Unsubscribes

When sending bulk email messages in OptiPub, always provide an opt-out method in the email body.

Inbox Providers penalize your sending domain and IP when a recipient uses their Inbox Provider's unsubscribe methods instead of your own.

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Add opt-out methods to the Template whenever possible so every message includes them automatically.

Unsubscribe Actions

OptiPub's unsubscribe link supports three different opt-out actions depending on URL parameters.

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Only One Action Per Link

When tag_ids or segment_ids parameters are present, the subscription is not ended. Only the specified tags or segment memberships are removed.

Unsubscribe from Publication

The default behavior when no additional URL parameters are used. Clicking the link and submitting the hosted form ends the subscriber's active subscription on the publication that sent the message.

This is the standard opt-out for Free Subscriptions and most general use cases.

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Unsubscribe Link Limitation

The Unsubscribe Link ends subscriptions only on the publication that sent the message.

If you send a message to multiple publications, the Unsubscribe Link will only end subscriptions for the publication configured on the message.

Remove from Tag

Adding the tag_ids parameter to the unsubscribe link removes the specified Subscription Tags from the subscription. The subscription itself remains active.

This is useful when you use tags to control which types of content a subscriber receives. For example, a subscriber could opt out of marketing emails by removing a marketing tag while still receiving content emails.

Remove from Segment

Adding the segment_ids parameter to the unsubscribe link removes the subscriber's email address from the specified Segments. The subscription itself remains active.

This is useful when segment membership determines what messages a subscriber receives, such as removing someone from a promotional segment without ending their subscription.

Choosing an Opt-Out Strategy

Free Subscriptions

Free Subscriptions should use the default unsubscribe link to end the subscription in a single action.

Use either the Email Unsubscribe Link or Email Unsubscribe Macro for the opt-out method. Both work everywhere you create or edit email messages.

Paid Subscriptions

Paid Subscriptions usually have a term length attached to the purchase, where it's not advisable for the email opt-out method to end their subscription completely.

Ending the subscription could lock a customer out of other paid services, or allow duplicate purchases.

The best opt-out option for Paid Subscriptions is usually to add the email address to a Segment and set up an Excluded Auto-Selected Segment for that Segment on the Publication.

Mixed Content Types

When you send different types of email (e.g., marketing and content) through the same Publication, you can use tag-based or segment-based unsubscribe links to let subscribers opt out of specific content without fully unsubscribing.

1. Add the tag_ids or segment_ids parameter to the unsubscribe link in the relevant messages
2. Configure the Sendable or Excluded Dynamic Segment on the Publication to include or exclude subscribers based on those Tags or Segments

Contact the OptiPub Team for support determining an appropriate strategy.

Unsubscribe Link in Email

Link URL

OptiPub's unsubscribe link URL uses a submailinghash token macro and the op-notrack parameter.

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Unsubscribe Link URL

https://[client].app.optipub.com/messages/opt-outs/{$submailinghash}?op-notrack

At send time, the {$submailinghash} macro expands into a 64 character token created from the email recipient's Subscriber ID and the Mailing ID of the message or auto responder.

Unsubscribe Macro

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{$sys_email_unsubscribe}

Use the {$sys_email_unsubscribe} macro in Templates to add an unsubscribe link URL to Messages and Auto Responders.

The macro expands to the Unsubscribe Link URL during message creation

This macro expands to the unsubscribe link URL, so it's just a URL, not a complete link element. Use the macro for the value of href or URL in a link element.

Removal Parameters

Adding URL parameters to the unsubscribe link changes the opt-out action. When these parameters are present, the subscription is not ended — only tags or segment memberships are removed.

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Removal Parameter Values

In the parameter value, specify IDs for removal inside of square brackets and comma separated.

&parameter=[value1,value2]

Remove Subscription Tags: tag_ids=[x]

Adding the tag_ids parameter removes those Subscription Tags from the subscription.

Remove Email from Segment: segment_ids=[x]

Adding the segment_ids parameter removes the subscriber's email address from those Segments.

Click Tracking Ignores Unsubscribe Links

The op-notrack parameter prevents the unsubscribe link from getting converted into a click tracking link. This means unsubscribe link clicks are not tracked.

The op-notrack parameter can be added to any email link to prevent tracking.

