Managing unsubscribes & preference center

This page explains how unsubscribes work with subscription groups, and how customers can manage their preferences through the preference center.

Unsubscribe behavior

Unsubscribe actions work differently depending on whether a customer uses the header unsubscribe option or the standard unsubscribe link in the email.

Header unsubscribe (one-click)

The list-unsubscribe header (shown by inbox providers like Gmail or Yahoo) is always a one-click action. Customers are immediately unsubscribed, without being redirected to a preference center.

If a subscription group is set, the customer is removed only from that group.
If no subscription group is set, the customer is unsubscribed from the entire channel (for example, all emails).

Unsubscribe link in the email

Behavior depends on whether a preference center is enabled for the account:

Preference center not enabled: The link redirects the customer to unsubscribe—either from the associated subscription group or from the channel if no group is set.
Preference center enabled: The link redirects to the preference center. The customer must confirm their choice there before any unsubscribe is applied.

Example: A campaign is linked to the Weekly_Promo group. If a customer clicks the header unsubscribe, they are removed from Weekly_Promo. If they click the footer link and the account has a preference center, they will be redirected there to confirm what to do.

One-click unsubscribe vs. preference center

Header unsubscribes are always one-click actions, whether tied to a subscription group or channel. Preference centers only apply if enabled for the account. In that case, the standard unsubscribe link ({{unsubscribe_link}}) redirects to the preference center, where the customer must confirm their choice. Header unsubscribes never go through the preference center.

Preference center

Customers are redirected to the preference center only if they click the unsubscribe link in the email, and the preference center is enabled for their account.

See which subscription groups they are currently subscribed to.
Resubscribe if they unsubscribed by mistake.
Update preferences for other groups (for example, Holiday Sale or Product Updates).
Unsubscribe from all communications, if desired.

Marketers can edit the preference form or build a custom branded form in Account Settings > Other Settings > Custom Preference Form > Manage.

To update the form, copy the subscription groups Liquid code from the Info tab into the Source tab. You can then adjust it as needed—for example, remove groups you don’t want to display or tweak the styles to match your brand.

If you would like more information on the preference center, refer to the customer preference forms documentation.

Regarding new subscription groups

New subscription groups are not added automatically to preference forms. When you create a new group, update the form’s Source so customers can see and manage it.

What’s next

Learn how to apply subscription groups across campaigns, triggers, and adapters.
Use subscription groups across Blueshift →