Beehiiv is a newsletter platform launched in 2021 by former Morning Brew operators, targeting independent publishers, media brands, and creators who want built-in monetization (paid subscriptions, ad network, referral programs). The unsubscribe mechanism uses the double-brace merge tag, auto-injected into every publication footer. Beehiiv handles RFC 8058 one-click compliance automatically for all sends and offers a native subscriber preferences page. Unlike ConvertKit or MailerLite, Beehiiv is publication-centric: subscribers exist per-publication and an unsubscribe scopes to that publication only. This guide covers the tag, the multi-publication scope, and the ad-partner deliverability considerations.
beehiiv unsubscribe link
| Tag syntax | {{unsubscribe_url}} |
| Placement | Auto-embedded in every publication footer |
| Scope | Per-publication (not account-wide) |
| Config path | Settings > Publication > Emails > Footer |
| RFC 8058 one-click | Yes, automatic for all sends |
How to add the unsubscribe tag in beehiiv
Place the merge tag exactly as shown below in the email template. beehiiv replaces it at send time with a signed URL scoped to the recipient and campaign.
{{unsubscribe_url}}For custom HTML templates, wrap the tag in an anchor to render a proper hyperlink in the delivered email:
<a href="{{unsubscribe_url}}">Unsubscribe from this list</a>Auto-embedded in every publication footer
Yes, automatic for all sends The recipient's mailbox provider (Gmail, Yahoo) uses the List-Unsubscribe-Post header to expose the native one-click button on the message. Requires domain authentication with DKIM and DMARC.
Beehiiv scopes subscribers per-publication. If you run multiple newsletters on Beehiiv (a main brand and a specialized offshoot), a subscriber unsubscribing from the main brand keeps receiving the specialized one unless they unsubscribe from that too. This is opposite to ConvertKit or Kit which apply a global account-wide flag.
Testing your beehiiv unsubscribe link
- Send a test message to a controlled Gmail address you own via the beehiiv campaign preview action
- Click the footer unsubscribe link and confirm the opt-out on the landing page
- Check the subscriber or contact record: the status should be Unsubscribed within seconds
- Verify the RFC 8058 headers in Gmail: open the message, click three dots, then Show original. Look for
List-UnsubscribeandList-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click
Want the full 222-platform reference?
See the pillar guide with the compliance landscape, the RFC 8058 deep dive, and the unsubscribe tag for every ESP: How to add an unsubscribe link: the complete 2026 guide →
How beehiiv handles unsubscribes
beehiiv injects the unsubscribe link automatically into every newsletter footer through a system-managed variable that cannot be removed. Publishers using the block-based editor cannot accidentally omit the link, and beehiiv-hosted content templates render the footer consistently across email and web versions. The click routes to a beehiiv-hosted preference page where the subscriber can either unsubscribe entirely or, on publications with multiple newsletters, manage subscriptions on a per-newsletter basis.
Multi-newsletter subscription management
Larger beehiiv publications often operate multiple newsletters under a single publication brand (a flagship weekly plus specialty verticals). The unsubscribe flow presents the subscriber with a list of newsletters they belong to and lets them opt out of specific ones while remaining on others. This granular control significantly reduces full-publication unsubscribes for multi-topic brands and is one of beehiiv key differentiators against Substack, which historically offered only single-newsletter opt-out.
RFC 8058 and Gmail requirements
beehiiv implements RFC 8058 one-click unsubscribe headers on every send. The List-Unsubscribe header contains both a mailto: and an https: endpoint, and the List-Unsubscribe-Post header is set to List-Unsubscribe=One-Click. This satisfies the Gmail and Yahoo bulk-sender requirements introduced in February 2024. Publications sending from custom domains benefit from beehiiv-managed SPF and DKIM authentication, which is required for the headers to route correctly and be honored by receiving providers.
Reactivation and paid subscription handling
Once a subscriber unsubscribes, beehiiv marks them as inactive and blocks future sends from the publication. Subscribers can reactivate by re-subscribing through the publication signup form. For paid subscriptions, unsubscribing from newsletters does not cancel the paid plan; those are handled separately through billing settings. This separation is intentional: publishers can honor content opt-outs while preserving the paid relationship if the subscriber wants to remain a member without receiving new-issue notifications.
About the Author
Alaa · LinkedIn
Email infrastructure specialist with 8+ years of hands-on experience in SMTP, deliverability, and email verification. I’ve configured and troubleshot mail systems across Postfix, Exchange, and cloud relays, managed IP reputation and warmup campaigns, and built verification pipelines processing millions of addresses. My work spans DNS authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, BIMI), bounce handling, blocklist monitoring, and compliance frameworks including CAN-SPAM and GDPR. I write every article on SMTPedia to give email professionals, developers, and marketers the accurate, RFC-grounded reference they need.
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