Summary
A message: "Contact was previously unsubscribed" in an automation "Send an email" step is visible. This can happen for two reasons:
-
The contact has unsubscribed in the past. ActiveCampaign tracks this record per email address, not per contact. This means the message can appear for a brand new contact if the same email address was used in the past.
-
The contact is "Unconfirmed" on all lists they belong to. If a contact hits the "Send Email" automation action block and is part of one or more lists but is "Unconfirmed" in all of them, this message will appear. Learn more about contact list statuses.
In this scenario, you might see a "Subscribed to list" activity in the contact profile. This is because the activity is generated the moment the contact submits the form, not when they confirm the subscription.
For example:
- Contact submits a third-party form.
- That form is integrated with an ActiveCampaign form and uses Opt-In Confirmation.
- The third-party form submission is also configured to add a tag to the contact, and that tag triggers an automation that sends an email.
- The contact receives the tag via the third party (not via ActiveCampaign form actions), which triggers the automation immediately—before the contact has time to confirm the subscription.
- The contact hits the "Send Email" action block while "Unconfirmed."
This can also happen with ActiveCampaign forms that use double opt-in confirmation. If contacts are "Unconfirmed" in all lists they belong to and are added to an automation—individually, in bulk, or automatically—they will receive this message.
Resolution
Do not add the tag via the third-party form. Instead, add it only via ActiveCampaign form actions. This ensures that the tag is added only when the contact confirms the subscription.
Cause
This is an anti-spam measure to prevent people from being sent emails without their consent (i.e., without having submitted an ActiveCampaign form).