Unsubscribe compliance covers the legal and provider requirements for letting recipients opt out: a visible link, one-click List-Unsubscribe headers (RFC 8058), and processing within a defined window.
A correct example#
List-Unsubscribe: <https://example.com/u/abc123>, <mailto:unsub+abc123@example.com>
List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-ClickEvery element is there for a reason, and each maps to one of the setup steps below.
What good looks like#
- Done: Include a visible unsubscribe link in every marketing message.
- Done: Add List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers so providers show a native unsubscribe button.
- Done: Process opt-outs immediately; the legal maximum is 10 business days in the US, but providers expect 2 days.
- Done: Never require login or more than one click to unsubscribe.
What bad looks like#
- Seen in audits: Unsubscribe pages that ask 'are you sure' with a hidden confirm button.
- Seen in audits: Continuing sequences from a different tool after an opt-out in another.
How to move from bad to good#
Work through the good list in order and re-verify after each change. Most teams find one or two items from the bad list already present; fixing those usually produces the largest improvement.
Frequently asked questions#
What is one-click unsubscribe?
An RFC 8058 header pair that lets the mailbox provider send a POST to your endpoint when a user clicks Unsubscribe in the client, with no landing page.