There is a setting option in Email Settings that allows users to opt in to marketing emails intentionally. If this feature is enabled, new profiles will be automatically opted out of receiving marketing emails by default and will have to select the option to receive them manually.
To find the 'opt-out' toggle, go to Admin > Global Settings > Email Settings (formerly called 'Email Address for Notifications').
When enabled, new profiles will have their email subscription status set to opted out. Profiles will still receive automated transactional emails, such as receipts and membership confirmations, but will be excluded from all other emails and messages by default.
This setting only applies to marketing emails. Profiles that opt out will still receive all necessary communications, such as receipts for purchases or membership confirmation notifications.
If this setting is enabled, none of the settings for previously established profiles will change. Only new profiles made after this update will be affected by this new setting.
To edit an individual profile's email settings, select Edit Profile > General Information, and the opt-in/out option will appear on the bottom right of the first page.
This feature replaces the Do Not Email checkbox option in the back office, and can still be overridden to email those profiles anyway. However, to comply with data privacy regulations and marketing consent laws, admins are advised not to override the opt-out unless it's to send transactional emails such as renewal reminders.
The list of profiles with their subscription status can be found in Communication > Message Admin > Analytics > Email Subscriptions. This list allows admins to view subscription status changes made to profiles. Admins can filter results by profile name, email address, subscription status (Opt In/Opt Out), and date.
The following emails will still be sent to users even if the opt-out feature is enabled, or if the user manually opts out of marketing emails:
- Member password reset emails
- Profile change request emails
- Event registration emails
- Invoice/Ecommerce payment receipt emails
- Form submission emails
- Event reminders
Users are also able to access these settings via their member portal profile, under Profile Edit > General Information. When changed, the data is immediately updated in the database, and will not create a profile change request. The image below shows how the user will see the opt-in/out option on their end of the member portal.
Users are also able to opt out by selecting the Unsubscribe link listed at the bottom of any marketing email, which will guide them through the process of unsubscribing from marketing emails, as shown below.
It is recommended to remove the "Unsubscribe List" special field from emails, as the new unsubscribe link is included in every email automatically.
It may take time for MailChimp to reflect email subscription changes due to the MailChimp overnight sync. It is advised not to ignore a user's opt-out request in MailChimp or Back Office unless it is to send a transactional email.
The opt-in/out option has also been added as a new field type in the Form Builder. It can be added as its own field in a Join Form, as shown below. The opt-in message at the bottom is an HTML editor that can be used to add links (such as privacy policies) if necessary. Only one instance of this can be added per Join Form.
For other types of forms, select New Form Element > Organization Profile or Individual Profile. Scroll to the bottom for various settings on the opt-in email option. The Email Opt-In box must be checked in order for the opt-in label and message to appear on forms (except join forms).
Prospect, Renewal, Donation, and General forms will only respect the first instance of the Individual or Organization profile element. A profile will not be created for other instances added to the form.
It will appear as a checkbox towards the bottom of the form, as shown below:
This checkbox is based on the configuration of the Email Settings. If opt out by default is enabled, that checkbox will be unchecked. If opt out by default is disabled, that checkbox will default to being checked on the form. If the logged in user is already opted in to emails, that field will be hidden on all forms except join, prospect, and renewals.
Admins viewing donation or general forms from the back office to the member portal will not see the opt-in checkbox unless they are logged into the member portal as a user who is unsubscribed from emails.
If the opt-out by default feature is enabled, email subscriptions cannot be collected on donation or general forms, as the field will not show for users who are not logged in. Click Here for suggested resolutions to this.
Affiliation codes can be created to help manage different email lists to allow users to selectively unsubscribe rather than unsubscribe from all emails. Click Here for more details on using affiliation codes for this purpose.