> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.flowforth.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing Email Preferences and Unsubscribes

> Learn how recipients manage their email settings and how you can help troubleshoot subscription issues in Flowforth.

Email recipients can control the types of messages they receive from your organization. Flowforth ensures that your emails comply with best practices and respect user preferences.

***

## How Recipients Manage Their Preferences

At the bottom of every email sent through Flowforth, there are two links:

* **Unsubscribe**
* **Update Your Preferences**

Clicking unsubscribe will take the recipient to a page to confirm their unsubscribe with a button click to prevent any accidental unsubscribes.

Clicking the preferences link will take the recipient to a preferences page where they can:

* **Unsubscribe from all emails**, or
* **Choose specific email categories** they want to continue receiving

See [The Email Preference Center](/people/email-preference-center) for everything recipients can do on that page.

<Note>
  Some email apps (like Gmail and Apple Mail) show their own **Unsubscribe**
  button at the top of the email. That button unsubscribes the recipient from
  **all** of your organization's emails — it does not offer category choices.
  Recipients who only want to opt out of certain categories should use the
  **Update Your Preferences** link in the email footer instead.
</Note>

***

## Troubleshooting: A Recipient Isn’t Getting Emails

If someone reaches out saying they aren’t receiving your emails, you can check their subscription status.

1. Go to the **People** section.
2. Search by their **name** or **email address**.
3. Click on their name to open their person page.

From there, you can:

* Click **Resubscribe** in the top right to resubscribe them to all emails
* Go to the **Details** tab to resubscribe them to specific email categories they unsubscribed from
* If their status is **Cleaned**, check the **Emails Received** tab on their person page to see if there are any bounces. This can help you understand why the address was cleaned and whether the issue can be resolved.

When you resubscribe a **Cleaned** contact, you'll have the option to **protect this email from being cleaned again**. Enable this only when you're confident the address is valid and wants your emails — once protected, Flowforth won't automatically clean it if it bounces or reports spam in the future.

<Note>
  Subscription status is tied to the email address, not the individual person.
  Resubscribing or unsubscribing affects **everyone in your account** who uses
  that address as their primary or Flowforth-only email. Learn more in [Shared
  Email Addresses](/people/shared-email-addresses).
</Note>

## Unsubscribing Someone on Their Behalf

If someone reaches out asking to be unsubscribed:

1. Go to the **People** section and find their profile.
2. Click on their name to open their person page.
3. Click the **Unsubscribe** button in the top right to unsubscribe them from all emails.

<Note>
  You cannot unsubscribe a person from a specific category on their behalf. Only
  the recipient can manage category-level preferences through the preferences
  link in the email footer.
</Note>

***

## Suppressed Emails

A **Suppressed** status means the email address has been placed on our email provider's suppression list. This typically happens because the address previously hard-bounced or received spam complaints. While the suppression is active, no emails can be delivered to this address.

You can resubscribe a suppressed contact right from their person page, the same way you would for any other status. Doing so **removes the address from our email provider's suppression list** so they can receive your emails again. Just like resubscribing a **Cleaned** contact, you'll be offered the option to **protect the address from being cleaned again**.

<Warning>
  Only resubscribe a suppressed contact when you have their explicit permission.
  Addresses land on the suppression list after hard bounces or spam complaints,
  so resubscribing without confirming the person wants your emails can hurt your
  sending reputation.
</Warning>

***

## Best Practices for Targeting

To avoid unsubscribes or spam complaints:

* Use **targeted lists** in Planning Center to ensure people only receive relevant messages.
* Avoid sending bulk emails to people who didn’t ask for them.

<Note>
  A recipient’s unsubscribe status in Flowforth does not affect their Planning
  Center account.
</Note>

***

If you need help resolving an issue, contact [support@flowforth.co](mailto:support@flowforth.co).