Google and Yahoo 1-Click (List) Unsubscribe policy changes

[WY]

Dear Marketo Community,

The recent email rule updates by Google and Yahoo, especially regarding the 1-Click (List) Unsubscribe, are prompting significant changes in email marketing strategies. We're re-evaluating our approach and would love to hear some feed back from you guys. 

Currently, our unsubscribe mechanism directs users to a confirmation form. However, the new emphasis on the "post" list-unsubscribe option (over the "mailto" option) suggests a move towards a more streamlined, 1-click process. 

After reading the article: 
The main contention for me is whether they are referring to your email footer for “1-click” unsubscribe, or their built in features where users in Gmail can select “unsubscribe” and pass that back to our Marketo instance to automatically unsubscribe people. If it is the built-in feature within Gmail itself, does this mean we do not have to change our current unsubscribe process as mentioned above? Any suggestions and thoughts on this topic would be really appreciated! Thank you all! 

[SanfordWhiteman · Accepted solution]

The http: List-Unsubscribe header isn’t any more “1-click” than the mailto: List-Unsubscribe header. They’re both simple TCP connections: one is HTTP, the other SMTP.

If anything, the SMTP method may put fewer bytes on the wire! (Though admittedly an SMTP transaction has multiple requests and responses.)

The providers already offer the button/link even if you only offer SMTP mailto:. We haven’t seen any evidence that the providers are dinging people for offering mailto: only.

But they 100% are dinging you if you don’t have either List-Unsubscribe header. Among other things, this means you cannot mislabel marketing emails as operational.

[WY]

Thanks for the information @SanfordWhiteman much appreciated! 

[WY]

Hi @SanfordWhiteman 

One more question to clarify please. 

Google Statement:

Adobe/Marketo Statement: 

Based on the information provided, does this mean Google will no longer accept the following scenario after Jun 1st: 

Currently, when a user opts to unsubscribe via the 'List-Unsubscribe' header in Gmail, they are directed to a 'Go to Website' page (updating their subscription preferences) instead of directly engaging an 'Unsubscribe' button (refer to the attached screenshot for clarity).

Will this process continue to meet the criteria for a '1-click unsubscribe' under the new Google regulations?

Based on the answer you have provided above, it appears that this is still acceptable, as long as you have the List-Unsubscribe header, just wanted to double check on this again. 

Thank you so much! 

[SanfordWhiteman]

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Currently, when a user opts to unsubscribe via the 'List-Unsubscribe' header in Gmail, they are directed to a 'Go to Website' page (updating their subscription preferences) instead of directly engaging an 'Unsubscribe' button (refer to the attached screenshot for clarity).

Will this process continue to meet the criteria for a '1-click unsubscribe' under the new Google regulations?

Based on the answer you have provided above, it appears that this is still acceptable, as long as you have the List-Unsubscribe header, just wanted to double check on this again.

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This should only be true for a non-Marketo email that has List-Unsubscribe: <https://something.example.com> but does not have a List-Unsubscribe-Post: header indicating you can POST to the HTTP URL.

And no, it’s not acceptable under the new rules, because you’re supposed to have either a POSTable HTTP URL or a SMTP mailto: URL. Marketo includes an SMTP mailto: URL.

[WY]

Thank you for the clarification, @SanfordWhiteman . This is great!

I wonder what Marketo means here in their documentation regarding support POST-1Click update. 

What is your interpretation of this product enhancement

[SanfordWhiteman]

They mean they’ll be adding List-Unsubscribe-Post and supporting automatic/background HTTP unsubscribes.  (As opposed to manual/foreground HTTP unsubscribes where you still visit a page in the browser and confirm.)

[WY]

Great! Thank you so much @SanfordWhiteman 👍