Mailing list/List requirements

From Site5Wiki

We require that you obtain the list of addresses via a double opt-in method, and do not obtain the list from an "affiliate" or "partner", or otherwise purchase or obtain a list that you did not create via double opt-in from your own web site.

This means, you must have the sign up process on your web site, so a user is aware exactly what site they are signing up for/subscribing to. If they sign up with a specific web site and you have the same theme, content or product, that doesn't mean the person is interested in receiving emails from your site, unless they signed up at your site via double opt-in.

Double opt-in is a method of verifying the person's request to be added to your mailing list. This consists of having a form on your site where people can submit a request to be added to your list.

You should have two fields where they submit their email address twice. This makes sure that the address matches both times they type their address. This helps rule out any mistakes when the confirmation email is sent to the requester.

Upon submission, you should have a script that emails the requester with a unique, randomly generated password or code/key to authenticate the request. Basically, you associate their email address with the random code to have them verify against.

The requester then receives that email with the information on how to verify their request. This prevents abuse and future complaints. They can email back with the code in the subject and you can have a script verify the information, or you can have them visit a web page URL to a script that can verify the request. Only then should their address be added to your mailing list.

It is also a good idea to ensure that once a request has been made for an email address, to add that address to a database where no one can request a subscription again for that particular address. This helps prevent your submission verification from being abused and used to harass a third party. Abuse of such services happen and you don't want to be caught in the middle of it, so it's best to take preventative measures.

It is also a good idea to include the IP address of the person submitting to the form in the email verification request that's sent to the address specified, and include the date/time it was submitted. This helps prevent and track abuse issues. You should also be logging these submissions and verifications for your own protection against potential future spam/abuse complaints.

Finally, you should always have an opt-out link on the bottom of each and every mailing. This allows a subscriber to opt-out without having to email you back and request so manually. You can use a unique key/code method to verify the unsubscribe action, just as you did to verify the subscription.

Also, if you log the submission, verification, as well as request for removal, you will make managing the list much easier and avoid being reported as a spammer. You can also have proof that the user signed up if they do report your emails, which is a great help when dealing with reports.

We offer the popular mailman mailing list software in the control panel with all accounts that have mailing lists available, which will already verify the user with a password before they can sign up for the mailing list. Further, there are many open source/free mailing list software programs/scripts available that will help you with this type of system.

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