Emarsys (owned by SAP since 2020) is an enterprise omnichannel customer engagement platform serving global B2C brands in retail, travel, and consumer goods with email, mobile push, SMS, in-app, and web personalization from a unified customer data platform. The unsubscribe mechanism uses the $UNSUBSCRIBE_URL$ merge tag in email templates. Emarsys emits RFC 8058 headers automatically for authenticated domains configured through the Sender Domain Management. Consent is tracked at the contact level per marketing subscription, with SAP-integrated compliance workflows available for enterprise customers.
Emarsys unsubscribe link
| Tag syntax | $UNSUBSCRIBE_URL$ |
| Placement | Auto-embedded via Section Templates, manual for custom HTML |
| Scope | Contact-level opt-out per marketing subscription |
| Config path | Setup > Sender Domain Management |
| RFC 8058 one-click | Yes, automatic for domains configured in Sender Domain Management |
How to add the unsubscribe tag in Emarsys
Place the merge tag exactly as shown below in the email template. Emarsys 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 via Section Templates, manual for custom HTML
Yes, automatic for domains configured in Sender Domain Management 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.
Emarsys subscription types (Standard Newsletter, Product Updates, Loyalty, Transactional) are configured at the account level and mapped to campaigns via Campaign Category. A contact who opts out of Standard Newsletter stays subscribed to Product Updates unless the account uses Universal Opt-Out enforcement. Enterprise legal teams should audit this setting quarterly for GDPR compliance across brands.
Testing your Emarsys unsubscribe link
- Send a test message to a controlled Gmail address you own via the Emarsys 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 to add the Emarsys unsubscribe link (step by step)
Emarsys Section Templates include the unsubscribe link in the default footer, but custom HTML templates and programmatically triggered emails may require the tag inserted manually.
- Open your email template in the Emarsys Content Builder.
- Add or edit a text block in the footer where the unsubscribe link should appear.
- Insert the merge tag
$UNSUBSCRIBE_URL$. Emarsys replaces it at send time with a signed URL scoped to the contact record. - Wrap in an anchor with your preferred label:
<a href="$UNSUBSCRIBE_URL$">Unsubscribe</a>. - Configure the sending domain under Setup > Sender Domain Management. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment required for RFC 8058 activation.
- Send a test to a seed address and verify the rendered link routes to the Emarsys-hosted preference center showing the correct subscription types.
Subscription types and Campaign Categories
Emarsys subscription types (Standard Newsletter, Product Updates, Loyalty, Transactional) are configured at the account level and mapped to campaigns via Campaign Category. A contact who opts out of Standard Newsletter stays subscribed to Product Updates unless the account uses Universal Opt-Out enforcement. Enterprise legal teams should audit this setting quarterly for GDPR compliance across brands, particularly when running consolidated global email programs that span multiple SAP business units.
RFC 8058 one-click headers
Emarsys added RFC 8058 one-click unsubscribe automatically ahead of the Google and Yahoo February 2024 requirements. The List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers inject on every marketing send from domains authenticated under Setup > Sender Domain Management. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment required. SAP integration lets enterprise customers propagate authentication configuration across sending domains centrally, reducing the risk of misconfigured domains falling out of one-click compliance.
SAP Customer Data Platform integration
Emarsys since the SAP acquisition integrates natively with SAP Customer Data Cloud and SAP Customer Data Platform, meaning contact consent captured through SAP web experiences flows into Emarsys automatically. Opt-out events in Emarsys also flow back to the CDP, keeping consent state consistent across the SAP customer lifecycle stack. This is a differentiator for existing SAP customers versus point-solution ESPs; standalone Emarsys deployments require middleware for equivalent consent sync.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Emarsys unsubscribe tag?
The tag is $UNSUBSCRIBE_URL$. Emarsys replaces it at send time with a signed URL scoped to the contact record. Use it inside an anchor: <a href="$UNSUBSCRIBE_URL$">Unsubscribe</a>.
Does a Standard Newsletter opt-out block Product Updates?
Not by default. Emarsys subscription types are tracked independently on each contact. A contact opting out of Standard Newsletter stays subscribed to Product Updates unless Universal Opt-Out enforcement is enabled at the account level.
Does Emarsys support one-click unsubscribe for Gmail and Yahoo?
Yes, automatically for authenticated domains. Emarsys injects List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers on every marketing send from domains configured in Sender Domain Management with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment.
Do Emarsys opt-outs sync to SAP CDP?
Yes for SAP customers with Emarsys integrated into SAP Customer Data Platform. Opt-out events flow back to the CDP automatically, keeping consent state consistent across the SAP customer lifecycle stack. Standalone Emarsys deployments require middleware for equivalent sync.
Can I customize the Emarsys preference center for enterprise branding?
Yes. The preference center supports enterprise branding (logo, colors, brand identity) and can be hosted under a custom subdomain via CNAME. Multi-brand enterprise accounts configure separate preference centers per brand.
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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