Do you send Mailchimp newsletters regularly? Have you had subscribers mention they have been unsubscribed without their doing? We might have the answer!
How unsubscribes work in Mailchimp
- You must include an unsubscribe link in all of your email campaigns.
- You can’t use third-party unsubscribe processes. Mailchimp will provide an unsubscribe link in your email template.
- Beware! Having high unsubscribe rates can lead to your Mailchimp account being suspended. If you find yourself in this situation we recommend contacting Mailchimp as soon as possible.
- For security reasons, when someone unsubscribes from your email marketing, Mailchimp automatically hides their full email address in the unsubscribe confirmation page and URL.
Important!
By law, you must include an unsubscribe link in every single Mailchimp email you send out. It doesn’t matter if you are in Canada, the US, or another country, if you use Mailchimp for your email campaigns you must comply with the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act.
Accidental Unsubscribes
There are a few reasons a subscribed contact may show as unsubscribed when they didn’t request it.
- They forwarded the email from their inbox, and the secondary recipient clicked the unsubscribe link. Unsubscribe links are tied to the original recipient. Encourage contacts to use the Forward to a Friend link instead.
- Did you post your version of the campaign on a website? If someone clicks the unsubscribe link on a shared campaign, it will unsubscribe the original recipient.
- Another account admin may have accidentally unsubscribed them.
However, if the recipient did not forward the email, the campaign wasn’t posted on a website, and they weren’t unsubscribed by an admin, then the recipient may have been an unfortunate victim of their inbox filter. Filters on your email inbox may click each link in your email, including the unsubscribe link, to check for spam links and malware to ensure the message is safe. While it’s a useful feature for keep you safe, it has some unfortunate unintended consequences!
If any of your subscribers find themselves accidentally unsubscribed fear not! They can be added back manually by an account admin or can join back through a sign-up form/link.
Final
Thoughts
Despite your absolute best efforts, people will still unsubscribe from your email campaigns. Make sure you understand how unsubscribes work in Mailchimp, and the laws you need to follow. Accidental unsubscribes can happen but it isn’t the end of the world! The recipient can always re-subscribe.