Double opt-in, in the context of email marketing signups, refers to a two-step process used to verify a person's intent to join an email list or subscription service. Here's how it typically works:
- Initial Signup: The user first provides their email address through a signup form on a website, indicating their interest in receiving emails, newsletters, or other marketing materials from a brand or organization.
- Confirmation Email: After the initial signup, the organization sends a confirmation email to the provided email address. This email contains a link or a button that the recipient must click to verify their email address and consent to receive future communications. This step ensures that the email address is valid and that the owner of the email address has intentionally opted in.
An "ENEWS" Web Form will automatically place the person's email who fills out the form, in the Email Marketing Module > Subscribers tab.
To make a Web Form an "ENEWS" form, it must have a field with a Field Type of Email Marketing
On an ENEWS Web Form, the option to have the subscriber double opt-in, is decided by the Thank You Email content, in the configuration of the form.
If you include the tag, [[confirmation]], in the Thank You Email content area:
This puts their email in the Subscribers tab of the Email Marketing Module as "Pending" until they click on the confirmation link that is generated.
If you do not include the [[confirmation]] tag in the thank you email:
The subscriber is added to the list subscriber list as "active" without having to click the link in the confirmation email to verify that they own that email.
Accrisoft recommends to always have the [[confirmation]] tag in the thank you email of a email marketing signup form for better email deliverability ratings.
The double opt-in process serves several important purposes:
- Consent Verification: It confirms that the person signing up is the actual owner of the email address and genuinely wants to receive emails from the sender. This helps prevent spam signups and unauthorized subscriptions.
- Reduced Spam Complaints: By ensuring that recipients have explicitly confirmed their desire to receive emails, organizations can minimize the risk of spam complaints, which can negatively impact email deliverability.
- Higher Engagement Rates: Users who go through the double opt-in process are generally more engaged and interested in the content, leading to better open and click-through rates for email campaigns.
- Legal Compliance: In some jurisdictions, such as those governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, the double opt-in process can help organizations comply with legal requirements related to consent and data protection.
In contrast, a single opt-in process requires only the initial signup step, without the need for a confirmation email. While single opt-in can lead to faster list growth, it may also result in lower quality leads, higher bounce rates, and more spam complaints compared to double opt-in.