Adding a link to unsubscribe from marketing messages is not only a matter of good user experience, but also a requirement resulting from personal data protection regulations such as GDPR. In WooCommerce, we can implement this functionality in several ways – from simple template modifications to using dedicated plugins.
1️⃣ Adding an unsubscribe link to email templates
By default, WooCommerce sends transactional emails (e.g., order confirmations) that do not require an unsubscribe option. However, for promotional messages, it’s a good idea to give the client the ability to opt out of subscriptions.
🔧 How to do this:
1. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Emails.
2. Select the email template (e.g., “Order Completed”).
3. Click “Duplicate file to theme” to edit it locally.
4. Open the email-footer.php file, located at /wp-content/themes/your-theme/woocommerce/emails/email-footer.php
5. Add the following HTML/PHP code at the end of the message:
📌 Make sure the URL leads to a page where users can unsubscribe, which we will create next.
2️⃣ Creating an unsubscribe page
To make the link functional, we need to prepare the target page where users can unsubscribe from the newsletter.
➕ Step-by-step:
1. Go to Pages > Add New.
2. Name the page (e.g., “Unsubscribe” or “Stop Email”).
3. Add a short description (e.g., “Enter your email address to unsubscribe”).
4. Insert an unsubscribe form – you can create it:
* Using a newsletter plugin
* By coding it manually
5. Customize the form and page as needed.
3️⃣ Using plugins
If you prefer not to code or want to make the process easier, you can use plugins that offer automatic unsubscribe functionality.
🔧 How to do this:
1. Go to Plugins > Add New.
2. Install and activate a plugin like “Unsubscribe” or “Email Unsubscriber”.
3. Configure the plugin settings to enable the unsubscribe link.
4. Customize the appearance and content of the notification message.
4️⃣ Manual handling of unsubscribes
If you don’t use newsletter plugins or prefer manual control:
✉️ Method:
1. Create a mailbox with the address wypisz@your-store.pl (or any other name).
2. In the email footer, add a message like this:
“If you no longer want to receive emails, please respond to this email by typing ‘Unsubscribe me’.”
3. Regularly check the mailbox and manually remove addresses from your mailing list.
📉 Note: This method is time-consuming and prone to errors – recommended only for very small lists.
✅ Summary
Adding an unsubscribe link in WooCommerce emails is not just a courtesy, but also a requirement based on data protection regulations. You can implement this functionality in several ways:
* Editing email templates
* Creating a separate page with an unsubscribe form
* Using plugins that automate the process
* Manual handling of unsubscribes (not recommended for large lists)
The table below summarizes the methods and their characteristics:
