Gmail Unsubscribe Button: How It Works and Why It’s Not Enough

In February 2014, Gmail added a convenient "unsubscribe" button to bulk marketing and newsletter emails. Before this feature was introduced, users had to manually search for the unsubscribe link, which is usually hidden at the bottom of emails. With this update, Gmail made it easier to opt out of emails by including a prominent unsubscribe button at the top.

Despite its advantages, the Gmail unsubscribe button is not always enough. Sometimes, email marketers don't respect your unsubscription request and keep sending you emails. Moreover, the unsubscribe button is not available for all emails, and you have to look for other solutions to stop receiving unwanted emails.

That's where BlockSender comes in. It lets you block any type of email—whether it's marketing, newsletters, or persistent messages from unwanted senders—without needing the unsubscribe option. This article will discuss how the Gmail unsubscribe button works, where it fails, and how you can use BlockSender instead.

How does the Gmail Unsubscribe Button Work?

Under the CAN-SPAM Act, commercial emails must provide an option to opt out of bulk emails. To comply with this, such emails include an unsubscribe link, usually located at the bottom. However, it's not always easy to find. Email marketers use several tactics to keep you from unsubscribing, such as using a small font for the link, hiding it, or making the unsubscribe process too lengthy or complicated.

As a solution, Gmail introduced the unsubscribe button in February 2014. You can find it at the top of marketing emails and newsletters, next to the sender's name. This way, you can easily and quickly opt out of their mailing list.

Next, let's see how the Gmail unsubscribe button works under the hood. Gmail first looks for a "List-Unsubscribe" header in the email. If the "List-Unsubscribe" header is not found, Gmail may opt you out of the mailing list using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.

Here's what the process may look like:

• Gmail may send an unsubscribe request via email from your account.
• Gmail may follow the unsubscribe link and submit a request on your behalf.
• Sometimes, the unsubscribe link takes you to the website, where you have to manually unsubscribe.

Limitations of the Gmail Unsubscribe Button

Although the Gmail unsubscribe button makes unsubscribing from promotional emails and newsletters a breeze, it also has some shortcomings. You may have experienced some of these yourself:

• Not Always Available
  The Gmail unsubscribe button is only available for legitimate emails, usually those sent via email marketing services. It doesn't provide this option for unverified senders or emails with formatting errors in the "List-Unsubscribe" header.

• Slow or Ignored Unsubscription
  The unsubscription may take some time to take effect. Sometimes, the sender never unsubscribes you, and you keep receiving emails from them.

• Risk of More Spam
  This may sound ironic, but unsubscribing from spam emails lets the sender know that your email address is active, and some senders start targeting you with more spam, thus worsening the problem.

• Doesn't Stop Phishing or Malicious Emails
  Gmail only provides an unsubscribe button for legitimate and verified senders. Therefore, you will have to look for other ways to stop receiving phishing or malicious emails.

• No Option for Bulk Unsubscription
  You have to click the unsubscribe button for each mailing list you wish to unsubscribe from. This process can be slow if you want to unsubscribe from multiple email addresses in bulk.

• Incomplete Unsubscription
  Clicking the Gmail unsubscribe button on an email may only unsubscribe you from a single mailing list from the sender. You may not be unsubscribed from all the mailing lists.

Alternative? Try BlockSender

Say hello to BlockSender, a powerful Gmail add-on that helps block unwanted emails and annoying senders. Do you keep receiving emails even after unsubscribing? With BlockSender, that's a thing of the past. Using this tool, you can block emails without having to unsubscribe. It allows you to block email addresses in bulk and even blacklist entire domains.

Let's explore how we use BlockSender to block emails. First, sign up for BlockSender if you haven't already, install the Chrome extension, and link your Gmail account. You can also use the web dashboard, but the Chrome extension speeds up the process. Once everything is set up, you can begin setting up blocking rules. BlockSender provides multiple blocking options, such as blocking by email, name, and domain.

Email Address Blocking

All messages from that address will be blocked when you create a blocking rule for an email address. However, when you use the Gmail unsubscribe button on an email, only one mailing list may be blocked, not all emails.

To block an email address:

1. Select at least one email from that email address.
2. Click on the "Block" icon and select "Block selected emails".

3. Choose where the blocked emails should go e.g. the Trash or Spam folder. Alternatively, you can permanently delete the emails from your account using the "Delete (skip trash option)".

Note: Choose the "Delete" option with caution, as it permanently deletes the emails from your account beyond recovery.

4. Click "Create 1 Block".

Unlike the unsubscribe option, blocking takes effect immediately. Also, the sender cannot know that your account is active since they won't be notified that they've been blocked.

Domain Blocking

Sometimes, simply blocking an email address is not enough, as the business may use separate email addresses for different concerns. In this case, you may want to block the email domain, e.g. facebookmail.com, to stop receiving emails from all email addresses that use that domain. To block a domain:

1. Open any email sent from the email domain you want to block.
2. Click on the "Block" icon and select "Block domain".

Note: Be careful when blocking a complete domain, as important emails may also get blocked. Only do so if you're sure you don't want to receive any emails from the particular domain.

Sender Name Blocking

When you block a sender by name, you block all the email addresses with that specific name.

1. Select any email from that sender.
2. Click the "Block" icon and select "Block Selected Emails".
3. Select "Person (by name)".
4. Click "Create 1 Block".

Conclusion

The Gmail unsubscribe button is a handy option for opting out of unwanted marketing emails and newsletters. It's also generally a safer option. However, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. There are many scenarios where it falls short, such as the unsubscription not taking immediate action or Gmail not providing the unsubscribe button for some emails.

BlockSender is a powerful solution that can tackle all such cases. You can block email addresses and complete domains, and the blocking takes effect immediately. Start using BlockSender today if you want a powerful alternative to the Gmail unsubscribe button.