Since last month, Microsoft has been testing the unsubscribe button. There is no word on when it will be available yet to the public.

Tom Sather of Return Path recommends that all email marketers take three steps to be primed and ready when Microsoft unsubscribe button is released:

1. Carefully review the technical specification for exacty how to modify headers to allow for the addition of the unsubscribe link.
2. Encourage your subscribers to add your “from” line to their address book and Allowed Senders List. Only sender on this list will be granted the unsub button, as of this writing.
3. Create instructions for our subscribers on how to remove your “from” line from their Blocked Sender list if they re-subscribe.

The technical specification above is actually a Request for Comment document titled “The Use of URLs as Meta-Syntax for Core Mail List Commands and their Transport through Message Header Fields”. Particularly pay attention on how to add header line, although a thorough read won’t take too long.

[Return Path]