2 ms·

Do they have an easy-to-unsubscribe link in the marketing spam (cannot include logging into the user's account)? I have a generic name gmail account and people

by Brybry 6mo ago

Do they have an easy-to-unsubscribe link in the marketing spam (cannot include logging into the user's account)? I have a generic name gmail account and people with my name frequently accidentally use my email address when signing up for stuff. When I get unsolicited mail which doesn't include a simple unsubscribe link then I just report as spam instead.

0x3f 6mo ago
Each email has an unsubscribe link, but my problem is that I don't know if these separate senders represent different email lists. In the past, some companies who've used this pattern have accepted my unsubscribe request on one list, but kept emailing me from another, as if I'm supposed to work out their marketing email list hierarchy in order to stop them spamming me. So these days I don't bother, I just select all and mark as spam when I see it.
- IshKebab 6mo ago
  Oh you want to unsubscribe? Sure, we've unsubscribed you from "Summer special 2025 marketing list", bye!
itopaloglu83 6mo ago
I think most of them are spamming you and you’re being nice to attribute to mistakes. Also, a lot of companies nowadays keep adding weird email topics that you need to constantly unsubscribe from. If I signed up and turned off all subscriptions, then anything they send is marked as spam immediately. The lack of cost in sending email makes it easy for them to keep abusing all the time.
- ryandrake 6mo ago
  I basically give companies 0 strikes anymore, and assume the "unsubscribe" link is at best, a dark pattern that only unsubscribes me from that 1 out of their 100 "channels," and at worst, confirms my E-mail address. "Report Spam" immediately.
  - RHSeeger 6mo ago
    I unsubscribe twice (allowing for one possible bug), then spam. And, as others have noted, unsubscribe cannot involving going and logging into their system. If I need to do that, it generally goes directly to spam.
    - SAI_Peregrinus 6mo ago
      I unsubscribe, and immediately set up a filter to mark any email from their (sub)domain as spam. Too many sites keep spamming for a week or two after unsubscribing, that behavior deserves a reputation drop.
      - jeffbee 6mo ago
        For whatever it's worth, I doubt that filtering to the spam label automatically has the same feedback effect in Gmail as a manual spam mark.
  - sevenseacat 6mo ago
    I assume the unsubscribe link is malicious - if I didn't ask to be subscribed, why would I trust an unsubscribe link? Spam baby spam.
  - Groxx 6mo ago
    If I didn't intentionally request non-transactional mail, it is spam. By definition. Mark it as such.
- Brybry 6mo ago
  I'm well aware that some spam also use unsubscribe links as a signal to spam more. I use my gut to decide if I mark as spam and/or block or try the unsubscribe link if it exists. My gut says unsolicited marketing emails, from popular sites I've never used before, like Brooks Brothers or Robinhood (especially after a "Welcome to ${site}!") or US public school event notification emails are all probably legit mistakes. I could see even a public school system having issues with getting flagged as spam if they don't include an easy method to unsubscribe because then marking as spam+blocking becomes the best option in response to wrong address.
- SunshineTheCat 6mo ago
  Another one I've been seeing more often is a missing unsub link and instead a "Manage Email Preferences" link. Which of course you click and then have to go through a number of hoops to log in, confirm Email address, authenticate, etc. At this point, I just mark those as spam as well.
fnord77 6mo ago
> Do they have an easy-to-unsubscribe link in the marketing spam I've noticed a recent trend where unsubscribing actually does nothing
- SoftTalker 6mo ago
  I've long noticed an old trend where subscribing somehow works instantly, but unsubscribing takes "60-90 days to process."
  - FireBeyond 6mo ago
    Yeah, the spin on that used to be "that's because we plan our campaigns in advance and use partners to handle them and we have to submit a final list and..." (insert several different types of horseshit here that might survive a passing glance but little more than that).
    - mh- 6mo ago
      I've worked in the space. That sort of stuff is true (incredibly), but it's also not consumers' problem.

by Brybry 6mo ago

0x3f 6mo ago

Each email has an unsubscribe link, but my problem is that I don't know if these separate senders represent different email lists. In the past, some companies who've used this pattern have accepted my unsubscribe request on one list, but kept emailing me from another, as if I'm supposed to work out their marketing email list hierarchy in order to stop them spamming me. So these days I don't bother, I just select all and mark as spam when I see it.

IshKebab 6mo ago
Oh you want to unsubscribe? Sure, we've unsubscribed you from "Summer special 2025 marketing list", bye!

itopaloglu83 6mo ago

I think most of them are spamming you and you’re being nice to attribute to mistakes. Also, a lot of companies nowadays keep adding weird email topics that you need to constantly unsubscribe from. If I signed up and turned off all subscriptions, then anything they send is marked as spam immediately. The lack of cost in sending email makes it easy for them to keep abusing all the time.

ryandrake 6mo ago
I basically give companies 0 strikes anymore, and assume the "unsubscribe" link is at best, a dark pattern that only unsubscribes me from that 1 out of their 100 "channels," and at worst, confirms my E-mail address. "Report Spam" immediately.
- RHSeeger 6mo ago
  I unsubscribe twice (allowing for one possible bug), then spam. And, as others have noted, unsubscribe cannot involving going and logging into their system. If I need to do that, it generally goes directly to spam.
  - SAI_Peregrinus 6mo ago
    I unsubscribe, and immediately set up a filter to mark any email from their (sub)domain as spam. Too many sites keep spamming for a week or two after unsubscribing, that behavior deserves a reputation drop.
    - jeffbee 6mo ago
      For whatever it's worth, I doubt that filtering to the spam label automatically has the same feedback effect in Gmail as a manual spam mark.
- sevenseacat 6mo ago
  I assume the unsubscribe link is malicious - if I didn't ask to be subscribed, why would I trust an unsubscribe link? Spam baby spam.
- Groxx 6mo ago
  If I didn't intentionally request non-transactional mail, it is spam. By definition. Mark it as such.
Brybry 6mo ago
I'm well aware that some spam also use unsubscribe links as a signal to spam more. I use my gut to decide if I mark as spam and/or block or try the unsubscribe link if it exists. My gut says unsolicited marketing emails, from popular sites I've never used before, like Brooks Brothers or Robinhood (especially after a "Welcome to ${site}!") or US public school event notification emails are all probably legit mistakes. I could see even a public school system having issues with getting flagged as spam if they don't include an easy method to unsubscribe because then marking as spam+blocking becomes the best option in response to wrong address.
SunshineTheCat 6mo ago
Another one I've been seeing more often is a missing unsub link and instead a "Manage Email Preferences" link. Which of course you click and then have to go through a number of hoops to log in, confirm Email address, authenticate, etc. At this point, I just mark those as spam as well.

fnord77 6mo ago

> Do they have an easy-to-unsubscribe link in the marketing spam I've noticed a recent trend where unsubscribing actually does nothing

SoftTalker 6mo ago
I've long noticed an old trend where subscribing somehow works instantly, but unsubscribing takes "60-90 days to process."
- FireBeyond 6mo ago
  Yeah, the spin on that used to be "that's because we plan our campaigns in advance and use partners to handle them and we have to submit a final list and..." (insert several different types of horseshit here that might survive a passing glance but little more than that).
  - mh- 6mo ago
    I've worked in the space. That sort of stuff is true (incredibly), but it's also not consumers' problem.