By the end of this guide, you'll know how to add an unsubscribe link to your campaign emails, customize the unsubscribe text, and understand what happens when leads click it. You'll also learn how to manually unsubscribe leads (and how to remove manually added unsubscribe entries when needed).

Unsubscribe links are legally required and protect your sender reputation. Laws like GDPR and CAN-SPAM mandate easy opt-out options in cold emails; failing to include them risks fines and penalties. Beyond compliance, unsubscribe links reduce spam complaints (which damage deliverability), build trust with prospects, and show professionalism. An unsubscribe link isn't optional, it's essential for effective, respectful outreach.

Before you start:

In the email editor, write the text where you want the unsubscribe link.

Typical placement: Right before your signature at the bottom of the email.

Text options:

💡 Placement matters: Bottom of email after main content but before signature is standard and expected.

Select the word or sentence where you want the unsubscribe link attached.

Example: Highlight "click here" in "Not interested? Click here to unsubscribe."

✅ Verification: The text should now appear as a hyperlink (typically blue and underlined in preview).

When a lead clicks the unsubscribe link, lemlist automatically:

Adds lead to Unsubscribe list - Lead is permanently marked as unsubscribed across your entire lemlist account.

Stops current campaign - The campaign immediately stops for that lead. No further emails sent.

Stops all other campaigns - If the lead is active in other campaigns, those campaigns also stop immediately.

Blocks future campaigns - You cannot add this lead to any future campaigns. They're permanently opted out.

⚠️ Permanent action: Once a lead clicks the unsubscribe link, they cannot be removed from the Unsubscribe list. This is intentional. Respecting opt-out requests is legally required.

You can manually add entries to the Unsubscribe list without someone clicking a link. This is useful for excluding specific people, entire domains, phone numbers, or LinkedIn URLs from all campaigns and channels.

In Settings, select Unsubscribe from the left sidebar.

From here, you can also use the top bar to quickly add unsubscribes:

If you want to paste multiple values at once (one per line), open the bulk modal:

Supported variable types (examples):

Email addresses: [email protected], [email protected]

Entire domains: @competitor.com (blocks all emails from that domain)

Phone numbers: +12025550123

LinkedIn URLs: https://linkedin.com/in/example

💡 Tip: Use the Exact match toggle on the Unsubscribe page when you need stricter matching.

Key difference: Entries you add manually (from the Unsubscribe page / Unsubscribe variables) can be removed from the Unsubscribe list later if needed.

To remove manually added entries:

⚠️ Reminder: Leads who clicked the unsubscribe link cannot be removed. Only manually added entries can be deleted.

Always include unsubscribe links - Required in every campaign email. No exceptions.

Place at the bottom - After email content, before or after signature. Standard location prospects expect.

Make it visible - Don't hide unsubscribe links in tiny font or match the background colour. Visible unsubscribe links build trust.

Keep text clear - "Unsubscribe" or "Click here to unsubscribe" works. Avoid confusing language.

Respect unsubscribes immediately - Lemlist handles this automatically. Never manually re-add someone who unsubscribed.

Use domain blocking strategically - Block competitor domains or problem domains to prevent accidental outreach.

Check unsubscribe list regularly - Review who's unsubscribed. High unsubscribe rates signal messaging problems.

Issue: Unsubscribe link not appearing in sent emails

Root cause: Forgot to insert the unsubscribe link before launching

Fix: Edit campaign email step → Highlight your unsubscribe text → Click the Unsubscribe link icon in the toolbar → Save. Already-sent emails won't have it, but future emails will.

Issue: Lead clicked unsubscribe, but still receiving emails

Root cause: Lead is in multiple campaigns that were launched before unsubscribe, or there's a delay in processing

Fix: Unsubscribe stops campaigns immediately, but emails scheduled in the next few minutes might still send. Check if lead is in Unsubscribe list (Settings → Unsubscribe). If they are still receiving emails after 24 hours, contact support.

Issue: Need to re-add someone who unsubscribed

Root cause: Lead clicked unsubscribe link (automatic)

Fix: Cannot be done. Leads who clicked unsubscribe cannot be removed from the list. This is legally required. If they want to re-subscribe, they must contact you directly and opt back in.

Exception: If you manually unsubscribed them (not via link click), you can remove them from Settings → Unsubscribe (filter Unsubscribes types to User, then select and Remove variables).

Issue: Want to exclude the entire company from campaigns

Root cause: Need to block the domain, not just individual emails

Fix: Go to Settings → Unsubscribe → Enter the domain in the search bar and enable Domains only, or add the domain format: @companyname.com via Unsubscribe variables. This blocks all emails from that domain.