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Glossary

Double opt-in

Double opt-in is a sign-up process in which a person first asks to join a list and then confirms by clicking a link sent to their address.

Updated · By Otman Ounana · How we research

Why it matters when you send from your own Gmail

It proves that the address belongs to the person who gave it, which is why it is the usual way to collect consent for newsletters, and often for marketing consent in Germany. Cold email does not use it, because the recipient has not asked for anything. The distinction is useful when a prospect or a lawyer asks what your basis is: you are not claiming consent, you are relying on the rules for business email in their country, and you give a working opt-out in every message.

Example

A visitor enters an address in a newsletter form and gets a message saying to confirm. Only after the click is the address added. A cold email goes to someone who has done none of this.

What to do

Do not borrow the term for cold email. If you also run a newsletter, use double opt-in for that list and keep it entirely separate from your outbound prospects.

Related terms

All terms are on the glossary.

Read next

  • Germany (UWG § 7)Germany's UWG § 7 on cold email, quoted in German with our translation: why B2B cold email needs prior express consent, the narrow existing-customer exception, and what to do instead.
  • "Where did you get my email?"What GDPR requires when someone asks where you got their email address after a cold email, with three replies you can send and what to do if they object.
  • Sole traderA sole trader is a self-employed person who runs a business in their own name, without forming a limited company.
  • CASLCASL is Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, a consent-based law that prohibits sending a commercial electronic message unless the recipient has consented, expressly or by implication.