# The List-Unsubscribe Header and One-Click Unsubscribe > What the List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers are, how one-click unsubscribe works under RFC 8058, what Gmail and Yahoo require from bulk senders, example headers, and how to check yours. Source: https://sendbroadcast.net/list-unsubscribe-header The `List-Unsubscribe` header tells mail apps how to unsubscribe someone from your list. Gmail, Yahoo, Apple Mail and Outlook use it to show an **Unsubscribe** button next to the sender's name. With the `List-Unsubscribe-Post` header added, that button unsubscribes the person in one click, without opening a web page. Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require one-click unsubscribe on bulk marketing mail. ## What the headers look like ```http List-Unsubscribe: , List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click ``` - **`List-Unsubscribe`** holds one or more unsubscribe addresses in angle brackets: an HTTPS URL, a `mailto:` address, or both. It has existed since RFC 2369 in 1998. - **`List-Unsubscribe-Post`** says the HTTPS URL accepts a one-click POST request. It is defined in RFC 8058 and always has the exact value `List-Unsubscribe=One-Click`. ## How one-click unsubscribe works When someone clicks Unsubscribe in their mail app, the mailbox provider sends an HTTP POST to your URL with the body `List-Unsubscribe=One-Click`. Your server unsubscribes that person and returns a success status. The subscriber never sees a page, confirms nothing and logs into nothing. For that to be safe, a few rules apply: - The URL must be HTTPS and identify the subscriber on its own, usually with a unique token. The POST carries no cookies or login. - The request must not require a confirmation step. One click means one click. - Both headers must be covered by your DKIM signature, so no one can tamper with them in transit. - The URL must accept POST. A GET to the same URL can still show a confirmation page for people who click a link in the email body. ## What Gmail and Yahoo require Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require senders of bulk email (Gmail's line is around 5,000 messages a day to its users) to: - support one-click unsubscribe with `List-Unsubscribe` and `List-Unsubscribe-Post` on marketing and subscribed messages - process unsubscribe requests within two days - include a clearly visible unsubscribe link in the message body as well - authenticate with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and keep spam complaints under 0.3% Transactional email, like receipts and password resets, doesn't need an unsubscribe header. Microsoft applies similar authentication rules to large senders to Outlook.com addresses. ## Common mistakes - **A `mailto:` only.** It still shows the Unsubscribe button in some apps, but it isn't one-click. Add an HTTPS URL and `List-Unsubscribe-Post`. - **A URL that needs a login or a confirmation click.** Mailbox providers treat that as not one-click. - **Headers added after signing.** If your sending service adds the headers after DKIM signing, they aren't covered. Check the `h=` list in your DKIM-Signature. - **Unsubscribes that don't stick.** If a POST unsubscribes someone but your next import or sync re-subscribes them, complaints follow. ## How to check your headers Send a test to a Gmail address, open it and choose **Show original**. Look for both headers. Or paste the original message into our [email header analyzer](/tools/free-email-header-analyzer), which flags a missing `List-Unsubscribe` on bulk mail and a missing `List-Unsubscribe-Post`. The [deliverability test](/tools/free-email-deliverability-test) includes the same check in its score. ## How Broadcast handles it Broadcast adds both headers by default on every email server you connect, with a unique, signed unsubscribe URL for each subscriber, so one-click unsubscribe works without any setup. You can turn the headers off for a server that only sends transactional email, and transactional emails sent through the API don't carry them unless you ask. The [unsubscribe settings](/docs/unsubscribe-settings) documentation has the details. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the List-Unsubscribe header? An email header that gives mail apps a way to unsubscribe the recipient, through a URL, an email address or both. Mail apps use it to show a built-in Unsubscribe button. ### What is one-click unsubscribe? Unsubscribing in a single click from the mail app, with no web page or confirmation. It needs the `List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click` header and an HTTPS URL that accepts POST, as defined in RFC 8058. ### Is one-click unsubscribe required? For bulk marketing email to Gmail and Yahoo users, yes, since 2024. It is good practice for any list. ### Does the unsubscribe link in my footer count? You still need one, but it doesn't replace the headers. Gmail and Yahoo require both the header-based one-click unsubscribe and a visible link in the message. --- ## Related - [Free email header analyzer](/tools/free-email-header-analyzer) - [Why your emails land in spam](/how-to/emails-going-to-spam) - [The self-hosted deliverability guide](/deliverability) - [Hard bounce vs soft bounce](/hard-bounce-vs-soft-bounce)