Gmail Unsubscribe Links - Inconsistency in Gmail App | Community
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SCockerill
New Participant
February 20, 2024
Question

Gmail Unsubscribe Links - Inconsistency in Gmail App

  • February 20, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 2157 views

Our company has set up all our marketing emails as Non-Operational in order to ensure that we are complying with the new Google inbox requirements. Since Marketo adds the List-Unsubscribe header feature  to all emails we assumed everything was working properly. We implemented the changes on Jan. 31. 

 

Given the impact on non-compliance, we wanted to ensure that everything was working properly within Gmail. Since we can't send sample emails to see if the unsubscribe link is working properly (per Marketo documentation / support), our team set up deliverability tests to check using our teams personal gmail addresses. Unfortunately, in some of our emails that are set up as a non-operational emails we are seeing that the unsubscribe link does not show up in the Gmail App. However, on another email (also set up as non-operational) it is showing the link in the header of the Gmail App. When you look at both emails in the generic iPhone email app – these both have a message to unsubscribe.

 

It’s hard for us to understand / document if things are performing or set up the way that it should be – when we see these mismatches. In some documentation, we've found that Gmail is deciding which emails to add this unsubscribe link too. However, when I look at other emails that I have personally received I see this unsubscribe link on almost all emails sent out. 

 

Has anyone else experienced this? 

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2 replies

SanfordWhiteman
SanfordWhiteman
New Participant
February 21, 2024

It’s hard for us to understand / document if things are performing or set up the way that it should be – when we see these mismatches. In some documentation, we've found that Gmail is deciding which emails to add this unsubscribe link too. However, when I look at other emails that I have personally received I see this unsubscribe link on almost all emails sent out. 

 

Has anyone else experienced this? 

Of course. Gmail apples additional heuristics beyond just the presence of the List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers. It’s possible for an email to have the correct headers but still not have the Unsubscribe link added in the client — in essence, Gmail may not believe an email is “list-like.” In such cases, you’re not being penalized but it obviously makes testing difficult.

C
ChristianeRo1
Community Manager
February 20, 2024

Just to get some additional clarifications here, are people checking gmail in a browser, or via an app? 

If you're not seeing the blue unsubscribe while looking at the browser, if you click on the little arrow next to the To (right under the From Name), that should bring up some information that could include an "Unsubscribe from this sender" option. Are you seeing that instead of the blue unsubscribe?

S
SCockerillAuthor
New Participant
February 21, 2024

We were checking both the App, browser and multiple devices. I've tried to provide some of those examples below. 

 

We do not see the unsubscribe in the Gmail App on iPhone. 

 

When I'm in the browser (Chrome) for both emails (one that I see unsubscribe and the one I don't), when I click on the arrow I do NOT see the unsubscribe there. 

 

 

 

I can confirm that I checked all emails again while putting this response together and they are marked: 

"Operational: No"
 
This is what it looks like in the iPhone generic email app: 
 
 
Unsubscribe working in Gmail App
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