How to Handle Unsubscribes in Drip Campaigns

Why Unsubscribe Handling Matters

Unsubscribe handling is the single most important compliance feature in any drip campaign. When contacts cannot easily opt out, two bad things happen: they mark your messages as spam instead, which damages your sender reputation, and you risk legal penalties from violating anti-spam regulations.

For email, the CAN-SPAM Act requires every commercial message to include a working unsubscribe mechanism that processes opt-out requests within 10 business days. In practice, the expectation is instant removal. For SMS, the TCPA is even stricter. Contacts must be able to text STOP at any time, and you must immediately cease all messages to that number.

Beyond compliance, clean unsubscribe handling improves your campaign performance. Contacts who do not want to hear from you will never convert, so keeping them on your list only hurts your open rates, click rates, and deliverability scores. Letting people leave gracefully is better for everyone.

Setting Up Unsubscribe Links and Keywords

The platform handles unsubscribe processing automatically for both email and SMS, but you need to make sure the right elements are in place for each channel.

How the Suppression List Works

When a contact unsubscribes, the platform adds their email address or phone number to a suppression list. The suppression list is checked before every message send, whether it is a drip campaign, a one time broadcast, or an automated trigger. If the contact is on the suppression list, the message is silently skipped.

Suppression records are stored in the broadcastSupp table and are permanent unless manually removed. They are tied to the specific contact identifier (email address or phone number), not to the contact record, so even if you re-import the same address in a new list, the suppression still applies.

The platform also tracks the reason for suppression: unsubscribe, spam complaint, hard bounce, or manual removal. This data helps you understand why contacts are leaving and whether you need to adjust your message content or frequency.

Partial Unsubscribes vs Full Opt-Out

Not every unsubscribe needs to be total. Some contacts want to stop receiving your weekly tips drip but still want transactional updates about their account. There are two approaches to handling this.

List Level Unsubscribe

The contact is removed only from the specific list or drip sequence they unsubscribed from. They can still receive messages from other lists they are enrolled in. This is the default behavior when your unsubscribe link is tied to a specific sending list.

Global Unsubscribe

The contact is removed from all marketing communications across all your lists. This is what happens when a contact replies STOP to an SMS, since there is no way to specify which list they mean. For email, a global unsubscribe option should be available for contacts who want a complete opt-out.

For drip campaigns specifically, you typically want list level unsubscribes so that opting out of one drip does not automatically remove the contact from other active sequences. However, you must always honor a global opt-out request when one is made.

Handling Re-Subscribe Requests

Occasionally a contact who unsubscribed will want to re-enroll. For email, this usually means they fill out your signup form again or contact you directly asking to be added back. For SMS, the contact can text START to your number to re-opt in.

Compliance Requirements

Unsubscribe compliance is not optional. Here are the key legal requirements you need to follow for drip campaigns in the United States.

CAN-SPAM (Email): Every commercial email must include a clear, conspicuous unsubscribe mechanism. The opt-out must be processed within 10 business days. You cannot charge a fee, require the recipient to provide information beyond their email address, or require them to visit more than one page to unsubscribe. The unsubscribe mechanism must remain active for at least 30 days after the message is sent.

TCPA (SMS): Contacts must be able to opt out at any time by replying STOP. You must immediately cease all messages to that number. Failure to comply can result in penalties of $500 to $1,500 per unsolicited message. The platform handles STOP processing automatically, but you are responsible for not manually sending to suppressed numbers.

GDPR (If You Have EU Contacts): European contacts have the right to withdraw consent at any time, and processing must stop immediately. You must also be able to delete their personal data on request, which goes beyond simple suppression.

The platform handles most of these requirements automatically through its built-in suppression system, unsubscribe links, and STOP keyword processing. Your responsibility is to not circumvent these protections by manually re-adding suppressed contacts or sending through channels that bypass the suppression check.