Untracked link clicks:

• do not trigger funnels
• are not matched in funnel or dynamic segment query conditions
• are not considered for engagement
• are not included in click totals

Hosted Unsubscribe Page

When a subscriber clicks an unsubscribe link, they are taken to a hosted page with a confirmation form. The subscriber must submit the form to complete the opt-out action.

During the unsubscribe action, OptiPub decodes the submailinghash, matches the Subscriber ID to an email address and the Mailing ID to the message's Publication, and performs the appropriate action based on the URL parameters.

The hosted page is configured per publication from Administration > Publications > Edit > Unsubscribe Page.

Existing unsubscribe links do not need to change. The same hosted unsubscribe URL loads whichever page type is live for the message's publication.

Page Types

Each publication can use one of three unsubscribe page types.

The selected page type is shown with a Live badge. If you choose a different type but have not saved it yet, OptiPub shows it as Previewing until you click Save changes.

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Default Is Always Available

If no unsubscribe page has been configured, OptiPub uses the Default unsubscribe page. Switching back to Default unsubscribe makes the premade page live again, while preserving any custom content you previously saved.

Preview the Page

The Unsubscribe Page tab includes a live preview panel for the selected publication.

Use the preview controls to check:

• Desktop and Mobile layouts
• Unsubscribe, Confirmed, and Cancelled states for default and custom pages
• The single Preferences state for the preference center

The preview uses the publication's current logo and theme styles, so it closely matches the hosted page subscribers receive.

Customize the Unsubscribe Experience

To customize a publication's unsubscribe page:

1. Navigate to the Publication settings
2. Open the Unsubscribe Page tab
3. Choose Custom unsubscribe or Preference center
4. Click Customize
5. Edit the page in the visual editor
6. Click Save & Publish

For Custom unsubscribe, the editor includes three states:

For Preference center, the editor includes one Preferences state. That page dynamically fills in the subscriber's active publication subscriptions when it loads.

Required Elements

Some elements are required because OptiPub uses them to process the subscriber's action.

For the Unsubscribe state, keep these elements on the page:

• Recipient email — the {$email} value shown to the subscriber
• Unsubscribe button — submits the opt-out
• Cancel button — keeps the subscription active and shows the cancel state

For the Preference center, keep these elements on the page:

• Subscription row — the repeatable row used to list subscriptions
• Publication name — where each publication name is inserted
• Publication tagline — where each publication tagline is inserted

If a required element is removed, OptiPub shows a warning and disables Save & Publish. Click Restore element to add the missing element back to the active state.

Preference Center Behavior

The preference center is designed for subscribers with more than one active publication subscription.

When it loads, OptiPub:

1. Identifies the subscriber from the unsubscribe link's submailinghash
2. Lists active publication subscriptions for that subscriber
3. Highlights the publication that sent the message, when it can be identified
4. Lets the subscriber unsubscribe from individual publications
5. Lets the subscriber resubscribe to a publication they just unsubscribed from on the same page
6. Shows Unsubscribe from all when more than one active publication is listed

If the subscriber has no active subscriptions, the page shows an empty-state message. If the subscription list cannot load, the page shows an error message and lets the subscriber try again.

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Resubscribe Behavior

The preference center can reactivate an existing subscription the subscriber just opted out of. It does not create brand-new subscriptions to publications the subscriber has never joined.

Branding and Dynamic Content

Hosted unsubscribe pages inherit publication branding automatically.

You can also use supported publication macros in custom page content, including:

• {$email}
• {$sys_publication.name}
• {$sys_publication.code}
• {$sys_division.cs_email}
• {$sys_division.cs_phone_number}
• {$sys_division.vip_cs_phone_number}
• {$sys_division.order_page_url}
• {$sys_division.promo_url}
• {$sys_division.disclosure_url}
• {$sys_division.privacy_url}

URL Parameters Still Apply

Default and custom hosted unsubscribe pages continue to honor unsubscribe URL parameters.

If the unsubscribe link includes tag_ids or segment_ids, submitting the unsubscribe page performs that partial opt-out action instead of ending the whole subscription. See Removal Parameters.

The Preference center uses publication-level preference actions instead. Its buttons unsubscribe or resubscribe the contact from individual publications listed on the page.

Reset Custom Content

From the visual editor, click Reset to restore defaults.

You can reset:

• the active state only
• every state for the selected page type

Resetting discards the custom content for that state and restores OptiPub's default markup.