List-Unsubscribe Headers

Overview

The list-unsubscribe header is used in group sendouts to provide recipients with a clear and visible option to unsubscribe. Major webmail clients such as Outlook.com, Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail support this header, automatically adding an unsubscribe link or button to the webmail client interface. Desktop email clients like Outlook do not support this feature.

Importance of List-Unsubscribe Headers

Unsubscribe links in emails are often hard to find, leading recipients to mark emails as spam or block the sender. This response can lead to delivery problems for the sender. The list-unsubscribe header aims to solve this issue by providing a standardized and easily accessible unsubscribe option.

Benefits

• Visibility: The unsubscribe option is consistently located across all subscription-based emails.

• Reduced Spam Reports: Recipients are less likely to mark emails as spam.

• User Convenience: Recipients can unsubscribe without opening the email.

• Improved Deliverability: Fewer spam complaints improve sender reputation and email deliverability.

Standard List-Unsubscribe Headers​

When added to a group's sendout options, the header is included in every email sent to that group. Mapp Engage manages unsubscribe requests, with options for email-based (mailto) and web-based (HTTP) headers.

Example: Standard Email Header

<mailto:listunsubscribe-<%group.PK%>-<%message.PK%>-<%user.PK%>@<%domain.MailDomain%>> 

The address in the header when the personalization is resolved during sendout:

<mailto:listunsubscribe-1400254868-1400678211-14075515244@mydomain.com>

The dashes between the placeholders help Mapp Engage recognize the group ID, message ID, and contact ID in the email reply.

Example: Standard Web Header

The standard web header entered in the group settings is:

<<%domain.WebDomain%>/public/list_unsubscribe.jsp?action=listUnsubscribe&gid=<%group.PK%>&uid=<%user.PK%>&mid=<%message.PK%>&siglistunsub=<%siglistunsub%>&errorPage=/public/list_unsubscribe.jsp>

The URL in the header when the personalization is resolved during sendout:

<www.myMappEngagedomain.com/public/list_unsubscribe.jsp?action=listUnsubscribe&gid=1400254868&uid=14075515244&mid=1400678211&siglistunsub=CJOFCODBEDHIACCN&errorPage=/public/list_unsubscribe.jsp>

The URL points to a landing page in your Mapp Engage system that confirms the unsubscribe request. The group ID, message ID, contact ID, and signature referenced by the placeholders help Mapp Engage unsubscribe the contact from the group and record the unsubscribe request in the statistics for the message.

Custom List-Unsubscribe Headers​

Custom headers allow you to manage unsubscribe requests using an external CRM or shop system application. If recognized by the external system, these headers can include personalized placeholders.

When you use headers with custom values, you can enter values for email-based (mailto) and web-based (HTTP) headers. We recommend that you use both types in all messages. Not all ISPs support both, but most display one kind or the other.

Custom Email Headers

When you build your email header, keep in mind:

• Your email address must be a valid one to which unsubscribe requests are sent.

• The personalization placeholders are optional. You can use them if these values are recognized in your external system. If you store an external identifier as a standard attribute in Mapp Engage, you can reference it using <%user.Identifier%>.

• You can add placeholders to the local part of the address (before the @ sign) but not the domain.

• The dashes between the placeholders in the Mapp Engage standard email header are not required for custom email headers.

• The placeholders are resolved by Mapp Engage when the message is processed for sendout.

• If you insert placeholders in the address, you can use catch-all and filter settings on your receiving mail server to collect, sort, and forward incoming unsubscribe requests. You can also use catch-all settings to deliver unsubscribe requests from personalized addresses to a single inbox.

Example: Custom Email Header

The custom email header entered in the group settings is:

<mailto:listunsubscribe-<%user.PK%>-<%user.CustomAttribute.origin%>-<%user.PartnerId%>@mydomain.com>

The address in the header when the personalization is resolved during sendout:

<mailto:listunsubscribe-1400254868-webshop-10050@mydomain.com>

In this example, the placeholders insert the contact ID, an origin saved in the custom attributes, and the five-digit partner ID.

Custom Web Headers

When you build your web header, keep in mind:

• The personalization placeholders are optional. You can use them if these values are recognized in your external system. If you store an external identifier as a standard attribute in Mapp Engage, you can reference it using <%user.Identifier%>.

• If supported by your external CRM, you can use an HTTP request that sends the unsubscribe request directly to your CRM system.

• The standard web header in Mapp Engage sends the recipient to a Mapp Engage landing page. You can customize the standard URL to point to a landing page linked to your external CRM.

• The web header supports both HTTP and HTTPS.

Example: Custom Web Header

The custom web header entered in the group settings is:

<https://www.mywebdomain.com/customer/unsubscribe/newsletter/?email=<%user.Email%>&origin=<%user.CustomAttribute.origin%>&partnerId=<%user.PartnerId%>>

When the personalization is resolved during sendout, the URL in the header looks something like this:

<https://www.mywebdomain.com/customer/unsubscribe/newsletter/?email=sampleaddress@test.com&origin=webshop&partnerId=10050>

In this example, the placeholders insert the contact email address, an origin saved in the custom attributes, and the five-digit partner ID.

The placeholders you use for custom headers can extract values from any attributes in the contact profile. Choose values that help you identify the contact in your external system. For a complete list of attribute placeholders, see Attribute References​.

Managing Unsubscribes in Separate Groups

To record unsubscribe requests in a separate group, replace the group ID placeholder in the standard header with the ID of the group used for managing unsubscribes.

List-ID Headers

Some email clients display a confirmation message for the unsubscribe request, showing the name of the mailing list. To ensure this notification is displayed correctly, enter a value in the list-ID header.