How does unsubscribing work?

Learn how to add unsubscribe links to your emails in Smartlead and understand how the overall functionality works.

Unsubscribing is a crucial part of managing leads in Smartlead. This guide explains how  unsubscribe functions, how to handle unsubscribed leads, and how to customize your email campaigns with unsubscribe options.

Types of Unsubscribing in Smartlead

Smartlead offers one main type of unsubscribing functionality:

Global Unsubscribe

When a lead clicks an unsubscribe link in an email, their account is marked as "unsubscribed."

This means the lead will be skipped if they appear in a new lead list uploaded for another campaign.

Instead of unsubscribing, if a lead replies "not interested," you can add the lead to the global block list. This ensures no further emails will be sent to them in any campaign.

How To Add Unsubscribe Links To Your Emails

Using Campaign Settings

Go to the campaign’s "Settings" section (accessible via the top-right "Edit Campaign" option). 

Scroll down to find the option "Add unsubscribe message in all emails."

Enter your desired unsubscribe text here. This text will automatically appear at the bottom of each email.

Using %unsubscribe-text% Placeholder

Instead of setting a default unsubscribe message for all emails, use the placeholder %unsubscribe-text% within your email copy wherever you want the unsubscribe message to appear.

This approach makes the email feel more personalized and less like a typical cold email. Here’s the final result:

Important Notes About Unsubscribing

Unsubscribe Link in Test Emails

The unsubscribe link will not be visible in test emails to prevent premature or false unsubscribes.

HTML Content and Unsubscribe Links

If the unsubscribe link does not appear in your sent campaigns, check if "Optimize Email Delivery" is turned on in the campaign settings.

This setting disables HTML content, including the unsubscribe link. If you need the unsubscribe link, ensure this setting is turned off before launching the campaign.

Note: You cannot change this setting once the campaign has started.

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