Preference Management for Email Unsubscribes in Sparkforge

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

Preference Management lets each location create email subscription categories, attach them to campaigns, and automatically suppress contacts who opt out of a category. Enable it under Agency Settings > Labs — once on, it cannot be turned off.

Preference Management gives contacts control over the types of marketing email they receive. Each location creates its own subscription categories, links them to campaigns, and Sparkforge filters audiences automatically when a contact opts out of a category.

Enable before use (Labs feature)

Turn on the Preference Management (Required) toggle from Agency Settings > Labs for all sub-accounts or specific locations.

Important: activation is irreversible. Because the feature introduces location-level unsubscribe controls, it cannot be turned off after enabling. There are no default categories — create your own.

What Preference Management does

Honors each contact's category-level email choices automatically.
Reduces spam complaints and protects sender reputation.
Sends more relevant content because contacts opt into the topics they want.
Lets each location define categories that match its marketing program.

Preference Types

Preference Types are the granular categories — Newsletters, Promotions, Event Updates, etc. Live under Settings > Preference Management Hub. Names support up to 100 characters and can be edited, disabled, or deleted at any time.

Linking preferences to campaigns

Assigning a preference category to a campaign tells Sparkforge why the message is being sent. The system filters audiences before delivery — contacts who opted out of that category are excluded from current and future sends, even if they remain on the static list.

Set up Preference Management

Step 1: Create Preference Types

Go to Settings > Preference Management Hub at the location level.
Click + Create Subscription Type.
Enter a clear Subscription Name and Description.
Save and confirm.
Repeat for each category you want to use.

Step 2: Assign preferences to campaigns

Open the email campaign and click Send or Schedule.
Choose the Preference Type from the dropdown.

Manage preferences for a contact

Open Contacts, select the contact, open the DND tab, and click Subscription Status.
Set each Preference Type to Subscribed or Unsubscribed.
To resubscribe a contact, the location must provide a legal basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does category opt-out differ from a global unsubscribe?

A category opt-out suppresses only the selected topics. A global unsubscribe removes the contact from all marketing email from the location.

Can contacts manage their own preferences?

Yes. When Preference Management is on, the unsubscribe link includes a "Manage your preferences" option where contacts adjust category-level choices directly.

Do workflow emails honor category preferences?

Yes. Automatic filtering removes contacts whose preferences conflict with the assigned category, regardless of how they entered the audience.

Can Preference Management be turned off after enabling?

No. It is irreversible. Because it introduces location-level unsubscribe controls, activation cannot be undone. Enable it only when ready to commit.

Is there a limit on the number of Preference Types?

No. Create as many categories as your email program needs. Names support up to 100 characters and are editable after creation.