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Set Up and Manage Your Unsubscribe Link in Marketo

Configure your Marketo unsubscribe link for use in Knak. Follow best practices to ensure compliance, deliverability, and a consistent unsubscribe experience.

Overview

Knak supports Marketo's system unsubscribe token:

{{system.unsubscribeLink}}

You can use this token directly in your emails. You can also create a Knak merge tag that references the token. Using a merge tag makes the unsubscribe link easier to manage across templates.

Create a Knak Merge Tag for Your Unsubscribe Link

Create a merge tag that maps to Marketo's unsubscribe token.

Create the Unsubscribe Merge Tag

  1. Go to Admin > Integrations.

  2. Select Merge Tags.

  3. Click Create New Merge Tag.

    Create merge tag button highlighted in the merge tags page on the admin side of the platform.

  4. Enter a name, such as Unsubscribe Link.

  5. In the Marketo value field, enter:

    {{system.unsubscribeLink}}

  6. (Optional) Enable Special Link if you want the merge tag to appear in link selectors throughout the editor.

  7. Save the merge tag.

Add the Unsubscribe Merge Tag to an Email

  1. Open your email.

  2. Click inside a text box.

  3. Click Tags in the inline editor.

    Knak email editor with the Tags menu open and the Unsubscribe Link merge tag available for insertion into a text block.

  4. Select your unsubscribe merge tag.

Note: If you enabled Special Link when creating the merge tag, the merge tag appears under Links instead of Tags.

Knak email editor with the Links menu open and the Unsubscribe Link merge tag available for insertion into a text block.

Verify Your Unsubscribe Link

After adding the merge tag, test the unsubscribe experience.

  1. Sync your email to Marketo

  2. Send a test email from Marketo.

  3. Open the email.

  4. Click the unsubscribe link.

  5. Confirm the unsubscribe page loads correctly.

  6. Confirm the unsubscribe process completes successfully.

Note: The unsubscribe token is generated by Marketo. You must sync your email to Marketo before testing the unsubscribe link.

If the email has not been synced to Marketo, the unsubscribe token cannot be resolved and the link will not work.

Unsubscribe Link Best Practices

Follow these recommendations to ensure your unsubscribe link functions correctly.

Use the Default Marketo Token

Use Marketo's default system unsubscribe token:

{{system.unsubscribeLink}}

You can use the token directly in your email. You can also create a merge tag that references the token.

Do not:

  • Modify the token

  • Wrap the token in custom code

  • Add conditional logic around the token

  • Place the token inside dynamic content

Marketo manages the unsubscribe process through this system token. Changes may affect functionality or compliance.

Treat the Unsubscribe Link as a System Element

Marketo controls how the unsubscribe link is rendered and processed.

For best results:

  • Place the unsubscribe link in a static section of your email

  • Keep the link outside dynamic content blocks

  • Avoid personalization logic around the unsubscribe link

Avoid Dynamic Content

Dynamic content can interfere with how the unsubscribe link is rendered or tracked.

This may create an inconsistent experience for recipients.

Localize Your Unsubscribe Experience

Translate Only the Link Text

Translate the text surrounding the unsubscribe link. Do not translate the token itself.

The token remains the same in every language: {{system.unsubscribeLink}}

Examples

English

  • Text: Click here to unsubscribe {{system.unsubscribeLink}}

English email footer showing the unsubscribe token.

French

  • Text: Cliquez ici pour vous désabonner {{system.unsubscribeLink}}

French email footer showing the same unsubscribe token.

Use Language-Specific Unsubscribe Pages

If you require a fully localized unsubscribe experience, create dedicated landing pages for each language.

Setup Steps

  1. Create a separate unsubscribe landing page for each language.

  2. Translate the content on each landing page.

  3. Link directly to the appropriate page from each email.

  4. Do not use {{system.unsubscribeLink}} for these links.

Benefits

  • Provides a fully localized experience

  • Gives you complete control over page content and design

  • Creates a more consistent experience across languages

Update Your Unsubscribe Page URL in Marketo (Optional)

Step 1: Open Your Landing Page URL Settings

  1. Locate your unsubscribe landing page in Marketo.

  2. Click Landing Page Actions.

  3. Select URL Tools.

  4. Click Edit URL Settings.

Marketo landing page actions menu showing the URL Tools option and Edit URL Settings command for an unsubscribe landing page.

Step 2: Update the Page URL

  1. In the URL settings, locate the page URL field.

  2. Enter: UnsubscribePage

  3. Save your changes.

Marketo will generate the required URL:

UnsubscribePage.html

Marketo URL Settings window showing the unsubscribe landing page URL set to UnsubscribePage, which generates the required UnsubscribePage.html URL.

Need more help? Contact support via live chat within Knak using the chat bubble in the bottom right corner or email support@knak.com.

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