Single Opt-in vs Double Opt-in: What Is Better for Your Brand?

This article has been updated to maintain its accuracy and relevance.

Most email marketers will tell you: lead generation is the bread and butter of your email marketing strategy. 

Think of your email newsletter like a cafe. You need the regulars who show up, sit at the counter, and order a coffee every morning by 6 A.M. 

These ride-or-die customers keep your cafe (newsletter) going and are  the absolute best feedback source . Trust me, they’ll let you know if the coffee tastes too bitter or needs to be warmed up. 

Leveraging opt-in methods is one of the best ways to cultivate your email list to ensure that the leads you put your time and energy into are of the highest quality, the digital version of regulars. However,  navigating the tough decisions surrounding opt-in methods is often one of your first obstacles to creating a newsletter. Don’t worry, we got you! 

Which Is Better for Your Email Newsletter–Single or Double Opt-in? 

The answer may be more complicated than you think (and sometimes, the law may decide for you). 

According to double opt-in advocates, requesting clear confirmation before you add an email address to a mailing list is more ethical and improves lead quality. On the other hand, single opt-in advocates argue that double opt-in is an unnecessary obstacle to growth and inconvenient for both customers and marketers.

Both sides have valid points – so how are you supposed to choose?

In this article, we’ll review the purpose, pros, and cons of each option so you feel prepared to make the best choice for your audience and your newsletter.

The Advantages of Single Opt-in vs Double Opt-in

A single opt-in system adds someone to the list after they enter their email on a website, while double opt-in requires an additional layer of confirmation. 

Imagine signing up on a website and immediately receiving marketing materials from them: that’s a single opt-in. Under a double opt-in system, you’ll receive an email requesting permission and won’t receive any marketing materials by email until you expressly consent to it. 

The key advantage of single opt-in is simplicity. When countless brands are competing for attention from busy consumers, adding extra roadblocks like confirmation does prevent interested people from entering your mailing list. This frictionless approach results in faster growth–to the tune of more than 20% (GetResponse, 2024).

You don’t want to make it harder or inconvenient for your subscribers to get your emails and lose interested subscribers who may not have seen the opt-in email. 

Seems like single opt-in is the best option, right? Not so fast. Double opt-in has its advantages too, and the method you choose has to be right for your brand. 

What Is the Purpose of Double Opt-in?

The core purpose of double opt-in is to ensure the quality of mailing lists and filter out low-quality leads. It ensures that only the people who want your emails get your emails. 

Double opt-in is the best way to keep your email list secure as you verify that the sign-up was legitimate and that the inbox you’re sending to is active and monitored. Adding an extra step, the double opt-in confirmation email keeps disinterested people and misspelled addresses off of your mailing list. 

It also prevents emails from being added to your list without the inbox owner’s consent. Whether the email address owner posted their address publicly or submitted their email to a phishing scam, their email may have been added to your list and others by a malicious actor or spam bot. 

This act is known as “revenge spam” and involves signing up an email address for many newsletters without the consent of the inbox owner, flooding them with unwanted marketing materials. Because they didn’t opt-in to your emails, you may be hit with spam and abuse reports that could hurt your domain reputation and impact your email deliverability.  

The extra layer of security offered by double opt-in assures that the sign-up was made by the inbox’s owner, and they want to receive your emails. 

Pro tip: learn how to set up 2-Factor Authentication on beehiiv to keep your account as secure as possible.

Further, using double opt-in weeds out subscribers who likely wouldn’t engage with future emails. When used in conjunction with good list-cleaning habits, double opt-in can help you get a clearer picture of what’s working and what’s not for your emails by proactively mitigating inactive subscribers. 

Eliminating all of those poor-quality email addresses enhances all five of the key metrics that experts use to measure the success of email campaigns: 

• Delivery

• Conversion

• Bounce rate

• Open rate

• Click-through rates

As a bonus, using double opt-in may boost your open and click-through rates (opting into your newsletter counts as a click!). 

