What are ethical unsubscribe design practices (no dark patterns)?

Ethical unsubscribe design puts the subscriber's choice first. The unsubscribe link should be visible, not buried in tiny gray text at the bottom of the email. It should be easy to find and easy to complete.

Dark patterns to avoid: requiring a login to unsubscribe, hiding the link behind multiple clicks, presenting guilt-inducing copy ("We'll miss you so much!"), using confusing double negatives ("Uncheck this box to not receive fewer emails"), or making the unsubscribe button smaller than surrounding elements.

Best practices: one-click unsubscribe when possible, immediate confirmation, no waiting periods, and no attempts to talk them out of it. If you offer a preference center, make "unsubscribe from all" a clear option rather than forcing them to toggle off dozens of categories.

The Gmail and Yahoo 2024 requirements mandate one-click unsubscribe via the List-Unsubscribe header. This isn't just ethical; it's now required for bulk senders. Let them leave gracefully, and they might return. Trap them, and they'll mark you as spam instead.