Unsubscribe and Opt out

[msn]

Feature request CiviCRM 1.8 + CiviMail:

The  receiver of an email has the option to  ‘unsubscribe’ or ’opt out’.
When clicking on these links the clients email programs starts and the user has to click on the send button.
They can also make email content what normally does not reach the sender of the mail, because of the automated ‘unsubscribe’ and ’opt out’ process.

Maybe it is possible to make this process different or to make a configuration choice to the CiviCRM admin:

First choice:

• The current ‘unsubscribe’ / ’opt out’ process.

Second choice:

• When a user clicks on ‘unsubscribe’ or ’opt out’ he/she goes to a customizable webpage with the text:  “Are you sure you want to unsubscribe (opt out) ? Y/N/Cancel (button).
• When clicking Y go to a “thank you..” page,  with a closing browser window button
• When clicking N close the browser window.
• When clicking cancel: break the proces and go to a pre defined webpage

Advantages with the second option:

• No email send from the user. This gives a safe feeling for the user, who has the question:  where is my respond going to? There is no relation with this email address: (unsubscribe.1.70.120.6bc358e39a4359b08eadb369a099dc4b976ffeb3@domain.org)
• It is not possible to give a written reaction with this option .
• The user is visiting the website and can see who you “really” are, so he can reconsiders his decision.
• Easy setup for CiviCRMbuilders: no smtp, postfix or imap2soap setup.

Consider that the ‘unsubscribe’ and ’opt out’ features  (and process)  are not (yet) obliged in most countries.

Regards Martin

[chrism]

I fully agree that web-based Mail management option, allowing users to perform all existing actions with links ('opt-in', 'unsubscribe', 'resubscribe', 'opt-out', ...), would be an excellent addition.  From a user's perspective it is a much simpler action to click on a link and be directed to a browser.

This is also the method used by tools such as www.campaigner.com, and so may be considered the 'best practice' approach.

Chris

[Donald Lobo]

Chris/Martin:

This sounds like a reasonable request that we have got most of the code for and can be easily done. Can you please file a request against 1.8+CiviMail

Would be great if you can think of workflow and the steps involved. Should we "verify" that the user who clicks the link has the right email address etc? or should it just be a "Are you sure?" page followed by Y/N actions

thanx

lobo

[msn]

As starter if this issue I will make the request.

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And Yes there must be a verification. The only verification we have is the email adress.

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I suggest to make an admin 'unsubscribe',  'opt-out': set up choice:
1: mail method (current) (with smtp, postfix or imap2soap)
2: webpage method (with or without smtp, postfix or imap2soap)
3: no 'unsubscribe',  'opt-out' feature for users (no check of sender in newsletter script to)

May be option 3 is debatable. I like the 'unsubscribe',  'opt-out' obligation. I understand it is law in some countries. I think there are other countries were it is a free option. My opinion, quality based, is to force CiviCRM admins to use the  'unsubscribe',  'opt-out' option.

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Workflow request:

• When a user clicks on ‘unsubscribe’ or ’opt out’ there is a email check (minimal) first
• When smtp, postfix or imap2soap is installed the check is automaticle
• When smtp, postfix or imap2soap is not installed the user goes to a web page where he has to fill in a form (profile setup) with minimal his email adres
• After verification he/she goes to a a texst-customizable webpage with the text:  “Are you sure you want to unsubscribe? Y/N/Cancel (button). In case of opt out: “Are you sure you want to unsubscribe? Y/N/Cancel (button). This page is not reachable by anonymous users.
  
• When clicking Y go to a text-customizable “sorrie for leaving us, thank you ..” page with a finish button: closing browser window.
  You can also make a pop up thank you window, disapearing after a predevined time (admin setup).
• Send a (admin/user defined optional) email with a conformation of the opt-out/unsubscribe
• When clicking N close the browser window. May be pop up with "glad you stay with us"
• When clicking cancel: break the proces and go to a pre defined webpage for further surfing
  

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The 'opt-in', and 'subscribe', feature is a part of Profile configuring. And therefore not mentioned in the workflow and setup.

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Re-opt-in and re-subscribe could be a feature to think about when  an email with a conformation of the opt-out/unsubscribe is send. This email must have the re-opt-in or resubscribe webpage included. The Re-opt-in and re-subscribe is also a part of Profile configuring and therefore don't need a workflow proces.

Martin

[msn]

Request made on http://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM-2233

[Piotr Szotkowski]

First, we don’t need to have much of a verification, as both unsubscribe and opt-out actions are verifiable by the related tokens – as you see, the unsubscribe address cited above has an MD5 hash at the end of it, which is very hard to guess.

Second, we do have a HTTP-based unsubscribe and opt-out, see CRM-1199.

That said, we should strive to have a full mirror of the SMTP actions to be perfomable via HTTP on the CiviMail (v1.8.uas) branch – this way the return channel can be limited to handle bounces.