> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.fanaura.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# SMS & Email Opt-In
> Consent is not just a legal requirement — it is good practice. Learn how Fanaura handles SMS and email opt-in, opt-out, and compliance so you can market with confidence.
Before you send a single marketing message, you need permission. This is not just about being polite (although that matters too) — it is a legal requirement in most countries. Fanaura is built from the ground up to handle consent properly, so you can focus on connecting with fans while we take care of the compliance details.
This guide covers how opt-in and opt-out works for both SMS and email, what the relevant laws say, and best practices to keep your fans happy and your account in good standing.
Violating consent regulations can result in significant fines — up to \$1,500 per unsolicited SMS message under TCPA. Take consent seriously. Fanaura provides the tools to stay compliant, but you are responsible for using them correctly.
***
## Why Consent Matters
### The Legal Side
Three major regulations govern how you can contact fans:
| Regulation | Scope | What It Covers |
| --------------------------------------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **TCPA** (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) | United States | Regulates text messages and phone calls. Requires prior express written consent for marketing SMS. Violations can cost $500-$1,500 per message. |
| **CAN-SPAM** | United States | Regulates commercial email. Requires clear identification, honest subject lines, physical address in every email, and a working unsubscribe mechanism. |
| **GDPR** (General Data Protection Regulation) | European Union | Regulates all personal data processing. Requires explicit, informed consent before collecting and using data. Fans have the right to access, correct, and delete their data. |
### The Practical Side
Beyond the law, consent is just good marketing:
* **Better deliverability.** Email providers and carriers look at engagement. When you only message people who want to hear from you, your open rates and delivery rates are higher.
* **Lower unsubscribe rates.** Fans who opted in are far less likely to unsubscribe than fans who never asked to be contacted.
* **Stronger relationships.** When a fan says "yes, I want to hear from you," they are telling you they care. Honor that.
* **No spam complaints.** Spam complaints hurt your sending reputation. Opted-in fans do not report you as spam.
***
## SMS Opt-In
### How Fans Opt In to SMS
There are two primary ways a fan can opt in to receive SMS marketing from you:
When you create a smart link (pre-save page, RSVP page, landing page) with a phone number field, you can include an SMS opt-in checkbox.
**What the fan sees:**
> \[ ] Yes, I want to receive text messages about new music, events, and merch from \[Artist Name]. Message & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
**What gets recorded:**
* The fan's phone number is saved to their profile.
* The SMS opt-in status flag is set to `true`.
* A consent timestamp is recorded.
* The source of consent is logged (which smart link, which form).
**Setup:**
In the Smart Link builder, add the **Phone Number** field.
Toggle on **SMS Opt-In Checkbox** in the field settings.
Customize the opt-in language if desired (Fanaura provides compliant defaults).
Publish the smart link.
When a fan texts your Fanaura-provisioned phone number for the first time, that action constitutes opt-in.
**What happens:**
1. The fan sends a text to your number (e.g., they saw it on a flyer, social post, or in your link-in-bio).
2. Fanaura creates a fan record with their phone number.
3. The SMS opt-in status flag is set to `true`.
4. A consent timestamp is recorded with Source: SMS.
5. If you have a welcome flow configured, the fan enters it automatically.
6. Your auto-reply (if configured) is sent back immediately.
Promote your artist phone number everywhere — Instagram bio, show flyers, merch inserts, email signatures. When fans text you first, they are giving you the strongest possible form of consent.
### SMS Consent Tracking
Fanaura records the following for every SMS opt-in:
| Data Point | Description |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **SMS Opt-In** | Tracks whether a fan has consented to receive SMS messages |
| **Consent timestamp** | Exact date and time consent was given |
| **Consent source** | How the fan opted in (form name, smart link, or direct text) |
| **IP address** | For form-based opt-ins, the IP from which the form was submitted |
| **Opt-in language** | The exact text of the consent disclosure the fan agreed to |
This data is stored indefinitely and is available if you ever need to prove consent (for a carrier audit, legal inquiry, etc.).
***
## SMS Opt-Out
### How Fans Opt Out
A fan can opt out of SMS at any time by texting **STOP** to your artist phone number.
**What happens when a fan texts STOP:**
Fanaura receives the STOP message.
The fan's SMS opt-in status flag is immediately set to `false` and an opt-out timestamp is recorded.
A confirmation message is sent: *"You have been unsubscribed and will no longer receive text messages from \[Artist Name]. Reply START to re-subscribe."*
The fan is immediately excluded from all future SMS blasts and flows. An "Opt-Out" event is added to their activity timeline.
This process is fully automatic. You do not need to do anything. Fanaura handles the STOP keyword at the system level, before your flows or auto-replies have a chance to process the message.
