Definition
💡 To unsubscribe from an email means to remove yourself from the company’s mailing list for future newsletters, marketing messages, or promotional emails.
What happens when you unsubscribe from an email?
When an unsubscribe link or other unsubscribe option is used, a notification is sent behind the scenes from the email service provider to the email sender with a request to be removed from their mailing list.
Depending on the provider, emails that you receive before the process is complete may automatically go to a Spam or Trash folder.
Example
If you receive unsolicited emails such as marketing or promotional messages or newsletters you no longer want, you can unsubscribe to remove yourself from the mailing list. This stops future emails from the company for marketing purposes.What happens when you unsubscribe from junk email?
When you unsubscribe, you should be removed from the sender’s mailing list. However, junk email doesn’t always contain an unsubscribe option. In this case, it’s best to report the message as spam and/or block the sender.
Email service providers like Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and Yahoo Mail offer easy ways to mark spam and block email senders.
What to do when you unsubscribe and still get emails?
After you unsubscribe, the sender has 10 business days to process your request. If emails continue to come in after you've tried to unsubscribe, you can:
- Give it a couple of days, as the removal process might take 24 to 48 hours.
- Review your subscription settings with the sender, such as those from an online retailer.
- Use your email provider’s tools to mark the messages as spam and consider blocking the sender.
- File a complaint through the FTC’s Report Fraud website, which addresses spam emails.
