Email marketing compliance isn’t just about unsubscribe links — it’s about giving contacts control over what they receive. GoHighLevel’s new Email Preference Management feature lets you manage unsubscribes by email category, not just globally, improving engagement, deliverability, and compliance.

If you’re running campaigns, workflows, or a SaaS CRM built on GoHighLevel, this is a must-use feature.

What Is Email Preference Management in GoHighLevel?

Email Preference Management allows you to create subscription categories (also called preference types) and assign them to email campaigns.

Instead of contacts unsubscribing from everything, they can opt out of specific types of emails, such as:

• Newsletters

• Promotional offers

• Event invitations

• Product updates

GoHighLevel automatically excludes contacts from campaigns they’ve opted out of — even if they’re still in your lists or workflows.

Why Preference-Based Unsubscribes Matter

Using preference categories gives you several important advantages:

✅ Better Email Compliance

Preference management helps meet requirements under CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and similar regulations by respecting granular unsubscribe choices.

✅ Higher Deliverability

Sending fewer unwanted emails reduces spam complaints and protects your sending reputation.

✅ Better Engagement

Contacts receive only content they care about, which improves open rates and click-through rates.

✅ SaaS & Agency Friendly

Each GoHighLevel location can manage its own preferences — ideal for agencies and SaaS resellers.

How Preference Types Work

A preference type is a label that defines what kind of email content you’re sending.

For example:

• Marketing Updates

• Educational Content

• Special Offers

When an email campaign is linked to a preference type:

• Contacts who are unsubscribed from that category are automatically excluded

• Contacts remain subscribed to other categories unless they opt out

This gives you fine-grained control without losing your entire list.

How to Set Up Email Preference Management in GoHighLevel

Step 1: Create Preference Types

1. Go to Settings → Preferences (inside a sub-account/location)

2. Click Create Subscription Type

3. Add:

• Preference name (e.g. “Weekly Newsletter”)

• Short description explaining the content

4. Save

Repeat this for every email category you plan to use.

Step 2: Assign Preferences to Email Campaigns

Once your preference types are created:

1. Open an Email Campaign

2. Click Send or Schedule

3. Select the appropriate Preference Type

4. Save and send

This step is critical — without assigning a preference, GoHighLevel can’t apply unsubscribe rules correctly.

Managing Preferences for Individual Contacts

You can view or update a contact’s subscription status manually:

1. Open the contact record

2. Go to the DND (Do Not Disturb) tab

3. Click Subscription Status

4. Toggle each preference:

• Subscribed

• Unsubscribed

⚠️ If a contact unsubscribes themselves, you should only re-subscribe them with proper consent.

What Contacts See When They Unsubscribe

When preference management is enabled, your unsubscribe link includes an option to manage email preferences.

Contacts can:

• Opt out of specific email categories

• Stay subscribed to others

• Fully unsubscribe if they choose

This improves trust and reduces total opt-outs.

Preference Management vs Global Unsubscribe

Best Practices for GoHighLevel Users

• Use clear, simple preference names

• Don’t overload with too many categories

• Assign preferences to every email campaign

• Regularly review unsubscribe rates by category

• Combine preferences with segmentation for better targeting

Final Thoughts

Email Preference Management in GoHighLevel helps you send smarter, more respectful email campaigns — without sacrificing reach or compliance.

If you’re running:

• An agency

• A SaaS CRM

• Automated workflows

• Long-term nurture campaigns

…this feature should be part of your standard setup.