Double opt-in (DOI) adds a second confirmation step to your email subscription flow. When a visitor submits their email address through a SmartPush popup, the system sends them a confirmation email. Only after the visitor clicks the confirmation button does their subscription become active. This approach is required for email marketing compliance in regions such as the EU, and also helps keep your contact list clean by filtering out invalid or mistyped email addresses.
This guide explains how to enable double opt-in in the popup editor, configure the confirmation email, and set up the post-confirmation page.
Before Enabling Double Opt-In
Before enabling double opt-in, confirm the following:
- You have at least one popup configured in SmartPush with an email collection block.
- The confirmation email will be sent from the sender details you configure in Step 3. Make sure your sender email and name are ready before you start.
- Double opt-in is configured at the individual popup level. If you use separate popups for different regions, you can enable it on the popups intended for markets that require it, and leave it disabled on others.
Enabling Double Opt-In for a Popup
To enable double opt-in for a popup:
- In SmartPush, go to Popups and open the popup you want to configure.
- In the popup editor, go to Form Settings.
- Find the Enable Double Opt-In toggle and turn it on.
| Note: The double opt-in toggle is available for all popup types that include a form block, regardless of whether the form includes an email collection field. The toggle is turned off by default for all popups, including any you have already published. Existing popups will not be affected unless you manually enable it. |
Configuring the Double Opt-in Confirmation Email
After enabling the toggle, configure the confirmation email that will be sent to subscribers. All settings are within the popup editor; you do not need to go to the Automation module.
Configuring Sender Information
Set the name and email address that will appear in the customer's inbox:
- Sender Name: the name displayed as the sender.
- Sender Email: the email address the confirmation is sent from.
Customizing the Email Subject Line
Enter the subject line for the confirmation email. The default text is "Please confirm your subscription!" You can customize this to match your brand voice.
Customizing the Confirmation Email Content
The confirmation email body has five editable sections. The table below describes each section, its default content, and what you can customize.
| Section | Default Content | Customization Options |
| Header | Your brand logo (auto-populated). | Can be deleted if you prefer not to display a logo. |
| Headline | Just one more step! | Text, font, and text color can be customized. Cannot be left blank. |
| Body Text | Hi there, Thanks for signing up! We want to make sure we got your email right. Please click the button below to confirm your subscription. | Text, font, and text color can be customized. Can be left blank. |
| Confirmation Button | Yes, subscribe me! | Button text, background color, and text color can be customized. Cannot be deleted. |
| Footer | If you received this email by mistake, simply delete it. You won't be subscribed if you don't click the confirmation link above. | Text, font, and text color can be customized. Can be left blank. |
| Note: The confirmation link embedded in the button expires 72 hours after the confirmation email is sent. If a subscriber does not click within that window, their subscription remains in an unsubscribed state. See the FAQ section for details on what happens when a link expires. |
Configure the Double Opt-In Confirmation Page
Choose what the subscriber sees after they click the confirmation button. There are two options:
Option A: Use the System Default Confirmation Page
SmartPush displays a built-in confirmation page hosted on your store. You can customize:
- Headline: default text is "Subscription confirmed!" You can change the text, font, and color. Cannot be left blank.
- Content: default text is "Your subscription has been confirmed. Thank you for subscribing!" You can change the text, font, and color. Can be left blank.
A Preview button is available at the bottom of the panel so you can see how the page will look on both mobile and desktop before publishing.
Option B: Redirect Subscribers to a Custom URL
Enter the URL of the page you want to send subscribers to after confirmation. The URL must include a valid protocol (either http:// or https://). Use this option if you want to redirect subscribers to a dedicated thank-you page, a discount offer page, or any other destination on your store.
How the Double Opt-In Subscription Flow Works
Understanding the subscription status flow helps you manage your contact list accurately when double opt-in is enabled.
| Stage | What Happens | Subscription Status |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor submits email in the popup | A contact record is created (or found, if one already exists). A confirmation email is sent automatically. | Unsubscribed |
| Visitor clicks the confirmation button in the email | Subscription is activated immediately. | Subscribed |
| Visitor does not click within 72 hours | The confirmation link expires. The contact remains unsubscribed. | Unsubscribed |
Behavior for Existing Contacts
If the email address submitted already exists as a contact in SmartPush:
- Already subscribed: no confirmation email is sent and the subscription status is not changed.
- Exists but unsubscribed: a confirmation email is sent. The subscription status only changes to Subscribed after the contact clicks the confirmation button.
Frequently Asked Questions About Double Opt-In
Q1: What happens when a subscriber clicks an expired confirmation link?
The link expires 72 hours after the confirmation email is sent. If a subscriber clicks an expired link, they will see an error page with the message: "Oops! This confirmation link has expired. Please return to our website and sign up again to receive your offer." The contact remains in an unsubscribed state.
Q2: Can a subscriber re-submit their email after the link has expired?
Yes. If a subscriber returns to your store and submits the same email address through the popup again, the system generates a new confirmation email with a fresh 72-hour window. The new link is independent of the expired one.
Q3: Can I enable double opt-in on some popups but not others?
Yes. Double opt-in is configured at the individual popup level. You can enable it on the popups you use for markets that require confirmed opt-in (such as EU markets), and leave it turned off on other popups. This allows you to apply regional compliance requirements without affecting your entire popup strategy.
Q4: Does double opt-in affect SMS subscriptions?
No. The double opt-in feature in this configuration applies to email subscriptions only. SMS subscription behavior is not changed.
Q5: Where can I see which contacts are waiting to confirm their subscription?
In Contacts, you can filter by subscription status. Contacts who have submitted their email but not yet confirmed will have a status of Unsubscribed. Once they click the confirmation link, their status will update to Subscribed.