Single Opt-in vs. Double Opt-in

Single Opt-in vs. Double Opt-in

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Two signup methods are available in email and SMS marketing through Mailchimp: single opt-in and double opt-in. Both are easy, secure ways to collect new contact information and engage your audience. You’ll choose which opt-in method you prefer for each audience.

Single opt-in adds subscribers to your audience immediately after they submit a form, while double opt-in requires them to click a verification link in a confirmation email. Use single opt-in for fast audience growth or double opt-in to reduce spam and ensure valid contact information.

In this article, you'll learn about the 2 signup methods and which one might be right for you.

Note

In email marketing, senders are required to get permission from their contacts before they can send promotional emails to them. Many countries around the world have laws that require permission, or consent, before email marketing communications can be sent. CAN-SPAM in the United States and CASL in Canada are two examples of such laws, and there are many other international anti-spam laws worldwide.

Any time someone fills out a sign-up form that says something like “You agree to receive email marketing from My Company regarding our products and services,” we call that “opt-in.” The person has opted in to receive content from your company.

The requirements for obtaining opt-in consent vary by country, but they all have one main point in common: you need to get permission from anyone you send marketing email to.

The Importance of Permission Terms of Use and Anti-Spam Requirements About Your Contacts

Definitions

Opt-in Consent obtained when someone fills out a signup form and agrees to receive your marketing content.
Single opt-in A method where a person is added to your audience immediately after they submit your signup form.
Double opt-in A method where a person must click a link in a confirmation email to join your audience.

Choose an opt-in method

Each time you create a new audience in Mailchimp, you’ll choose the opt-in settings you want to use.

Why choose single opt-in

Single opt-in is a simple, 1-step process. It's helpful if you want to grow your audience quickly. This method reduces friction because subscribers don't need to check their email to confirm their interest.

Why choose double opt-in

Double opt-in adds a second verification step to your signup process. This method helps you maintain a high-quality audience and reduces spam signups. It ensures that every subscriber on your list has a valid email address and truly wants to receive your content.

We recommend double opt-in if you aren't focused on audience growth, or if you’ve had low open rates or abuse complaints. Double opt-in is also required to send abandoned cart text messages.

Mailchimp's hosted forms include a reCAPTCHA box that helps filter fake signups for both methods. If you use embedded or pop-up forms, you should enable reCAPTCHA in your audience settings.

Both methods use customizable forms and emails to guide your contacts:

Signup form

This is the hosted form that all contacts fill out. It is fully customizable to meet your consent obligations under applicable laws, and can be shared or embedded on your networks and websites. - Signup thank you page

If you use double opt-in, this is the page a potential subscribed contact sees after they submit your signup form, which thanks them and asks them to verify their subscription in the opt-in confirmation email. - Opt-in confirmation email

If double opt-in is turned on, your contacts will receive this email after they submit your signup form. It should represent your brand, and give an idea of what your content will be like in the future. - Confirmation thank you page

This page appears after the contact clicks the button in the confirmation email. Use it to say thank you and welcome.

Change opt-in setings

To customize the signup form, emails, and response pages for an audience, follow these steps.

Click Audience.
From the Contacts drop-down, select your audience.
Beside the contacts drop-down, click the 3 dots (ellispes, overflow menu), then click Audience settings.
Go to the Form settings section to view the Email opt-in settings, click Edit.
Choose Single opt-in or Double opt-in, then select Save opt-in setting.

Next steps

Use the design tools to match your signup form, emails, and response pages with your business needs and brand.

Mailchimp's hosted forms include a reCAPTCHA box that helps filter fake signups, regardless of which opt-in method you choose.

If you use landing page signup form blocks, or embedded or pop-up forms, enable reCAPTCHA in your audience settings.

About SMS Marketing with Mailchimp

Change Audience Name and Defaults

How the Form Builder Works

About Double Opt-in

To help you build a better audience, Mailchimp confirms that subscribers signed up to receive your emails. Learn the benefits of the opt-in process and how it works.