This article explains why opted out contacts must resubscribe themselves and provides instructions for the resubscription process.

In this article How can an opted-out contact resubscribe? Resubscribe through an Emma signup form Resubscribe through the manage preferences link Accidental opt-outs Resubscribe to SMS messages Additional resources

How can an opted-out contact resubscribe?

Ⓘ

In order to comply with CAN-SPAM laws and our Acceptable Use Policy, any contact who has opted out must resubscribe themself. This means that you cannot change a contact's status from Opt-Out back to Active from within your account. Even if the contact opted out accidentally, they must still resubscribe themself.

 

There are two ways that a contact can resubscribe, as explained below. However, in both cases, the most important step is the participation from the contact. Specifically, they must open the confirmation email, which is sent after they've resubscribed, and then click on the Confirm your subscription link. When a new contact subscribes to your newsletter or email list, it's not necessary for them to confirm opt-in, but it is required for an opted out contact to resubscribe.

If you are the Administrator of a standalone account or the Parent or Manager of a tiered account and you have a contact who is having trouble receiving the confirmation email, then we recommend using our virtual assistant to contact our Support team for help.

Resubscribe through an Emma signup form

Ⓘ	For this option, the contact must fill out an Emma signup form. The form must be a standard Emma form - it cannot be a lightbox form, a custom form built with our API, or a form from an integration.

 

If you have an Emma signup form available on your website, simply direct your contact to the relevant page so that they can fill out the form. You can also create a form in your account or grab the link from one of your existing forms and share the URL with your contact. To do this:

1. Navigate to your Audience tab.
2. Click on the Forms section in the panel on the left.
3. Click on the dropdown arrow that corresponds to the desired form.

4. Choose Add to your site from the menu.

   

5. In the pop-up window that appears, highlight the link, copy it, and paste it into your correspondence with the unsubscribed contact.

Ⓘ	Regardless of which form you use, it must have the Send a confirmation email box checked in the Messages step of the builder. If that box is not checked, the form cannot be used for opting back in.

 

Action steps for the contact

In order to complete the opt-in process, the contact must:

Fill out the form given to them by the sender. A pop-up window will appear asking them if they're sure that they want to resubscribe. Click on the Yes button to confirm. A plaintext confirmation email will be sent to their inbox. Open it. Click on the link to confirm their subscription. If they do not click this link, they will remain opted out.

Resubscribe through the manage preferences link

For this option, the contact must use the manage preferences link from a previously sent email to resubscribe. If the contact cannot find an email that you previously sent them, then they will not be able to use this option. When a contact clicks on the Manage link in the email footer, they will be brought to your Subscription Center or, if your account pre-dates the Subscription Center and you have not yet set yours up, then they will be brought to your manage preferences form.

Action steps for the contact

In order to complete the opt-in process, the contact must:

Locate an email that they previously received from the sender. Click on the Manage link in the email footer. Fill out the form and make any changes to their information that they'd like. A pop-up window will appear asking them if they're sure that they want to resubscribe. Click on the Yes button to confirm. A plaintext confirmation email will be sent to their inbox. Open it. Click on the link to confirm their subscription. If they do not click this link, they will remain opted out.

Accidental opt-outs

Forwards

Links in emails sent through Emma are appended with tracking IDs that make them unique to each recipient. This is how you're able to see which contacts click which links when viewing mailing response numbers.

When an email is forwarded using an email client, such as Gmail or Outlook, it retains those unique links and continues to track opens and clicks as if they were the original recipient's actions. The same thing happens with the Opt out link in emails. If the original recipient forwards the email to someone else and that person clicks on the Opt out link, the original recipient will be unsubscribed.

You can avoid accidental opt-outs by referring your contacts to the Send to friend option at the bottom of the legacy* campaigns, which generates unique links for each new recipient. For information about social sharing and the drag and drop editor, please refer to this article.

Integrations and syncs

Integrations and syncs can also opt contacts out. If you have a contact who is being opted out repeatedly, there may be an integration or sync that moves them back to the Opt-out status each time it runs. Before that contact opts in through one of the methods above, you will need to fix their status in the source application so that the integration / sync no longer opts them out.

Resubscribe to SMS messages

To opt back in to SMS messages, a contact simply needs to reply START in the text message thread where they originally opted out. If they cannot find the original thread, then they will need to opt back in using a standard Emma signup form. They cannot use a lightbox form, a custom form built with our API, or a form from an integration.

If you have an Emma signup form with the SMS mobile number field available on your website, simply direct your contact to the relevant page so that they can fill out the form. You can also create a form in your account or grab the link from one of your existing forms and share the URL with your contact. The form must include the SMS mobile number field, so that the contact can check the SMS opt-in boxes. If you need help adding the SMS mobile number field to your form, check out this article.

Once you have a form with the SMS mobile number field, follow these steps to get the form link:

1. Navigate to your Audience tab.
2. Click on the Forms section in the panel on the left.
3. Click on the dropdown arrow that corresponds to the desired form.

4. Choose Add to your site from the menu.

   

5. In the pop-up window that appears, highlight the link, copy it, and paste it into your correspondence with the unsubscribed contact.

Action steps for the contact

If they are using a form to resubscribe, the contact must follow the steps below to complete the opt-in process:

1. Open the form given to them by the sender.
2. Enter their email address and mobile number.
3. Check the desired SMS consent box - promotional, transactional, or both.
4. Submit the form.

Additional resources

• How to create and edit a signup form
• How to view or change a contact's status
• How to add, edit, archive, delete, and restore contacts

---

*In April 2022, Emma's legacy editor was replaced with a new drag and drop editor. Accounts that existed prior to this change still have access to the legacy editor through their previously saved templates and campaigns, however new, from-scratch campaigns can only be created in the new drag and drop editor. Accounts that were created after this change only have access to the new drag and drop editor. Please refer to our new editor FAQ article for more information.