Here’s an example from Productize Services: 

As you can see, your opt-in can be very simple, but still effective! 

Are There Any Alternatives to Double Opt-in?

There are some convenient ways to achieve most of the goals of double opt-in. 

For instance, double confirmation requires users to enter their email address twice on the same page on your website. This cuts down on misspelled email addresses without requiring double opt-in. 

While a single opt-in approach won’t reach the same level of quality assurance as double opt-in, it can come close and still generate more leads. 

You can also ask your audience to reply to your email with a keyword or ask them to answer a question. This will help keep your emails out of spam by telling your subscriber’s inbox that they are engaged and interested in your newsletter. Here’s an example from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s newsletter, Arnold’s Pump Club: 

This works well for Arnold’s Pump Club Team to build a relationship with their audience, as well as help keep their blogs out of spam and in their subscribers' inboxes. 

What Is A Good Opt-in Percentage?

The average statistical rate for email opt-in is 1.95%, according to research by BDow (2023). Out of every one hundred visitors to a website, about two people will sign up for a mailing list. However, no one wants to be average, and this isn’t the standard among email marketing companies. An opt-in percentage of 3-5% is considered good, and opt-in rates above 5% are excellent. 

Is Double Opt-in Best Practice?

Double opt-in is one of the strongest ways to ensure your mailing list is only going to people who want to receive and engage with your emails. The trade-off is potentially losing subscribers who may not want to deal with the inconvenience of opting in a second time or people who may not see the opt-in email. 

According to research by GetResponse, the industry you’re in may play a role in whether you choose to use a double opt-in for your newsletter (GetResponse, 2023). Industries with higher levels of secure information, like healthcare, education, and legal services are most likely to use a double opt-in.

Still on the fence? Double opt-in can also be the best practice when you’re operating in a country with stringent email marketing regulations. 

What Countries Require Double Opt-in?

Most countries don’t have strict rules on opt-in methods for email marketing. Germany is the only country that strictly requires double opt-in, but it’s not the only country where laws make it a good idea. Norway, Luxembourg, Greece, Canada, Austria, and Switzerland have less strict laws, such as Canada’s requirement for “implicit or explicit consent.” 

Depending on the country, double opt-in might not be the only way to stay on the right side of the law. Double opt-in is the best way to achieve explicit consent, but there are many forms of implicit consent that also work within time-sensitive periods. For instance, an inquiry into a company’s product or services is accepted as a sign of implicit consent for up to six months from the date of inquiry under Canada’s law, CASL.  

While double opt-in isn’t a strict requirement in all of these countries, the regulations still strengthen the argument for double opt-in. While a single opt-in approach will have to tailor its approach to local regulations, double opt-in ensures compliance with no more questions asked. 

Should We Enable Double Opt-in?

If security is your highest priority, or if you’re marketing to customers in a country that requires double opt-in, then it’s a good idea to enable double opt-in. You’ll avoid regulatory trouble and exclude many types of low-quality leads from your list. 

Remember, you want the restaurant regulars sitting at your counter. You don’t want someone coming in, taking up space, who never eats at your restaurant. 

In this metaphor, the email list  is your restaurant and your customers are your subscribers. Double opt-in helps to keep your email list filled with high-quality subscribers who want to engage with your content. 

Ready to Grow? Opt-in to beehiiv

At beehiiv, the power is in your hands to use either single opt-in or double opt-in. 

Both options have their perks: double opt-in is the most secure, and single opt-in helps to build your list by offering the simplest and most convenient experience for your audience. 

They also both have their downsides: double opt-in is inconvenient, and it’s easy for your audience to miss the opt-in email; single opt-in isn’t as secure. 

Neither option is right or wrong (except when double opt-in is legally required). The choice is up to you and what makes sense for your brand and subscribers. 

Start your free trial with beehiiv today to build a world-class newsletter tailored to your unique needs and goals.