Unsubscribes, bounces and suppressions

Every email has an unsubscribe link. It opens a page made for that reader, at /u/<token>.

• Unsubscribe from everything: the reader leaves the whole newsletter. Their address goes on your suppression list.
• Choose which topics to keep: the reader ticks the topics they want and clicks Save preferences. They stay subscribed to the rest.

Leaving is always one click.

Did a reader leave, then change their mind? Smartletter first emails them a confirmation link. Nothing changes until they click it.

This applies to the whole newsletter and to each topic they had left. The link works for 7 days. A new one can be asked after one hour.

Joining a topic they never left needs no confirmation.

A bounced address, or one that sent a spam complaint, can't be resubscribed from this page.

The suppression list holds addresses that must not get your emails. Smartletter checks it before every send and every import.

• Your workspace list: everything recorded in your workspace, unsubscribes included.
• Platform-wide list: an address that bounced or complained in any Smartletter workspace is blocked everywhere.

An unsubscribe or a newsletter complaint doesn't block account emails, like a password reset or a receipt. A dead address does.

The Audience page shows how many addresses are suppressed.

• Hard bounce: the address doesn't exist. It is blocked for good.
• Soft bounce: a full mailbox or a server that is down. After 5 soft bounces in 30 days, the address is paused for 30 days. If it happens again within 180 days, it is blocked for good.
• Complaint: the reader clicked "this is spam". The address is blocked for good.

A send pauses on its own if more than 2% of addresses bounce (at least 5), or more than 0.08% complain (at least 2). This protects your sender reputation.

Some readers stop opening your emails. The Inactive contact cleanup on the Audience page handles them.

1. After 6 ignored emails in a row, or 180 days without an open or a click, the contact gets one last email: "do you want to keep receiving?".
2. That email has a one-click button to stay.
3. No click within 14 days: the contact becomes Dormant. They get nothing more.

Owners and admins can change these numbers: 3 to 50 emails, 30 to 730 days, and 3 to 60 days to answer. They can also turn the cleanup off.

Dormant contacts don't count toward the Free plan's subscriber limit. They come back when they click the link in the email, or when you click Reactivate dormant contacts.

A Pending contact gets no newsletter yet. There are two cases:

• Double opt-in: the person signed up through a form and hasn't clicked the confirmation email yet. Signing up again resends the link.
• Import check: the address is being checked, or the import is in manual review. See Import contacts.