{"id":79093,"date":"2024-03-22T17:32:08","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T17:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glossary\/list-unsubscribe-header\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T07:05:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T07:05:54","slug":"list-unsubscribe-header","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/list-unsubscribe-header\/","title":{"rendered":"List-Unsubscribe Header"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

List-Unsubscribe is a technical email header that tells the email client how to unsubscribe the recipient. Thanks to it, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and Apple Mail show an “Unsubscribe” button next to the sender, so the user doesn’t have to look for the link at the bottom of the message.<\/p>\n\n

It isn’t visible inside the email. It goes in the headers, the part of the message read by mail servers and email programs.<\/p>\n\n

What is the List-Unsubscribe header for?<\/h2>\n\n

Its goal is to make unsubscribing easier than marking the email as spam. If subscribers can’t find a way to leave your list, they hit “Spam”, and every complaint like that damages your sender reputation.<\/p>\n\n

When the unsubscribe button is in plain sight, three things happen. Users leave without getting annoyed, you stop sending to people who don’t want to read you, and mailbox providers see that you respect your recipients. That’s why it is one of the foundations of good deliverability<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

How does List-Unsubscribe work?<\/h2>\n\n

The header can contain two types of address:<\/p>\n\n

An email address (mailto).<\/strong> The email client sends a message to that address and the sender unsubscribes the contact. This is the oldest method, defined in the RFC 2369 standard in 1998.<\/p>\n\n

A URL (https).<\/strong> The email client calls that address and the unsubscribe is processed on the sender’s server.<\/p>\n\n

Since 2017 there has also been one-click unsubscribe<\/strong> (RFC 8058). A second header, List-Unsubscribe-Post, is added, which lets the email client unsubscribe the user without opening any page or asking for confirmation. This is the version Gmail and Yahoo require today.<\/p>\n\n

This is what the two headers look like in an email’s code:<\/p>\n\n

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List-Unsubscribe: , <\/https:><\/tu-direccion-de-bajas> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\"4-step<\/figure>\n\n
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Send emails that meet Gmail and Yahoo requirements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy unsubscribe for your subscribers, on the free account too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

What is the difference between List-Unsubscribe and the unsubscribe link?<\/h2>\n\n

Both are used to unsubscribe, but they are not the same thing and you should have both.<\/p>\n\n

<\/th>List-Unsubscribe header<\/th>Unsubscribe link in the email<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Where it is<\/td>In the message’s technical headers<\/td>In the body, usually in the footer<\/td><\/tr>
Who shows it<\/td>The email client, with its own button<\/td>You, within your design<\/td><\/tr>
What the user sees<\/td>“Unsubscribe” next to the sender<\/td>A text or link at the bottom<\/td><\/tr>
Is it mandatory?<\/td>Yes, for bulk sending to Gmail and Yahoo<\/td>Yes, by law (LSSI and GDPR)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

The law requires every commercial communication to offer a simple, free way to unsubscribe. The header doesn’t replace that link: it complements it. You’ll find more details about unsubscribing in the Unsubscribe<\/a> entry.<\/p>\n\n

Why do Gmail and Yahoo require one-click unsubscribe?<\/h2>\n\n

Since February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require senders who send more than 5,000 emails a day to:<\/p>\n\n