Double opt-in step-by-step set up

The process of implementing Double opt-in in your organization may seem complicated. Now that you know what this mechanism is, we encourage you to read on, where we explain everything step by step!

Step 1: Enabling the feature in settings

Before you start configuring Double opt-in for specific compliance profiles, you must enable this functionality at the system level.

• Go to Settings and find Feature switches in the Overview category.
• Set the Double opt-in switch to On.
• Select Save in the upper right corner of the page.

Enabling the function switch does not automatically enable Double opt-in for all submitted forms. It only allows you to use this functionality. Additional configuration is required to enable Double opt-in for different compliance profiles in the system.

Step 2: Configure Double opt-in for your compliance profile

Understanding compliance profiles

Double opt-in is configured separately for each compliance profile. A consent profile is a set of consent settings that can be linked to forms and marketing communications. When Double opt-in is enabled for a consent profile, all newly created forms that collect consent for the purposes and topics of that consent profile automatically have Double opt-in enabled.

Compliance profile configuration

After enabling the function switch, you can go to any compliance profile and navigate to the Double opt-In tab to enable this functionality for that profile.

Configuration process

Starting the setup

• In the Double opt-in tab, select the Set up Double opt-in button.
• The system will automatically start the process of creating the necessary elements.

Progress monitoring

• The configuration runs asynchronously, allowing you to work in other areas of the product without affecting the setup.
• You can return to the configuration process at any time – it will always display the latest progress information.

Review and edit the confirmation email

• Once setup is complete, you will find a link to the confirmation email that the system has created on your behalf in “ready to send” status.
• You should review this email and edit it according to your business needs (more in step 3: Confirmation email details).
• The email uses the system’s default brand profile and the default sender from the brand profile.

Review and edit the acquisition process

• A triggered journey is also created, which sends this confirmation email to every customer who submits the form (more in step 4: Configure the confirmation acquisition process).
• The triggered journey is published and active, but will not direct any users until the Double opt-in switch is enabled for the compliance profile.

Shipping conditions configuration

• You can choose whether the Double opt-in email is sent every time a form is submitted or only to newly created customers.
• A customer is considered new if there is no contact point consent for their email address within the selected compliance profile.

Confirmation page configuration

• Specify the message you want to show customers after they click the preference confirmation button in the confirmation email. You can choose:
• Redirecting the customer to a URL of your choice.
• A confirmation page hosted by the system with a message of your choice.

Enabling Double opt-in

• After reviewing and editing your email, go to the Double opt-in tab of your consent profile and enable it.
• This ensures that all new submitted forms (that collect consent for compliance profile purposes and topics) automatically go through the Double opt-in journey.

• To ensure that the Double opt-in process works correctly, each form can only contain elements from one compliance profile at a time.
• Enabling Double opt-in for a compliance profile will enable the Double opt-in flow only for forms created after the feature switch is enabled.
• Forms that existed before the feature was enabled will have Double opt-in disabled by default, but this can be changed manually.

Step 3: Details of the confirmation email

The system automatically generates a Double opt-in confirmation email for the compliance profile after the configuration is initiated. The email is created based on the default template provided with the product.

Key elements of an email

• Content type: The email displays the content type of the confirmation message, which cannot be changed.
• Compliance profile: The email’s compliance profile is set to the compliance profile for which the Double opt-in configuration was initiated. The target is set to the transactional target of the compliance profile.
• Naming convention: The email uses a naming convention that includes the name of the compliance profile, making it easier to find in the list of all emails in the system.
• Personalization attributes:
• {{OptedInPurposes&Topics}} – List of all purposes or topics that the user agreed to before submitting the form.
• {{CompanyAddress}} – Company address from the compliance profile.
• Preference confirmation button – contains a personalized confirmation link that allows the user to confirm their preferences.

• Do not remove the preference confirmation button or the {{OptedinPurposes&Topics}} token, as you will have to start over from the Double opt-in template to recover them.
• If this email is deleted, the Double opt-in acquisition process will not work properly.
• In cases where a default brand profile does not exist for the entire organization or for a specific business unit (if there are multiple business units), email creation will fail and will not resolve until a default brand profile is created.

Step 4: Configure the confirming acquisition process

The system automatically generates a Double opt-in confirmation journey and publishes it. Starting in July 2024, you can edit these acquisition processes to tailor the Double opt-in flow to your business needs.

Process acquisition editing capabilities

• Reminder emails: You can send a reminder email if a customer has not confirmed their preferences within a specified time frame.
• Different emails for segments: You can send a different confirmation email to a specific set of customers.
• Advanced scenarios: Customize the flow to specific business requirements.

Step 5: Overwriting settings at the form level

When Double opt-in is enabled for a compliance profile, submitting any qualifying form that collects consent for the purposes/topics of that compliance profile automatically triggers the Double opt-in process, and the contact/lead submitting the form receives a confirmation email.

However, sometimes you may want a specific form not to trigger the Double opt-in flow. In this case, a user with sufficient permissions (for example, permissions to edit both forms and compliance profiles) can go to the form settings and manually disable Double opt-in, even if Double opt-in settings are enabled for the compliance profile.

Once Double opt-in is disabled for a form, it remains disabled regardless of the Double opt-in status at the compliance profile level.

Best practices

• Customize the email template: Always review and customize the automatically generated confirmation email to match your brand and communication tone.
• Testing: Test the entire flow before launch using test email addresses.
• User communication: Ensure that the page after submitting the form clearly informs users to check their email and confirm their consent.
• Metrics monitoring: Regularly check confirmation rates to identify potential issues (e.g., a low confirmation rate may indicate email deliverability issues).
• Thank you page: Ensure you have a professional confirmation page that reinforces a positive user experience.
• Reminder emails: Consider setting up reminder emails for users who have not confirmed their consent within a specified time frame (possible after editing the journey).
• Internal documentation: Document your Double opt-in configuration for your team to ensure consistency and facilitate future updates.

Summary

Thanks to process automation and flexible configuration options, Customer Insights – Journeys enables effective implementation of Double opt-in without significantly increasing the operational burden. In this case, it is crucial to carefully plan the implementation, tailor communication to the brand’s needs, and regularly monitor performance indicators. By following the steps and best practices outlined above, you will be able to effectively implement Double opt-in without having to search through documentation for explanations of the processes.

Sources:

• Microsoft Learn – Double opt-in in real-time journeys
• Microsoft Learn – Improve engagement and compliance with Double opt-in
• Microsoft Learn – Double opt-in and GDPR