Unsubscribers

This topic describes how Episerver Campaign processes mailing unsubscriptions, and how to manage unsubscribers and insert an unsubscribe link into a mailing.

Consequences of a mailing unsubscription

If a recipient unsubscribes from your newsletter by clicking on the unsubscribe link or using the unsubscribe form, Episerver Campaign writes the recipient in a system-internal unsubscribe list.

The recipient's data record is not deleted from your recipient list; it is duplicated and copied to the system-internal unsubscribe list.

Image: Unsubscription consequences

By default, the system-internal unsubscribe list is linked to all recipient lists of a client. The unsubscribe list is not inherited by other clients in your user account.

If you want to link the system-internal unsubscribe list to only one recipient list in your client, contact customer support to change the configuration.

How it works

For each sending, Episerver Campaign compares your recipient list with the system-internal unsubscribe list, then excludes recipients on the unsubscribe list. Episerver Campaign takes this approach so you can continue to analyze periods when the unsubscriber was active. To remove unsubscribers from your recipient list, manually delete them from your recipient list using the Cleanup feature.

If subscribing to the newsletter again, the recipient is deleted from the system-internal unsubscribe list after confirming the double opt-in. The recipient begins to receive mailings again.

Unsubscribes or new subscriptions are also possible via, REST API, SOAP API and HTTP API.

Querying a system-internal unsubscribe list

In the Episerver Campaign user interface, you cannot see the system-internal unsubscribe list. However, you can query unsubscribers as follows. But you can use the REST API to retrieve information about all unsubscribes. If you are using the SOAP API, use the contains and containsAll methods to query whether one or more recipients are on an unsubscriber list.

You can also export unsubscribers as CSVStands for "comma-separated values"; tabular data in a plain text file separated by the comma character. files. See Exporting recipients.

Deleting unsubscribers from a recipient list

Use Cleanup to delete unsubscribers from a recipient list.

Inserting an unsubscribe link into a mailing

If you use the Episerver Campaign's unsubscribe logic, Episerver sets up a field function to insert the unsubscribe link into your mailing. You can integrate the unsubscribe link in your mailing in two ways:

  • Display the unsubscribe link URL: For example: To unsubscribe from the newsletter, click here: example.com/unsubscribe/123456abcdefg.
  • Link the unsubscribe link to a word or phrase, such as To unsubscribe from the newsletter, click here.
  1. Move to the editor window of the mailing and click on the name of the paragraph that will contain the unsubscribe link (such as text/image paragraph or footer paragraph).

    Image: Select Text/Image paragraph

  2. In the editor, insert the note for unsubscribing the mailing, such as To unsubscribe from the newsletter, click here:.
  3. To insert the URL of the unsubscribe link directly, click where you want to insert the URL and click Insert field function .

    Image: Insert field function window

  4. Select from the list the field function for the unsubscribe link and click OK.
  5. Click Apply. The field function is displayed in curly brackets: {Unsubscribe Link}. When the mailing is sent, Episerver Campaign resolves the field function and inserts the URL of the unsubscribe link into the mailing individually for each recipient.

    Image: Applying the field function

Linking the unsubscribe link to a word or phrase

  1. In the mailing's editor window, click the name of the paragraph that will contain the unsubscribe link (for example text/image paragraph or footer paragraph).

    Image: Select Text/Image paragraph

  2. In the editor on the right side, insert the note for unsubscribing the mailing, such as To unsubscribe from the newsletter, click here.
  3. Highlight the word or phrase to be linked to the unsubscribe link, such as here.
  4. Click Link Episerver image.

    Image: Insert link

  5. Enter the URL field {Unsubscribe Link} in curly brackets. In the drop-down list Protocol, the type changes automatically to <other>.

    Image: Specify link type

  6. Click OK.
  7. Click Apply.

    Image: Apply link

Changing the confirmation page URL

For this feature you need administrator rights in Episerver Campaign.

To change the URL of the confirmation page the unsubscribe link points to, do the following:

  1. Open the start menuMain screen in Episerver Campaign, where the available options are grouped together. and select Administration > Unsubscribe link.
  2. In the input field, make your changes to the URL of the confirmation page.

    The URL must begin with the http:// or https:// protocol. Make sure that the confirmation page is accessible at any time.

  3. Click Save.

FAQs

  • Can I add a recipient to the unsubscribe list or remove a recipient from the unsubscribe list using Episerver Campaign?

    No. The unsubscribe process can only be carried out by the recipient himself. To cancel unsubscription, the recipient has to subscribe to the newsletter again (depending on the configuration with opt-in).

  • Can I unregister a recipient by deleting the recipient from the recipient list?

    If deleted from a recipient list, the recipient receives no more mailings via this list. If existing on more than one list, the recipient continues to receive mailings via other recipient lists from which he or she has not been removed.

    This procedure is not recommended, as the deletion is not recorded and the recipient can be accidentally added to a recipient list again, for example when importing recipients. The legal consequence can be a warning if the recipient receives mailings despite unsubscribing.

  • I maintain my recipient list by myself and import it to Episerver Campaign before each sending. What do I have to consider?

    Make sure that you import only active recipients into the recipient list. Import unsubscribers into the unsubscribe list so that the cross check can take place before dispatch.

    You can import unsubscribe lists or multiple lists via specially set up jobs/services. These jobs/services cannot be accessed via the Episerver Campaign user interface. The corresponding lists are transferred to the Episerver Campaign server via SFTP and automatically imported into the client:

    • Import unsubscribe list. Import your local unsubscribe list into the unsubscribe list of your Episerver Campaign client.
    • Import recipients including unsubscribers. Import a single recipient list that contains active recipients from different lists and unsubscribers. Enter the status of the recipient or the list into which you want to import in a separate column of the recipient list. In this way, you always have consistent lists.

    To configure the jobs/services, contact customer support. You must have a defined name for the files that you want to import. You also must upload the files in a defined directory via SFTP.

  • What are list unsubscribe headers?

    By using list unsubscribe headers in a newsletter, recipients can unsubscribe from a mailing via the user interface of their email program (such as Gmail or Outlook). Searching for the unsubscribe link in a mailing is not necessary this way.