Add an Unsubscribe Link

Every email sent through Mailchimp is required by law to include an unsubscribe link. To help you remain compliant, our default *|UNSUB|* merge tag automatically generates the link for you in the footer of your marketing emails. This article is helpful for those who want to add an additional unsubscribe link to the email, or for those who are creating a custom-coded email. If you add your own *|UNSUB|* merge tag, you’ll add it with the link tool.

In this article, you'll learn how to add an unsubscribe link to your email using the *|UNSUB|* merge tag.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

• To learn more about how unsubscribes work in Mailchimp, check out About Unsubscribes.
• This process uses the *|UNSUB|* merge tag. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with how merge tags work.
• Our system adds an extra footer to your marketing email if your email is missing the *|UNSUB|* merge tag. To learn more, check out how to troubleshoot the extra footer.

How it works

When your contacts click the unsubscribe link in an email, they'll be taken to an unsubscribe page. They'll need to click “unsubscribe” on this page, too, requiring 2 clicks before they're opted out.

You can edit the unsubscribe success page, unsubscribe form, and create an optional Goodbye email using the form builder.

Use the link tool

The instructions for adding an unsubscribe merge tag using the link tool are slightly different for emails in the new builder and in the classic builder.

Use the link tool in the new builder

To add the *|UNSUB|* merge tag with the link tool in the new builder, follow these steps.

1. In the Content section of the email builder, click Edit.
2. Click anywhere in a Text content block to edit it.
3. Enter the text you want to link, such as "Unsubscribe from this list," and highlight it.
4. Click the link icon in the editing toolbar to open the Text Link pop-up.
5. Select Web from the Link to drop-down.
6. Enter or paste the *|UNSUB|* merge tag into the Enter URL here field.
7. Click Save.

Use the link tool in the classic builder

To add the *|UNSUB|* merge tag with the link tool in the classic builder, follow these steps.

1. In the Content section of the email builder, click Edit.
2. Click the edit icon in a Text content block.
3. In the Content tab of the editing pane, insert the text you want to link and highlight it.
   
4. Click the link icon in the toolbar. The editor also supports keyboard shortcuts on Macs to add links. If you’re using a Mac, highlight the text you want to link and use CMD+K to open the Insert or Edit Link pop-up modal.
5. In the Insert or Edit Link pop-up modal, enter or paste *|UNSUB|* into the Web address (URL) field.
6. Click Insert.
7. Click Save & Close.

Add to the source code

The instructions for adding an unsubscribe link to your source code are slightly different for emails in the new builder and in the classic builder.

Add to the source code in the new builder

To add an unsubscribe link to your source code in the new builder, follow these steps.

1. Click a Code block, or click and drag a Code block into your layout from the side panel.

2. In the Code menu, type or paste:

    <a href="*|UNSUB|*">Unsubscribe</a>
   

   

Add to the source code in the classic builder

To add an unsubscribe link to your source code in the classic builder, follow these steps.

1. In the Content section of the email builder, click Edit.
2. Click the edit icon in a Text content block.
3. Click the < > source icon in the toolbar.
   

4. Add this code where you want the unsubscribe link to appear:

    <a href="*|UNSUB|*">Unsubscribe from this list.</a>
   

5. Click the < > source icon to return to the visual editor and review the design.
6. Click Save & Close.

Add to a custom code

If you imported a custom HTML email or template, you can add an unsubscribe link to your own HTML. Enter this code wherever you want the link to appear.

<a href="*|UNSUB|*">Unsubscribe from this list.</a>

Add to a plain-text email

When you edit your plain-text email, enter the merge tag as regular text. We'll populate the link after you send your email. Here's an example:

Unsubscribe from this list: *|UNSUB|*

Merge tags only work when emails are sent. While an email is in draft or paused mode, you'll continue to see the tag itself. Learn how to preview and test merge tags.

Troubleshoot the unsubscribe merge tag

If Mailchimp doesn't recognize an *|UNSUB|* tag you've added, here are a few things to check.

• Are you using your own unsubscribe link? If so, the system will not recognize it. We require that the Mailchimp *|UNSUB|* merge tag be used. If you're using your own HTML, you can add the merge tag as shown in the Add to a custom code section of this article.
• Did you add the *|UNSUB|* merge tag as a link? The merge tag won’t work unless it was added as a link.
• Do you have comments in your HTML? If so, check an open comments tag, which will prevent the system from reading the *|UNSUB|* tag.
• Did you use Microsoft Word to create your marketing email content? Word pulls junk code into the background, which can interfere with the merge tag. If you used Word, remove the junk code.