How to use unsubscribe detection

How to use unsubscribe detection

Estimated 4 minute read

Updated Jul 7, 2025, 12:00 AM EST

Table of contents

How it works
View or change this setting
Review messages for opt-out requests
Additional resources

You must be an Owner, Admin, or Manager to use this functionality. This feature is also only available for subscribers in the United States.

Learn how unsubscribe detection identifies likely opt-out requests in inbound text messages, automatically removes SMS consent, and can send unsubscribe instructions for less certain requests.

Using the Unsubscribe detection feature is highly recommended, as the FCC ruled that brands must respect opt-out requests made through “any reasonable means.”

This information is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. The content provided is general in nature and may not reflect the most up-to-date information. Klaviyo strongly advises consulting with a qualified legal counsel to ensure your compliance with applicable laws and regulations in connection with your use of our services.

How it works

This feature:

Is on by default in Klaviyo
Only affects subscribers in the United States

Unsubscribe detection evaluates inbound text messages (i.e., ones from your customer to your brand’s sending number) for opt-out intent. It assigns intent labels and confidence scores to indicate what a message is likely asking for. Messages that match a recognized keyword are handled by the keyword settings first.

Say that someone texted “SOTP” instead of “STOP” or texted something like “Please no more messages.” Clearly, the person intended to unsubscribe, but the keyword is either misspelled or missing.

Depending on the confidence score and your settings, unsubscribe detection can:

Automatically remove SMS consent when confidence in an opt-out request is high enough.
Send a message with opt-out instructions for less certain requests if you enable this option (e.g., “Text STOP to unsubscribe from texts sent from this number.”).

A message with a low confidence score may trigger neither action. Continue to review inbound messages for opt-out requests.

Contains logic vs. unsubscribe detection

2 key differences between this setting and using contains for a keyword are:

With contains, Klaviyo only searches for a word within a message.
With Unsubscribe detection, Klaviyo searches for the intent.

A good example of this is if someone texts “please cancel my order.” In this case, the subscriber will be opted out if CANCEL is set to contains, but they won’t be opted out if using exact match and unsubscribe detection.

View or change this setting

To find the Unsubscribe detection setting:

Select your account name in the lower left corner.
Click Settings > SMS.
Navigate into the Keyword responses tab.
Select United States in Country preview, then click Edit next to the opt-out keywords.
This feature is on by default and is recommended if you have SMS subscribers in the United States.
Under Unsubscribe detection, select On or Off.
If you selected On, you can select Reply with instructions on how to unsubscribe. This sends opt-out instructions for qualifying requests that are less certain. Requests with high enough confidence still remove SMS consent automatically.
- The opt-out instructions are sent in English and cannot be edited.

Click Save.

Review messages for opt-out requests

Review messages flagged as possible unsubscribe requests, including those that resulted in an opt-out.

While Klaviyo is offering this feature to assist customers in tracking opt-out requests, tracking opt-out requests made by means other than the FCC’s mandatory opt-out keywords is still your brand’s responsibility.

You can review inbound messages (including those marked as unsubscribe requests) to:

Confirm that those messages have been properly categorized.
Check that other inbound messages (ones not flagged as unsubscribe requests) do not express the intent to opt out.
See if you should remove consent from anyone who received unsubscribe instructions but did not actually opt out.

Create a segment to find messages flagged as possible unsubscribe requests, then review each profile’s messages. To check for missed requests, also review inbound messages outside this segment.

Create a segment for possible unsubscribe requests

Navigate to Audience > Lists & segments.
Select Create > Segment.
Enter a name (e.g., Possible unsubscribe requests). If you’re in a Create segment panel, click Create segment to open the segment builder.
Set the following condition:
What someone has done (or not done) > Sent SMS > at least once in the last > 30 days > where Intent 1 > equals > Ask to unsubscribe

Click Create segment.

Review the detected request

To review a message flagged as a possible opt-out request:

Click 1 of the profiles in the segment.
In the profile’s activity log, filter the events to Sent SMS.

Click the down arrow next to that metric.

Review what the person sent in Message Body.
Intent 1 indicates that there may have been a request to unsubscribe; however, it does not mean an unsubscribe occurred.
The Intent 1 Confidence indicates how confident Klaviyo is that the profile requested to unsubscribe. If this number is low, it may not result in an opt-out.

Additional resources

April 11 SMS opt-out compliance change

Find out about the FCC’s revocation rules that go into effect on April 11, 2025, and what updates Klaviyo made in response. - How to configure your opt-out keyword settings

Learn how to control when an opt-out keyword results in an unsubscribe. - section on Klaviyo's SMS compliance settings

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