Unsubscribes and STOP replies: getting opt-outs right

Every marketing email, text or WhatsApp message you send needs a simple, free way to opt out, and when someone uses it you must stop sending them marketing promptly. Getting opt-outs right means more than an unsubscribe link: it means catching STOP replies however they're worded, keeping a suppression list so people don't sneak back on through an import, and applying the opt-out across every tool you use. Get it wrong and you risk complaints, poor deliverability and trouble with the ICO.

This guide covers what UK law expects and the practical systems that make it work. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Key takeaways

• Every marketing message must identify you and include a valid way to opt out. Under the soft opt-in, the opt-out must be offered in every message.
• The right to object to direct marketing is absolute: once someone says stop, you stop, whatever your reason for messaging them.
• Keep a suppression list of opted-out contacts instead of deleting them, so they don't get re-added by the next import.
• Watch for messy replies ("pls stop", "who is this, remove me") as well as the exact STOP keyword.
• An opt-out from marketing doesn't stop genuine service messages about a ticket someone already has.

What the rules say

Two pieces of UK law apply:

• PECR requires every marketing email and text to make clear who it's from and to give a valid address for opt-out requests. If you're relying on the soft opt-in, you must offer a simple way to opt out, free of charge except for the cost of sending the opt-out, in every message.
• UK GDPR gives people an absolute right to object to their data being used for direct marketing. Once they object, you must stop.

Neither sets a specific number of days for processing an opt-out. The ICO expects you to act promptly, and with automated systems there's no reason an opt-out shouldn't take effect almost immediately. For the wider consent picture, see consent for marketing texts and emails in the UK.

Email unsubscribes

Make it easy

• Put a clear unsubscribe link in every marketing email, usually in the footer.
• Don't require people to log in, enter a password or confirm their email address again.
• Don't hide the link in tiny grey text.
• A single click (or one click plus a confirm button) should be enough.

One-click unsubscribe and mailbox providers

The major mailbox providers, including Gmail and Yahoo, now expect bulk senders to support one-click unsubscribe, which shows an unsubscribe option at the top of the email in the inbox. If you send at any real scale, use a sending platform that supports this. It also helps deliverability: someone who can unsubscribe easily is less likely to hit "report spam". See why your emails land in spam.

Preference centres

Offering options can save a subscriber: "Only tell me about shows in Manchester" or "Just big announcements". But the option to unsubscribe from everything must always be there and just as easy to find.

SMS: handling STOP replies

The STOP keyword

"Reply STOP to opt out" is the standard approach for UK marketing texts. Your SMS system should:

• Recognise STOP and common variations (Stop, stop., STOP ALL, UNSUBSCRIBE).
• Apply the opt-out automatically to future SMS marketing.
• Not send further marketing texts to that number.

Alphanumeric sender IDs can't receive replies

If you send from a name rather than a number (for example "CLUBNIGHT" rather than a mobile number), recipients can't reply to it. That means "Reply STOP" won't work. With an alphanumeric sender ID you need another opt-out route, such as a short link to an opt-out page, or a number people can text. See sending texts from your own name for how sender IDs work.

Messy replies

Real people don't always type the keyword. Expect:

• "Please stop texting me"
• "Who is this? Remove me"
• "No thanks"
• "Wrong number"
• Angry messages with no keyword at all

Treat any clear request to stop as an opt-out, even if your system didn't catch it automatically. This is where a monitored inbox matters. In Backline, replies come into the two-way inbox, so a "please stop" that isn't the exact keyword is still seen and can be actioned by a person.

WhatsApp opt-outs

WhatsApp marketing should also offer a clear way to opt out, such as replying STOP or using a button. People can also block or report you, and a pattern of blocks and reports can harm your standing on the platform. Treat any request to stop, in any wording, as an opt-out from WhatsApp marketing.

Which channels does an opt-out cover?

If someone replies STOP to a text, they've clearly opted out of SMS marketing. Whether that covers email too depends on what they said:

When in doubt, treat a message as covering all marketing. Sending one more message to someone who thought they'd opted out is the quickest way to a complaint.

Suppression lists: don't just delete

It's tempting to delete people who unsubscribe. Don't, or at least not completely. If you delete them, the next time you import a ticket buyer list or a co-promoter shares data, they might be re-added and contacted again.

Instead, keep a suppression list: the minimum information needed (usually the email address or phone number) and the fact they've opted out. The ICO recommends this approach, because it lets you make sure you don't market to them again.

Check imports against it

Every time you add contacts in bulk, check them against your suppression list:

• Ticket platform exports. See getting your customer data out of ticketing platforms.
• Sign-up sheets from the merch table.
• Old spreadsheets you've found.
• Lists from co-promoters or partners (which also need proper consent).

If your tools do this automatically, test it once with a dummy contact so you know it works.

Keep every tool in sync

Promoters and artists often have contacts spread across an email tool, an SMS tool, a ticket platform and a spreadsheet. An opt-out in one place doesn't automatically flow to the others. Either keep one system as the source of truth for consent and opt-outs, or set a routine to sync them. Disconnected tools are one of the most common reasons people keep getting messages after they've unsubscribed.

Service messages after an opt-out

An opt-out from marketing doesn't stop you sending genuine service messages. If someone has a ticket for Saturday and the doors time changes, you can tell them. The test is whether the message contains any promotional content. "Doors now 9pm" is fine. "Doors now 9pm, and tickets for our next night are on sale" is marketing.

Confirmation messages

A short message confirming the opt-out, with no marketing content, is generally fine: "You've been unsubscribed and won't receive marketing texts from us." Don't use it as a last sales pitch.

Reducing opt-outs in the first place

Some unsubscribes are healthy: people move away or change tastes. But a high rate suggests something's wrong. Common causes:

• Sending too often. See how often should you email your fans?
• Sending to the wrong people, like Glasgow events to London fans.
• Messages that don't match what people signed up for.
• Old contacts who don't remember signing up.

Fix the cause, not the unsubscribe link.

An opt-out checklist

• Every marketing message identifies you and includes an opt-out.
• Email unsubscribe works in one or two clicks, with no login.
• STOP and common variations are recognised for SMS and WhatsApp.
• Alphanumeric SMS has an alternative opt-out route.
• Someone checks replies for opt-outs that don't use the keyword.
• Opt-outs are recorded as a suppression list, not just deleted.
• Imports are checked against the suppression list.
• Opt-outs are synced across every tool.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly must I process an unsubscribe in the UK?

UK law doesn't set a specific number of days, but the ICO expects opt-outs to be handled promptly. With modern tools, opt-outs should take effect almost immediately, and you should never send further marketing to someone who has clearly opted out. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

What should I do if someone replies "stop" in a different way?

Treat any clear request to stop as an opt-out, whether or not it matches your keyword. Messages like "please remove me" or "stop texting me" should be actioned manually if your system doesn't catch them automatically.

Should I delete people who unsubscribe?

Not entirely. Keep a minimal suppression list with their email or phone number and the fact they opted out, so they aren't accidentally re-added by a later import. Delete the rest of their data if you no longer need it.

Can I still text someone who opted out about an event they've bought a ticket for?

Yes, for genuine service information such as changes to door times, venue or date. The message must not include promotional content. Once you add marketing, the opt-out applies.

Does replying STOP to a text unsubscribe someone from emails too?

Not necessarily, as a STOP reply is usually channel-specific. But if the person says something broader like "stop contacting me", treat it as an opt-out from all marketing. When in doubt, stop everything.