, please contact our support team. We're here to help you maintain a compliant and effective email marketing strategy.