The double opt-in process (DOI) is a procedure with which you can collect e-mail addresses for your e-mail marketing with legally secured advertising consent. This should be the preferred registration procedure for your newsletter recipients, as this procedure can be used to prove legally secure consent to receive commercial e-mail advertising.
With this procedure, a subscriber first enters his e-mail address in a newsletter distribution list using a form. In a further step, a confirmation e-mail with a link that the subscriber must click to confirm his or her consent is sent to the e-mail address provided. If this confirmation link is now clicked by the subscriber, this is regarded as the subscriber's consent to receive advertising e-mails. This consent can be verified by an entry in the database plus a timestamp of when exactly the consent was given. As long as the subscriber does not object to this consent by clicking on the unsubscribe link, advertising may be sent to this subscriber by e-mail.
To create a DOI process
To convert a DOI process, you need the following objects.
- Newsletter registration form
- Entry confirmation page
- Confirmation E-mail (Trigger)
- Thank you page (confirmation page 2)
Newsletter registration form
First, the interested subscriber enters his or her e-mail address in a registration form for a newsletter or similar and thus starts the DOI process. In order to save data, only the e-mail address should be a mandatory field for a newsletter subscription.
A standard registration form can be found in the Forms folder under the name "Newsletter Registration". This form is already preconfigured for a DOI process. Or you can create a new registration form by clicking on "New" and selecting the menu item Form.
In the next window you select a pool in which the profiles should be entered. Please note that this pool cannot be changed afterwards. In the field below you can give the form your own name.
Newsletter Subscription
The system provides a preconfigured form for the DOI process. This form contains all standard objects required for this process. The form available in the sample environment can be used for a DOI process.
New registration form
You create a new form in the Forms folder by clicking on "New" and selecting "Form". When you create a new form, select a pool for the form in which the profiles are entered.
Configure registration form
The basic functions of the form are set under the tab configuration.
The most important settings of the form are:
The uniqueness criterion for checking whether a profile with this criterion (e-mail address) is already in the pool. This setting is used to prevent duplicate profiles in the pool. You should choose e-mail as the uniqueness criterion. If you enter a profile using this form, the system checks whether a profile with this e-mail address is already in the pool. If this is the case, the profile will not be created anew, but the existing profile will be updated with the entered data.
The registration procedure here is chosen as the procedure "Entry for Double Opt-in", so that a legally compliant e-mail marketing can be guaranteed. With this setting, a confirmation e-mail is sent to the specified address.
The redirection to a confirmation page to indicate to the subscriber that their registration was successful.
The confirmation e-mail with a confirmation link, the GRANT_URL. By clicking this link, the recipient can confirm his or her registration.
If a sign-up form is to be configured for the DOI procedure, the option "Subscribe for Double Opt-in" must be selected under Subscription procedure and a mailing containing the replacement variable {$GRANT_URL} as a confirmation link must be selected as the confirmation e-mail.
For an application form should be limited to the most necessary fields.
The following fields are recommended:
- Salutation
- Name
- First name
- e-mail address*
* Mandatory field
Registration and permission
After the subscriber has sent the form, a profile with the entered data is created in the pool and the profile receives the status "unconfirmed". This status remains until the recipient clicks the confirmation link in the entry confirmation mail.
Confirmation page
After the subscriber has submitted the form, a confirmation page will be displayed to confirm that the registration was successful. If there is no other web site listed under "Forwarding" the default confirmation page will be displayed. As a confirmation page you can also display your own website, this can be an internal system page or an external website.
Forwarding - confirmation page
Redirection to a confirmation page, this can also be a separate page.
Confirmation page - Standard
The entry confirmation page is displayed to the subscriber after the entry is sent.
Confirmation mail
After the registration form has been sent, the future subscriber will receive a confirmation e-mail to the e-mail address entered in the registration form. This confirmation mail contains the confirmation link, the "GRANT_URL". If the recipient clicks on the confirmation link, he/she confirms his/her newsletter subscription. This ensures that the subscriber also wishes to subscribe to the newsletter and that the newsletter is sent to the correct e-mail address. Of course, a separate mailing can also be used as a confirmation mailing. This mailing only has to contain the GRANT_URL and should be of the type trigger mailing.
Form Confirmation Mailing
The confirmation mailing with the GRANT_URL must be entered in the form. This mailing will be sent to the entered e-mail address as soon as the form is sent.
Confirmation mailing - standard
In the sample environment, an e-mail called "Entry confirmation" is available. This mailing already contains the link to the GRANT_URL and can be used productively as a confirmation e-mail.
Confirmation mailing with {$GRANT_URL}
The confirmation mailing must contain the replacement variable {$GRANT_URL}. As soon as the recipient clicks on this URL, the profile is entered as confirmed and may be sent from this point on.
Link {$GRANT_URL}
To link the GRANT_URL in the CK editor, select the text and click the link icon, choose <other> as protocol and enter {$GRANT_URL} as URL, then click Save.
Profile confirmed
After a recipient has clicked the confirmation link, the profile gets the status "Double Opt-in (confirmed)".
Unsubscribe link
A further component of the DOI process is the possibility to unsubscribe from newsletters. Unsubscribing from a newsletter is done via a cancellation link. This link is usually located in the footer of the mailing and must never be missing in a newsletter. If the recipient clicks on this link, he can unsubscribe from the newsletter distribution list and will be marked as unsubscribed in the pool. This link contains the replacement variable {$REVOKE_URL}.
Unsubscribe link in newsletter
With the unsubscribe link the newsletter recipient can unsubscribe from the newsletter distribution list. It is strongly recommended to include the unsubscribe link in the mailing.
DOI Process and Campaign Designer
Due to its asynchronous data processing, the Campaign Designer is less suitable for the DOI process and more for complex automations. For registration processes with double opt-in (DOI), the most efficient method is to configure the DOI trigger email directly in the form (see above).
- Direct dispatch & optimal performance: The confirmation email (emailing (trigger)) is sent immediately after the form is submitted, directly and without detours via additional workflows. The process starts without delay.
- Less complexity: The entire logic of the registration process can be mapped centrally in the form, which greatly simplifies configuration and maintenance and improves clarity.
- Increased process reliability: Direct linking in the form prevents potential sources of error in the Campaign Designer (e.g., deactivated campaigns, delays due to asynchronous data processing).
We therefore recommend configuring the DOI process directly via the form as a trigger email.
Summary
To generate a legally binding newsletter subscription, please use the double opt-in procedure. This procedure requires a registration form, a confirmation page, a confirmation mailing with the replacement variable {$GRANT_URL}, a thank you page and in the newsletter the unsubscribe link with the replacement variable {$REVOKE_URL}, so that the recipient can unsubscribe from the mailing list.
Further links
https://certified-senders.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Marketing-Richtlinie.pdf