How to Set up Pardot Resubscribe – Let Prospects Opt Back In
By Lucy Mazalon
September 23, 2019
The Pardot August ‘19 release brought Automated Resubscribe – the ability for Prospects to opt back in once opted-out. In short, this prompts prospects to send themselves a resubscribe email when they fill out a form, which confirms their subscription and verifies their identity.
Pardot released a setting less than a year ago, that allows marketers to opt prospects back in by overwriting the ‘Email Opt Out’ field, from true to false (opted-out to not opted-out). Previously, a checked opted-out field wouldn’t override, to protect email preferences. This further enhancement means Prospects can essentially self-service, and therefore, is one more pain point in email preference management ticked off. The Pardot team can finally retire the 7000 points racked up on the IdeaExchange.
The Resubscribe Customer Experience
What this feature means in practical terms for your customer experience:
Form Prompt: a warning message appears on Pardot forms (if an opted-out email address is entered in the email field).
Resubscribe Email: sends a resubscribe autoresponder email (using a template you set).
How to Set Up Resubscribe in Pardot
Here’s a quick summary of what you need to do to get your account prepared:
Create Resubscribe Email Template
Enable Prospect Resubscribe in your account settings
The new Pardot merge language (HML) is a pre-requisite for this setup. Find out more here.
Step 1: Create Resubscribe Email Template
The automated resubscribe email needs to be an email template. This email should explain why they are receiving the email, and inviting them to click on the confirmation link.
When you create the email template, you need to include the resubscribe link. You can do this in two ways:
Merge Tag via the Merge Field Picker (if you have HML enabled):
Or, via the Email Builder hyperlink pop-up. The resubscribe link can be selected from the dropdown menu:
Tip: you should consider embedding the resubscribe link as an eye-catching button in your email template, to ensure it’s not missed.
Step 2: Enable Prospect Resubscribe
Next, head to your Pardot Settings (‘Account Settings’ in Pardot Classic).
Click the ‘edit’ button, and scroll down (the ‘Prospect Resubscribe’ section is only visible on the edit screen).
Check the checkbox, and select your email template.
After you’ve save, the prompt message will be automatically activated for your Pardot forms. When an opted out prospect enters their email address, Pardot will detect their opted-out status and show them the message below:
Step 3: Customise Your Form Message (Optional)
Do you need a different message to appear on a specific form? Or translate the message on localised forms?
You have the ability to amend the message at the form level, using the ‘Resubscribe’ tab in the Pardot Form Wizard (new in the January 2020 release).
Summary
This post has covered how to set up and activate automated Prospect resubscribe. Now, Prospects have the ability to self-service, and opt themselves back in – one more pain point in email preference management ticked off!
The Author
Lucy Mazalon
Lucy is the Operations Director at Salesforce Ben. She is a 10x certified Marketing Champion and founder of The DRIP.
Just wondering if instead of linking CLICK HERE on the form to an email, I can link it to the resubscribe merge field (and select 'open in new tab'). My predicament is that if someone signs up for an event through the registration form and can conclude their registration without first resubscribing, they will be pushed into a registration programme as unmailable and never receive the automated communication. In my case I need to make sure they resubscribe before submitting any form. How can I achieve this?
Many thanks
Hi Annalisa, a predicament indeed! I would say that linking to the resubscribe merge field directly on the form won't be possible. When the resubscribe merge field is added to an email, Pardot rewrites the link upon sending to make it unique to that specific prospect.
Doesn't the resubscribe functionality block them from submitting the form? If not, maybe have an automation rule that would notify you if someone opted out submits your event registration form? At least then you will be able to monitor that.
Hello. I'm not seeing 1. the option for a resubscribe link in the hyperlink popup nor 2. the resubscibe area in the settings. Is this only available with certain versions of Pardot? or have they taken the capability away? This would be huge for our business and would really benefit from this addition. Please let me know!
Two questions: 1) is it possible to mimic this functionality if not using a Pardot form? Like if prospect info is submitted via API and they are opted out can we trigger the resubscribe email automatically? 2) Is it possible for the resubscribe page to be similar to the preference page where it shows multiple list options?
Hi Steve, just seems you can only to this on Pardot Forms...I guess because it is configured through the form Builder too. I wonder if anyone has configured a solution to handle this with Form Handlers? Good luck!
Hi Dan, it seems that this is only available for Pardot Forms. Let me take this away and have a think about it - I have not worked much with the API so I can't advise. I wonder if you are able to customise the Resubscribe page just like you are the Unsubscribe page?
What if the prospect emails you via your help form or contact a client rep. Do we have to direct them to this form or is there an actual field where a Pardot user or the Pardot admin can resubscribe the prospect?
Hello,
I have an issue with this option. My forms are implemented by iframe code on wordpress CMS and that doesn't work when we click on the hyperlink... However when i test the form online on Pardot with the button "view online", that works...
Did you heard something about a similar issue ?
Thank you,
Hi Clémentine, no I haven't heard about anyone else having that issue, sorry. I would try asking on the Trailblazer community group: https://success.salesforce.com/0F9300000001qUi
Is the please click here link the link to the email template? How would the email template fire? When the person clicks the link to the email template, an email will be sent to him?
Exactly, when you choose that template in the Pardot Settings, then it will be sent automatically (just like an autoresponder). Does that clear up your query?
Hi Olivia,
You would need to test this because I do not know the definite answer. However, I believe it would follow the behaviour for 'Overwrite Prospect Opted Out field setting. This is taken from the documentation: "If Do Not Email and Prospect Opted Out are selected, opting that prospect in from Salesforce or Pardot deselects Do Not Email upon sync, unless Hard Bounced is marked on the prospect record."
There's a table on this page that explains what would happen in each scenario:
https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=pardot_sf_connector_optout_setting.htm&type=5
Let me know how you get on!
Hi Kristy, for this I suggest you take a look at this article, where there’s a table that explains what would happen in each scenario:
https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=pardot_sf_connector_optout_setting.htm&type=5
Hope that helps!
I'm trying to figure this out too. My colleagues really prefer the way we currently handle forms, and it will be a bit of a pain to replace our forms with Pardot ones.
Hi Dan - Wondering if you found a way to make your resubscribe page similar to your preference center? It seems the resubscribe link is the same as the unsub link as far as being able to edit the page.
For each form handler I have created a completion action to send an autoresponder. For the autoresponder I use my resubscribe template and it works fine.
Hi, i have multiple forms in my BU. I don't need this resubscribe functionality in one of these forms. Is it possible to remove this from one form and keep it in others?
Hi! No, it will be activated across all forms across your Pardot app. Which makes sense - why wouldn't you want people opting back in if they are trying to submit a form?
Hello, I've just set this up and it works, but when they click the link in the email, it takes them to the unsubscribe landing page? Does this page serve dual purposes? If so we might need to change the wording, as it currently confirms that they have been unsubscribed from all emails. Thank you
How can we opt back in prospects who had scanned their badges during an event? They are not visiting our website or to submit any form. Just attended an event and by allowing to scan their badges they are agreeing that that would like to subscribe to receive marking emails.
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