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# What is double opt-in and when do you use it?

> Read about the difference between single and double opt-in, how to set this up and why Laposta advises against double opt-in.

When someone subscribes to one of your lists, that person is added directly to that list in Laposta. This is called single opt-in and is the default way the subscribe forms work. With double opt-in, there is an extra step in between: the person subscribing first receives an email with a link, and only when they click on that link is the subscription added to your list.

> **Note**
>
> Double opt-in is switched off by default in all accounts. If you have a paid account and would still like to use it, please send an email to [helpdesk@laposta.nl](mailto:helpdesk@laposta.nl) to have it enabled.

## Setting up double opt-in

Once double opt-in has been activated for you, you can specify for each list what happens when someone subscribes. Go to Subscribers → your list → Enrich → Subscribe and choose under Opt-in type whether you want to add subscribers directly to your list or have a confirmation email sent to them first.

You can manage the texts and design of the form itself where you create the form: at [the standalone subscribe form](/hoe-pas-ik-het-zelfstandig-aanmeldformulier-aan), where you also edit the confirmation page when using double opt-in, or at [the embedded subscribe form](/algemene-vormgeving-en-instellingen-van-het-ingebedde-aanmeldformulier).

## The confirmation email and the unconfirmed tab

The confirmation email is a standard email. You cannot edit it. This is a deliberate choice, so that there can be no misunderstanding about what someone is subscribing to. This way, clicking on the link in the confirmation email can also serve as proof.

As long as a subscription is not confirmed, it is kept separate. On the page Subscribers → Browse, the unconfirmed tab appears above the table of subscribers, next to the active, unsubscribed and cleaned tabs. This lists all subscribers who have subscribed via the subscribe form on your website, but have not yet confirmed their subscription.

## Resending the confirmation email

You might want to send unconfirmed subscribers another confirmation email, because you will otherwise miss out on those subscriptions. This is not possible in Laposta, and that is a deliberate choice.

The confirmation email is specifically intended as an extra step in the subscription process, giving the person subscribing the freedom not to proceed with the subscription after all. An address that remains unconfirmed is therefore by no means always a forgotten subscription:

* The person subscribing has seen the email and decided to leave it at that.
* The subscription was made by someone else, causing the recipient to ignore the email.
* A spambot added the address automatically. You can [prevent this in the form itself](/wat-moet-ik-doen-aan-nep-aanmeldingen).

In all these situations, a second email is unwanted. Losing a portion of the subscriptions is part of double opt-in and cannot be prevented. If you would prefer this to be different, then single opt-in is the solution: all subscriptions are then active at once.

## Is double opt-in mandatory?

Many people think that using double opt-in is a requirement under the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) or the GDPR. This is not the case; the term is not mentioned anywhere in these regulations. Of course, it is mandatory to include an unsubscribe link in every email. Laposta does this automatically.

You can read about when you are allowed to email people and on what legal basis in [Legal bases for email marketing](/grondslagen-voor-verwerking). If you use a subscribe form for a purpose other than the newsletter, for instance an e-book, you ask for consent for this with [an extra checkbox in the form](/extra-vinkje-in-het-aanmeldformulier).

## The pros and cons of double opt-in

There are three main advantages and three disadvantages to keep in mind.

| Advantages                                                                                          | Disadvantages                                                                               |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Certainty that the subscription was made by the right person, because the address must be confirmed | Genuine subscriptions that are lost, for example because people forget to click on the link |
| A filter for incorrectly entered email addresses                                                    | Confirmation emails that end up in spam or are not recognised for some reason               |
| A filter for [spam subscriptions](/wat-moet-ik-doen-aan-nep-aanmeldingen)                           | A large and growing number of unconfirmed email addresses that you cannot contact again     |

The latter is deliberate: sending a reminder goes against the idea of double opt-in.

## Laposta's advice

Laposta advises against using double opt-in. It is less user-friendly and some of the genuine subscriptions are lost. Regarding the objection that it is possible to subscribe someone else: that is true, but in practice this turns out to almost never happen. Moreover, anyone can unsubscribe upon receiving the first newsletter. And incorrect email addresses (fake subscriptions) are automatically cleaned during the very next delivery.

A great middle ground is sending a welcome email immediately after someone subscribes. In it, you can confirm the subscription and point out the unsubscribe link straight away. You can easily set this up with an automation. Read here how to [send a welcome email](/automatisch-een-weggever-versturen-na-een-inschrijving), or what the [built-in welcome email](/krijgen-mijn-relaties-bij-aanmeldingautomatisch-een-welkomstmail) in older accounts does.

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