Please be sure to always include an unsubscribe link in your emails. Email campaigns sent without an unsubscribe link run a high risk of spam complaints (which can hurt your email reputation).
Direct Mail can handle the entire unsubscribe process for you, including the unsubscribe link itself. The email templates that come built-in to Direct Mail already include an unsubscribe link. However, if you are using the "Plain" template, or if you have created (or imported) your own custom design, you will need to add one.
Here's how to add an unsubscribe link:
- Switch to the Messages tab
- Select the message you'd like to edit
- Click to place the text cursor where you want the unsubscribe link to be. The footer of your email is a good location since that is where most people are used to finding unsubscribe links.
- Choose Edit > Insert Content > Unsubscribe Link from the menu bar at the top of your screen
An unsubscribe link will be inserted. If you click on it, you will notice that the URL is set simply to [unsubscribe url]. Do not be alarmed. This means that when your email is sent, Direct Mail will automatically replace the [unsubscribe url] with a link customized for each recipient. If the recipient clicks the link, Direct Mail will automatically cross them off your mailing list. Unsubscribes also appear in your campaign report history.
If you want to change the text of the link so it says something besides "Unsubscribe", you may do so. Just click on the link, then click the Edit Text button. If you change the text, please make sure the purpose of the link is still clear to your subscribers (e.g. "remove me from mailing list" or "stop receiving these updates").
Converting an existing link into an unsubscribe link
If you already have a link in your email that you'd like to convert into an unsubscribe link, that's easy, too:
- In the Messages tab, click on your unsubscribe link to edit it
- In the popup window that appears, the "Link" text field should be set to
[unsubscribe url]
If you can test if your unsubscribe link is working properly by previewing your message and clicking on the unsubscribe link. If it is working properly, you will see a message appear letting you know it is set up correctly.
How to fix a broken unsubscribe link
If, for some reason, your unsubscribe link does not work, here's how to check and make sure it is set up correctly:
- In the Messages tab, click on your unsubscribe link to edit it
- In the popup window that appears, the "Link" text field should be set to "
[unsubscribe url]" (without the quotation marks) - If the "Link" text field is set to something else, change it to "
[unsubscribe url]" (without the quotation marks)
If you can test if your unsubscribe link is working properly by previewing your message and clicking on the unsubscribe link. If it is working properly, you will see a message appear letting you know it is set up correctly.