Unsubscribes Aren't All Bad
People who no longer want your emails are better off leaving. If they stay, they ignore your emails or mark them as spam, which hurts deliverability far more than an unsubscribe.
The goal isn't zero unsubscribes. It's keeping the people who genuinely want your emails, and learning from those who leave.
Signs Your Unsubscribe Rate Needs Attention
- A spike after a specific email, suggesting it missed the mark.
- Steady increases over several months.
- Many unsubscribes from the welcome sequence, meaning new subscribers didn't get what they expected.
- Unsubscribes after frequency changes.
Compare your own trend over time rather than chasing published averages. See email marketing metrics.
Why People Unsubscribe
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Too many emails | Send on the schedule you promised; offer a "less often" option |
| Content isn't relevant | Segment by interest |
| Didn't expect these emails | Set clear expectations at signup |
| Only joined for a freebie | Deliver value beyond the lead magnet |
| Emails feel too salesy | Balance helpful content with promotions |
| Hard to read on phones | Use mobile-friendly design |
10 Fixes That Work
- Set expectations at signup: say what you'll send and how often.
- Deliver on the promise in your first emails. See welcome email sequence.
- Segment by interest so people get relevant content. See email segmentation.
- Keep a consistent frequency. See how often to send emails.
- Offer a preference option: fewer emails or specific topics instead of all or nothing.
- Balance promotions with genuinely useful content.
- Make emails easy to read on phones. See email design best practices.
- Write honest subject lines that match the content.
- Pause promotional emails for people in an active welcome or onboarding sequence.
- Ask why people leave with an optional one-question survey after unsubscribing.
Never Hide the Unsubscribe Link
Hiding the unsubscribe link or making it hard to use doesn't keep subscribers. It turns them into spam complaints, which damage your sender reputation.
Email laws and inbox provider rules also require a clear, working way to opt out, and Gmail and Yahoo require one-click unsubscribe for bulk senders. See email marketing laws and Gmail and Yahoo sender requirements.
Learn From People Who Leave
Look at which emails trigger unsubscribes. If a particular topic or type of promotion consistently causes spikes, send it only to a segment that's interested, or less often.
Optional exit feedback, such as "too many emails" or "not relevant anymore," tells you which fix matters most.
How AWeber Helps
AWeber handles unsubscribe links and processing automatically, reports unsubscribes per email and lets you segment by tags and engagement so you can send fewer, more relevant emails to each group. See AWeber tags and segments.
Segment by interest and engagement with AWeber so every subscriber gets emails worth staying for.
Unsubscribe FAQs
What is a normal unsubscribe rate?
It varies by list and email type. Watch your own trend and investigate spikes.
Why are people unsubscribing from my emails?
Common reasons are too many emails, irrelevant content and emails that don't match expectations.
Should I make unsubscribing harder?
No. It leads to spam complaints and breaks email rules. Offer alternatives like fewer emails instead.
Is a high unsubscribe rate bad for deliverability?
Unsubscribes themselves aren't harmful, but the causes often are. Spam complaints are the bigger risk.