Gmail offers auto-unsubscribe feature for newsletters

Gmail Auto-unsubscribe gives you the option to have Google unsubscribe you from mailing lists.

(Credit: Google)

Ever sign up for a newsletter and then regret it later and feel too lazy to go back to the source and unsubscribe? Well, instead of just marking the messages as spam and hoping the problem goes away you, can use a new Gmail feature to solve the problem.

Google has added an auto-unsubscribe feature to Gmail that will unsubscribe you from mailing lists that you may have signed up for but then decide you don't want after all.

The feature was being tested on Wednesday for certain Gmail users and was launched on Thursday and will be rolled out to all users gradually, a Google spokesperson said.

Here's how it works, according to a post on the Gmail Help site:

...If the particular message is a misuse of a mailing list you like to receive, you can "Report spam" as usual. But if you never want to receive another message or newsletter from that list again, click "Unsubscribe" instead. We'll send a request to the sender that your email address be removed from the list..

It will not work for all mailing lists and it can take several days for the request to be processed, Google said.

Also, Gmail won't display "unsubscribe" for lists that are known to be spammers so that you don't get more spam from them by accidentally verifying that your address is legitimate.

(via LifeHacker)

Updated July 23 9:10 a.m. PDT with Google saying feature launched Thursday, screenshot.

[hankthedwarf]

Just when I thought I couldn't love Gmail any more.

[jedmmj11]

(unrelated to above comment)
Hotmail has been able to do this for a while.

[4score20]

"Hotmail has been able to do this for a while."

Yep. I've used it a couple of times to dump subscriptions. Works great.

[sharmajunior]

This is a great tool. I don't mind waiting a couple of days for my address to be unsubscribed but it sure beats the heck out of going back to the source and then logging in and then locating the user settings/control panel and then unsubscribing with a bunch of BS questions and also sometimes avoiding the annoying word verification tool.

Phsheww that was the longest sentence I ever wrote. LOL

[derekwwww]

this doesn't sound like it would work. i have repeatedly asked several newsletters to unsubscribe me by following their instructions, but they kept coming! these include disney go, jockey underwear, pictureframes.com, among others.

[AlexanderLeaman]

To derekwww; I work at pictureframes.com and I help administer our e-list. We aren't aware of any problems with our unsubscribe feature right now, but if you're hitting a glitch I'd be happy to help you unsubscribe from our list.

I am available at 1-800-332-8884 x2146.

Alex Leaman
Marketing Project Manager
Graphik Dimensions Ltd. / pictureframes.com

[sHaNNonDrUmMer]

Hi Derekwww: I work at jockey as part of our marketing team. It is our goal to keep customers in the loop of new, exciting products, seasonal colors, and special offers- however If you do not want to receive these types of e-mails, you always have the option to unsubscribe from our e-mail list. Feel free to call jockey at 1-800-562-5391, and we?d be happy to help you out.

Thanks!
Shannon from jockey

[experiencemusic]

I am glad Gmail finally caught up with Hotmail. This has been a documented feature from Microsoft for a long time now - which is explained on Microsoft's spam protection page dating back to January of 2007 (search for "unsubscribe"). http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/email/spam.mspx. Welcome to the party Google!

[t8]

There is no comparison with Hotmail and Gmail.
Gmail wins hands down.

[hankthedwarf]

That's like comparing AOL dialup favorably against FiOS because AOL happened to have a minor feature that FiOS added later on.

[shinji257]

Bah! Hotmail finally got the ability to receive mail from other accounts (without having to manually forward from the other accout) which Gmail has had for a long time for free.

[experiencemusic]

@Shinji257. That is true - but when Hotmail added this feature did you see a cnet article spotlighting this as new and innovative? No. So why is there a spotlight article for a 2 1/2 yr old feature now being added to gmail??

[4score20]

"...So why is there a spotlight article for a 2 1/2 yr old feature now being added to gmail??"

Because, generally speaking, geeks love Google and hate Microsoft. Google is seen as "not evil" and Microsoft is seen as Satan himself so any good that Microsoft does is perceived to be in the service of evil (Microsoft) and any good Google does is perceived to be in the service of their users. A simplistic assessment but you get the drift. Also, tech blogs which positively review Microsoft products are accused of being biased at best and in Microsoft's pocket at worst. Tech blogs which positively review Google products are seen as unbiased and accurate. If you step back from all this stuff it's really kind of silly.

[t8]

Gmail is the best. Maybe Wave will be even better?

[assman]

Why dont they just add the sender to a user blacklist so that emails from the sender will always be automatically deleted. Seems more reliable than asking the newsletter to stop sending.

[Lorynj]

While it may seem more reliable to add the sender to a user blacklist, it becomes less reliable when, sometime in the future, that user decides to re-subscribe to the newsletter.

I wonder whether Google is implementing this purely as a technical feature, or whether they will have customer service reps actually contact sites that ignore the un-subscription request.

[clamenza]

Legitimate mailing lists have links at the top or bottom of their emails for you to unsubscribe. If you can't be bothered with that then you're just beyond help.

I know some lists don't respect your wishes but this "feature" won't help with that.

Much ado about nothing.

[dexter_birdbrain]

In the fight between Hotmail and GMail, you guys forgot Yahoo Mail!
Yeah, agreed Yahoo Mail has none of the great features that the other two have, but it is one of the oldest ones around. Add to that, I value my Yahoo ID as if it is my alternate name! But Yahoo Mail has remained dormant and I love GMail's list of features and am thinking about doing a POP3 of my Yahoo account on GMail.

[Mac502]

Reporting a newsletter that you asked to receive as spam because you're "too lazy" to scroll to the bottom and unsubscribe is a blatant misuse of this feature. You should only report an opt-in email as spam if you've attempted to unsubscribe and continue to receive emails or if there is no unsubscribe link provided. If the company is complying with CAN SPAM an unsubscribe link will always be provided.

As a double opt-in email newsletter publisher I have to deal with this a lot. People subscribe to my emails to get a free report or a discount on a product and then report my next newsletter as spam instead of unsubscribing. If they want off of my list that's okay with me. All they have to do is click that unsubscribe link. No questions asked. Deciding you don't like my newsletter anymore doesn't mean you have been spammed.

Encouraging people to misuse this feature is just plain irresponsible. Do you want to ruin ethical people's businesses?

[MeepMan]

For me, Hotmail is not a viable option because I have seen messages from Hotmail, and they all had ads at the bottom. For me, that is like advertising to your friend. Plus, even if they aren't your friend, they make your signature look hokey.

GMail does not have this problem. They are content with ads on the side of your mail.