Bot click unsubscribe protection

ActiveCampaign plans
Starter
Plus
Pro
Enterprise

Automatic bot click unsubscribes are often caused by antivirus scans and link scanners automatically clicking links to check for malicious behavior. These bot clicks can lead to false unsubscribes when the scanners find unsubscribe links in emails.

As of June 4, 2024, we have implemented a new human verification challenge to better detect and eliminate such bot activities. This challenge prevents automatic bot clicks on the unsubscribe button in emails.

How it works

When a contact clicks the unsubscribe link, and our system suspects they may be a bot, our system will prompt them to solve a human verification challenge. This step verifies that the request is coming from a real person, not an automated scanning system.

This feature is available on all accounts. You do not have to take any action to enable this feature.

Benefits

  • Protect your lists
    Prevent automatic unsubscribes by email scanners, safeguarding your contacts’ presence on your email lists
  • Improved accuracy
    Ensure that unsubscribe requests are genuine, maintaining the integrity of email lists

FAQs

What happens if a bot unsubscribes my contact? Can I get them back?

When a bot unsubscribes a contact from your email list, there are options for getting your contacts re-subscribed:

  • If your contacts remain subscribed to another one of your lists, you can email them with a link to a sign-up form to re-subscribe
  • If your contacts have been unsubscribed from all lists due to bot action and have provided consent, you can manually re-subscribe them from their contact record

How can I reduce bot clicks?

This bot click unsubscribe protection update should reduce the number of bot clicks that impact unsubscribe numbers because contacts need to confirm the human verification challenge to unsubscribe.

This feature is available on all accounts. You do not have to take any action to enable this feature.

How does this impact my reporting?

You’ll likely notice a significant reduction in your unsubscribe rate, mainly if you’ve been dealing with a surge in bot-driven unsubscribe activity.

Does this replace two-step unsubscribe?

No, this is meant to be used in addition to two-step unsubscribe. However, you willl still need to manually request to activate two-step unsubscribe. Learn more about how to use two-click unsubscribe in your ActiveCampaign emails.

Do I need to do anything to activate this on my account?

No. As of June 4, 2024 this is enabled on all accounts.

Is it common to have additional steps after someone clicks the unsubscribe button?

As long as the unsubscribe mechanism is easy to perform, it is acceptable to have multiple steps within the unsubscribe process. For example, multiple steps like a two-step unsubscribe or a preference center are acceptable. Human verification challenges are simple and not meant to hinder the process. It’s usually invisible, they only become interactive if necessary.

Is the verification challenge like a CAPTCHA?

The verification challenge is designed to be user-friendly while maintaining security. It does not rely on traditional CAPTCHAs. Instead, it operates behind the scenes and is mostly invisible to the user. In certain cases, a simple checkbox may be presented to the user.

Was this article helpful?
22 out of 25 found this helpful

Have more questions? Submit a request

Start free trial