This page explains the idea in general terms. It is not legal advice. The rules differ by country and by channel, so check with an adviser for your situation.
Why it matters
Consent is what makes marketing welcome rather than intrusive. People who chose to hear from you open more, complain less and buy more. Messaging people who did not agree risks complaints, damage to your sending reputation, and in many places legal penalties.
Opt-in and opt-out
| Approach | How it works | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Opt-in | Nobody is messaged until they say yes | Often required for SMS, messaging apps and some email marketing |
| Opt-out | Messages can be sent until the person says stop | Allowed in some places for existing customers and some channels |
Some regions also expect double opt-in, where the person confirms their sign-up from a message sent to them, which proves the address belongs to them.
Consent is per channel and per topic
Agreeing to a monthly newsletter by email is not agreement to promotional SMS. Good practice is to record consent separately for each channel, such as email, SMS and WhatsApp, and often for each topic, such as product news, offers or events. That lets people say yes to what they want and no to the rest, which keeps more of them on your list.
What to keep a record of
- What the person agreed to, and on which channel.
- When and how they agreed, for example on a form or in a reply.
- When they withdrew, so they are never messaged again by mistake.
Common mistakes
- Pre-ticked boxes. In many places these do not count as consent.
- One consent for everything. Treating a single yes as permission for every channel.
- Hard-to-find unsubscribe links. Unsubscribing should take one click.
- Not syncing withdrawals. If a person unsubscribes in one tool, every other tool must stop too.
A simple way to start
Begin with the channels you actually use. Add a clear, unticked checkbox for each on your sign-up and enquiry forms, with one line saying what people will receive and how often. Record the answer against the person, not in a separate spreadsheet, so every tool that sends messages reads the same consent. Then make sure every marketing message carries an easy way to stop. Review the wording with an adviser for the countries you sell into.
How GuardenerAI handles it
- GuardenerAI Marketing keeps consent per channel and per subscription topic, on the same person records as the CRM.
- Each workspace chooses whether it works opt-in (only people who agreed are messaged) or opt-out (people are messaged until they unsubscribe).
- Consent is checked at send time, so someone who unsubscribes is skipped by every campaign and journey from then on.
- Every marketing email links to a public unsubscribe page, and unsubscribes, hard bounces and spam complaints are added to suppressions automatically.
- Consent can be used as a segment condition, so a journey can split between people who agreed to WhatsApp and people who only agreed to email.
- Online store connectors bring a customer’s email consent across when customers are synced; see Shopify.