Asking subscribers whether they still want emails

Ask a quiet subscriber whether they still want a particular newsletter only when existing permission covers that message. For commercial email, the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) requires consent, accurate sender identification and a functional unsubscribe facility; ACMA is Australia’s spam regulator.

Consent may be express, such as a person ticking an opt-in box, or inferred in some cases. An established relationship and a reasonable expectation of receiving the message may support inferred consent; a conspicuously published work email may do so only when the message directly relates to that person’s work. If permission is unclear, review the signup records and message context before sending.

Key compliance and performance facts

Select the audience

Start with contacts flagged under the newsletter’s inactivity rule. Remove explicit opt-outs and confirmed invalid addresses, then review permission and the original signup promise. If the sender, subject matter or frequency has changed materially, check whether the proposed message still matches that promise.

Mailchimp can segment inactive subscribed contacts, but treat that segment only as a starting point. Check the sending history: someone who joined recently or missed several issues may have had little chance to respond, and a platform’s ‘cold’ label alone is not enough to approve the audience.

A person may read useful material in an email without clicking. Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) affects opens and open-related metrics, so an open is not a ‘yes’.

Ask one clear question

Make the subject identify both the newsletter and the choice. For example: “Monthly care newsletter: would you like to keep receiving it?”

Briefly remind readers what they receive, then offer distinct actions to keep receiving it, change topics where that option exists, or unsubscribe. For a monthly care newsletter, an illustrative opening is: “Would you still like the monthly care email? It includes equipment-care advice and workshop dates. Choose ‘Keep receiving’ to continue, change topics if that option is available, or unsubscribe.”

If the organisation will pause marketing after a stated date, explain that consequence and use a date it can honour. In the example, say: “If we hear nothing by [date], we’ll pause this newsletter.” Use only choices the actual sending system can carry out.

Identify the sender accurately and include contact details. Include a functional unsubscribe facility and keep it working for at least 30 days after the message is sent.

Decide what each response does

Record a deliberate ‘keep receiving’ choice with the newsletter description, action and date. Keep accurate records of consent and withdrawal, and apply a topic change only to the relevant preference.

A recipient can withdraw consent at any time, so route an unsubscribe or reply asking to stop into the opt-out process promptly. Keep the unsubscribe facility functional for at least 30 days after sending the message.

A tracked click may be generated by security software. Where a click would change marketing status, use a deliberate confirmation action or review the response before treating it as the person’s choice; check how the actual platform records that action.

If the stated date passes without a response, apply the promised pause under the organisation’s policy and record it as an inactivity pause, not a subscriber unsubscribe. Judge the check-in by clear choices, delivery problems and complaints rather than opens alone.