Double opt in and what it costs you against what it buys

5 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Introduction

Requiring somebody to confirm a subscription by clicking a link in an email removes a meaningful proportion of them. Some never receive the confirmation, some do not see it, some intended to subscribe and forgot, and some were never serious. The list that results is smaller and demonstrably more engaged.

Whether the trade is worth making is partly a commercial judgement and partly not a choice at all, because in some jurisdictions and for some kinds of contact the standard of consent required makes confirmation the practical route. Understanding both dimensions prevents a decision made purely on list size that turns out to be a compliance problem.

1. Double opt in and what it costs you is a smaller list of better contacts

The straightforward trade.

Fewer subscribers, higher engagement, fewer invalid addresses, better deliverability. The list shrinks and its quality improves, and both effects are real. Whether that is a good exchange depends on what you use the list for and how you judge it.

2. The loss is larger than people expect

The honest number.

A substantial share of those who sign up never confirm. Businesses expecting a small drop are frequently surprised, and it is worth knowing before deciding. Measure it on your own list rather than relying on a published figure.

3. Much of the loss is friction, not intent

The important nuance.

Confirmations land in spam, arrive during something else, or are simply forgotten. Many of the people lost genuinely wanted to subscribe, which is what makes the trade uncomfortable. Reducing that friction is where most of the recoverable loss sits.

4. Deliverability improves, which has compounding value

The benefit most often overlooked.

Invalid addresses, typos and disengaged recipients damage sender reputation, which affects whether your messages reach everybody else. A confirmed list protects that.

5. Consent requirements may settle the question

The part that is not a preference.

Rules on consent for electronic marketing vary by jurisdiction and by whether the recipient is an individual or a business, and in some places demonstrable consent is required. That can make confirmation the practical standard regardless of the commercial view.

6. Keep proof of consent either way

The universal requirement.

When, how, what they agreed to, and from what page. Whatever your approach to confirmation, being able to evidence consent is what matters if it is ever questioned.

7. Make the confirmation easy to complete

The mitigation.

Send it immediately, keep it short, make the link obvious, and tell people at sign-up to expect it and to check spam. This recovers a good share of the loss.

8. Send a reminder to those who did not confirm

The recovery step.

One reminder after a couple of days converts a meaningful proportion. More than one is generally counter- productive and pushes against the consent principle itself.

9. Judge the list on engagement, not size

The measurement conclusion.

Opens, replies, enquiries and revenue per subscriber. A confirmed list of four hundred frequently outperforms an unconfirmed list of a thousand on all of them.

The specific legal position depends on where you and your recipients are, what you are sending, and whether the contact is an individual or a business, and enforcement in this area varies considerably. Confirm what applies to you rather than adopting a general practice.

Conclusion

Treat it as a quality-for-size trade, and check whether the choice is yours to make.

Expect a substantial share not to confirm and recognise that much of that is friction rather than intent, value the deliverability improvement that a confirmed list protects, keep evidence of consent whichever approach you use, make the confirmation immediate and easy and warn people to expect it, send exactly one reminder, judge the list on engagement and revenue per subscriber rather than on its size, and confirm the consent rules that apply in your jurisdiction.