Gmail Unsubscribe Button: What It Is And How It Works (2024)

What is an Unsubscribe Button?

The unsubscribe button in Gmail is for those who no longer want to receive certain emails from mailing lists they have once signed up for.

However, it isn’t always easy to find this link since it may be hidden in the email content, or the link provided may not work.

If you are operating your mailing lists, it’s your job to ensure your readers can opt out easily, to prevent your emails from being marked as spam instead. Because sometimes it’s easier to mark emails as spam that clog up your inbox, rather than searching through text to find a link for unsubscribing.

Ways to Unsubscribe in Gmail

The Gmail unsubscribe option is available in a few locations within the email body, depending on where the email sender has chosen to put this link.

Once you click an Unsubscribe button in Gmail you will either be prompted to click it again, opt out via email or a separate landing page provided by the mailing list owner.

Ideally, those mailing lists will have multiple ways for you to unsubscribe from emails on Gmail to make the process easier and seamless.

1. Gmail Unsubscribe Button

This button is usually located at the top of the message of any of the newsletters you receive (if you get it from a legitimate sender).

When you click this button, you will be prompted to click another unsubscribing button within the pop-up. This button will redirect you to the dedicated page for unsubscribing from a mailing list sender.

2. Hidden Unsubscribing Link In The Email Content

If the sender of a message hasn’t provided any extra links in their emails to opt out, there will usually be a hidden link right at the bottom.

This proves rather frustrating for some readers since it can be hard to find, and the link sometimes isn’t always supported by Gmail.

When you click this link, you will be directed to the Unsubscribing landing page from a mailing list sender.

3. Does Gmail Really Unsubscribe You?

Gmail will opt out you from emails once you follow through with an unsubscribing link. However, this will only work if the link itself is supported by Gmail and is a working link. This is down to the email sender.

You may find this link isn’t available straight away, after a few emails one should appear, this is a common technique with mailing list providers.

If an unsubscribing button does not become available, you will have to report the message as spam or block the sender to stop receiving emails.

4. More Ways Of Unsubscribing From Emails

The other way you may find the Gmail unsubscribe button (or provide it to those signed up to your mailing list) is to use List-Unsubscribe or List-Unsubscribe-Post.

List-Unsubscribe

List-Unsubscribe is when an unsubscribing button is available within the header of a message (reference: Use of URLs as Meta-Syntax for Core Mail List Commands). Gmail now supports this way of unsubscribing by recognising emails that contain links to opt out within the meta-data of the header.

• This way of unsubscribing can come in different formats, the most common is for senders to provide a mailto and URL link within the header.
• A mailto will send an unsubscribing request via email to the sender with just a click.
• Most mailing list providers will encourage you to insert a mailto and URL within the header of your emails, or they will be automatically provided.
• List-Unsubscribe may take you through the extra steps of logging into an account or adding your email address. Making the wanted automatic process of unsubscribing become difficult.

The only negative to this method is that it may not ALWAYS work. If the data is faulty, or the link is inaccurately provided by the sender, Gmail won’t be able to recognise and include the unsubscribe button in Gmail.

List-Unsubscribe-Post

List-Unsubscribe-Post is a newer, updated version of List-Unsubscribe. You can still provide both within your email, however, this version is an easier way to use a Gmail unsubscribe button.

• It’s a single request function, meaning with just one click your unsubscribing wishes are sent.
• The unsubscribing link is activated by sending a single post to the link’s URL.
• Negative to this way of unsubscribing is that Gmail doesn’t always recognise it just yet and it isn’t supported within the header.

Calling Clean Email’s Unsubscriber Tool

If the Gmail unsubscribe link provided within the body of emails you receive doesn’t work, feel relieved using the Clean Email Unsubscriber tool.

Unsubscriber makes it easy for you to move unwanted emails straight to the Trash. Keep your inbox clean and stop spam emails from cluttering your mailbox.

How Unsubscriber Works

1. Head into the Unsubscriber tab on the left panel of the main app’s dashboard.
2. Under the Unsubscriber header, you will see the number of subscriptions you have that are not sorted yet.



3. All subscriptions are listed in alphabetical order to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.



4. You can then choose one of three options: Unsubscribe, Read Later, or Keep by simply clicking on a single button.
5. When you click Unsubscribe, this instructs Clean Email to send an unsubscribing request to the sender and automatically move new incoming messages from that sender to Trash
6. You can see how many subscriptions you have unsubscribed from by clicking the Unsubscribed tab at the top. Here you will see if any emails have been captured and deleted.



7. You can always choose to resubscribe if you wish by clicking the Resume button.



8. If you don’t want to receive the emails into your inbox or move them to trash, you can set a rule to automatically move emails to a Read Later folder. Keep your inbox clean, and all subscriptions in one place.

   

Clean Email also provides other handy features to help keep your inbox clean and tidy, making it easier for you to organise and stay productive. This email unsubscribe app always makes sure your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

Our Blog holds more relevant information on this topic. Check out our posts on how to unsubscribe from emails without a button and how to unsubscribe from emails on iPhone fast.

Gmail Unsubscribe - FAQs