SureContact Double Opt-In Guide

SureContact’s Double Opt-In (DOI) feature adds a mandatory email confirmation step to your contact subscription flow. When enabled, contacts are placed in Pending status and only become Active and eligible to receive campaigns after clicking a confirmation link in a verification email.

This guide covers how to enable and configure Double Opt-In, how the confirmation flow works end-to-end, how to use automation triggers and reminder actions, and how to manage contacts who have not yet confirmed.

Prerequisites

Before enabling Double Opt-In, please ensure the following:

1. SMTP Must Be Configured

The Double Opt-In toggle requires a working SMTP connection before it can be enabled. Set up your SMTP provider under Settings → Email before proceeding.

2. A Confirmation Email Template Must Exist

You need at least one email template that includes the {{email_optin_url}} variable. Only templates containing this variable will appear in the Confirmation Email Template dropdown. Create the template first under Library → Templates.

How to Enable Double Opt-In

Follow these steps to configure Double Opt-In for your workspace.

1. Navigate to Settings

• From the left sidebar, click Settings.
• Scroll down the Settings page until you reach the Double Opt-In section.

2. Enable the Double Opt-In Toggle

• Click the toggle next to Enable Double Opt-In to turn it on.

• Once enabled, all new contacts from the configured sources will be placed in Pending status until they confirm.

3. Select a Confirmation Email Template

• Under Confirmation Email Template, choose the template that contains {{email_optin_url}}.
• Only templates containing that variable are listed. If the dropdown is empty, create a template first.
• The template is sent automatically whenever a contact triggers the DOI flow.

4. Configure Contact Sources

Choose which contact sources require Double Opt-In confirmation:

• API – Contacts created via the SureContact REST API.
• WP Users & Forms – Contacts from WordPress user sync or WPForms submissions.
• Automation Webhook – Contacts created through webhook-triggered automations.
• Manual Entry – Contacts added manually in the workspace.

5. (Optional) Filter by Lists

• Toggle on Filter by lists to restrict DOI to specific contact lists.
• Include mode: Only contacts added to the selected lists trigger DOI.
• Exclude mode: Contacts added to the selected lists skip DOI; all others trigger it.

6. (Optional) Set a Redirect URL

• Enter a URL in the Redirect URL field to send contacts to a custom page after confirming.
• Leave blank to show the default SureContact confirmation page.

7. Save Changes

• Click Save Changes. Double Opt-In is now active for all configured sources.

The Double Opt-In Flow

When DOI is enabled, every new contact from a configured source goes through the following steps:

Step 1 – Contact is Created

• SureContact checks: Is DOI enabled? Is the contact’s source configured? Does it pass the list filter?
• If all checks pass, the contact’s status is set to Pending and the confirmation email is sent immediately.

Step 2 – Confirmation Email is Sent

• The email uses your chosen template. The {{email_optin_url}} variable is replaced with the contact’s unique confirmation link.
• The link is valid for the configured Token Expiry period (default: 72 hours).

Step 3 – Contact Clicks the Link

• The contact is taken to a branded confirmation page reflecting your workspace colors, logo, and fonts.
• The page is publicly accessible – no login required.

Step 4 – Contact Confirms

SureContact validates the token: it must exist, not be expired, not already be used, and the contact must still be Pending. On success:

• Contact status changes to Active.
• The opted_in_at timestamp is recorded on the contact record.
• Any automations using the Opt-In Confirmed trigger are fired.
• The contact is redirected to your configured Redirect URL (if set).

Token Expiry & Resending

Token Expiry

The default confirmation link expiry is 72 hours. You can change this in Settings → Double Opt-In.

If a contact clicks an expired link:

• They see an Expired message on the confirmation page.
• Resend the confirmation email to generate a fresh token.

If a contact clicks an already-confirmed link:

• They see an Already Confirmed message. No further action is needed.

Resending the Confirmation Email

There are two ways to resend the confirmation email:

1. Manually from the Contact Profile

• Navigate to the contact’s profile page.
• The Resend Confirmation Email option appears only if the contact is in Pending status.
• Resending generates a fresh token and resets the expiry timer.

2. Via Automation – Send Opt-In Reminder Action

• Add a Send Opt-In Reminder action to an automation workflow.
• The action only executes if the contact is still in Pending status; it is safe to use in timed sequences.
• Common use: send a reminder 24 hours after the original email if the contact has not confirmed.

Automation Integration

SureContact provides a dedicated trigger and action for building DOI-aware automations.

Trigger: Opt-In Confirmed

The Opt-In Confirmed trigger fires whenever a contact successfully completes the double opt-in confirmation. You can optionally filter by contact source (API, Form, Webhook, or any).

Available trigger variables:

• trigger.source – The source that originally created the contact.
• trigger.confirmed_at – Timestamp when the contact clicked Confirm.
• trigger.opted_in_at – Alias for confirmed_at; recorded on the contact profile.

Common Use Cases for Opt-In Confirmed Trigger:

• Start a welcome email sequence immediately after confirmation.
• Add the contact to a specific list based on their source.
• Apply tags to segment confirmed vs. unconfirmed contacts.

Action: Send Opt-In Reminder

The Send Opt-In Reminder action resends the confirmation email. It silently skips contacts who are no longer in Pending status, making it safe to include in any automation sequence.

Recommended Pattern – 24-Hour Reminder:

• Trigger: Contact Created (any source).
• Wait: 24 hours.
• Action: Send Opt-In Reminder (executes only if still Pending).
• Wait: 48 hours.
• Condition: If contact is still Pending → apply “Unconfirmed” tag or remove from list.

Email Template Variables

Use these variables when building your confirmation email template:

Required

• {{email_optin_url}} – The confirmation link. Must be present or the template will not be selectable.

Optional – Contact Data

• {{contact.first_name}} – Contact’s first name.
• {{contact.full_name}} – Contact’s full name.
• {{contact.email}} – Contact’s email address.

Optional – Workspace & Expiry

• {{workspace.name}} – Your workspace name.
• {{expires_in}} – Human-readable expiry, e.g. “72 hours”.
• {{expiry_hours}} – Expiry as a number, e.g. “72”.

Contact Sources – DOI Behaviour Reference

Sources that trigger DOI (when configured):

• Form submission – triggers DOI if enabled globally or at form level.
• API-created contact – triggers DOI if API is a selected source.
• Automation Webhook – triggers DOI if webhook is a selected source.
• WordPress users/sync – triggers DOI if WP Users & Forms is a selected source.

Sources that always bypass DOI:

• Manual entry – hand-entered contacts bypass DOI regardless of settings.
• CSV / bulk import – always bypasses DOI. This is by design and cannot be overridden.

Form-Level DOI Override:

Individual forms can have their own DOI setting, independent of the global workspace setting. If a form has DOI enabled, it applies to all submissions from that form, even if the global setting is off. Configure this under Forms → [Form Name] → Settings → Double Opt-In.

Need Help?

If you need any assistance, please email [email protected], and our support team will be happy to help you.