### Recognized Opt-Out Keywords
Fanaura processes these keywords as opt-out requests (case-insensitive):
* STOP
* STOPALL
* UNSUBSCRIBE
* CANCEL
* END
* QUIT
### Re-Subscribing
If a fan changes their mind, they can text **START** to your number:
1. Fanaura receives the START message.
2. The fan's SMS opt-in status flag is set back to `true`.
3. A new consent timestamp is recorded.
4. A confirmation message is sent: *"Welcome back! You have been re-subscribed to text messages from \[Artist Name]. Reply STOP at any time to unsubscribe."*
### What You Cannot Do
These restrictions exist for legal compliance and cannot be overridden:
* You **cannot** manually override an opt-out. If a fan texted STOP, they must text START to re-subscribe. You cannot flip the flag yourself.
* You **cannot** send SMS to opted-out fans, even from the Conversations tab on their profile. The send button will be disabled.
* You **cannot** add opted-out fans to SMS blast audiences. They are automatically excluded.
***
## Email Opt-In
### How Fans Opt In to Email
Fans consent to email when they provide their email address through one of your Fanaura touchpoints:
When a fan enters their email on a pre-save page, RSVP page, or landing page, that submission constitutes email opt-in.
**What gets recorded:**
* The fan's email is saved to their profile.
* The `email_opt_in` flag is set to `true`.
* A consent timestamp is recorded.
* The source is logged.
When a customer makes a purchase on your Shopify store and has accepted marketing, their email marketing consent carries over to Fanaura.
Fans imported via CSV can be marked as opted in, but you should only do this if you have legitimate prior consent from another platform.
If you are not sure whether imported fans have given consent, import them as leads and re-confirm consent through a dedicated opt-in campaign. Never mark fans as opted-in unless you have proof of their consent.
### Email Consent Tracking
| Data Point | Description |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **email\_opt\_in** | Boolean flag on the fan record (true/false) |
| **Consent timestamp** | Exact date and time consent was given |
| **Consent source** | How the fan opted in |
| **Double opt-in** | Whether the fan confirmed via a confirmation email (if enabled) |
***
## Email Opt-Out (Unsubscribe)
### Unsubscribe Link
Every email sent through Fanaura includes an unsubscribe link in the footer. This is required by CAN-SPAM and GDPR.
**What happens when a fan clicks Unsubscribe:**
1. The fan is taken to an unsubscribe confirmation page.
2. Their `email_opt_in` flag is set to `false`.
3. An opt-out timestamp is recorded.
4. An "Opt-Out" event is added to their activity timeline.
5. They are excluded from all future email blasts and flows.
### One-Click Unsubscribe
Fanaura also supports RFC 8058 one-click unsubscribe, which places an unsubscribe button directly in the email header (visible in Gmail, Apple Mail, and other clients). Fans can unsubscribe without even opening the email body.
This is a compliance requirement for bulk email senders as of 2024, and Fanaura handles it automatically.
### List-Level Unsubscribe
In addition to global unsubscribe, fans can opt out of specific notification lists:
1. In the email footer, alongside the global unsubscribe link, there is a "Manage Preferences" link.
2. The fan sees their notification list subscriptions (New Music, Merch Drops, Tours & Events, etc.).
3. They can unsubscribe from specific lists while remaining subscribed to others.
List-level unsubscribe gives fans granular control and reduces full unsubscribes. A fan who is tired of merch emails might still want tour announcements.
***
## How Fanaura Handles Compliance Automatically
You do not need to be a legal expert to use Fanaura compliantly. The platform handles the following automatically:
| Requirement | How Fanaura Handles It |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Prior consent required | Consent captured and timestamped at every opt-in point |
| STOP must work | STOP keyword processed at system level, immediately and irrevocably |
| Opt-out confirmation | Auto-sent after STOP is received |
| No messages to opted-out fans | Opted-out fans are excluded from all sends, including manual sends |
| Record keeping | Full consent audit trail stored indefinitely |
| Requirement | How Fanaura Handles It |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Unsubscribe link in every email | Automatically included in footer |
| One-click unsubscribe header | Automatically included in email headers |
| Unsubscribe honored within 10 days | Honored instantly (within seconds) |
| Physical address required | Your business address is included in the email footer (configured in Settings) |
| Honest subject lines | Fanaura does not interfere with your subject lines, but avoid deceptive ones |
| No messages to unsubscribed fans | Unsubscribed fans are excluded from all sends |
| Requirement | How Fanaura Handles It |
| ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Explicit consent | Opt-in checkboxes on forms (not pre-checked) |
| Right to access | Fans can request their data (contact support) |
| Right to deletion | You can delete a fan's record entirely from their profile |
| Data processing transparency | Privacy policy link on all forms |
| Consent records | Full audit trail of when and how consent was given |
***
## Viewing Consent Status
### On Fan Profiles
Open any fan's profile and check the Info tab:
* **SMS Opt-In:** Green check (opted in) or red X (opted out / never opted in), with the timestamp of the most recent consent event.
* **Email Opt-In:** Green check (opted in) or red X (opted out / never opted in), with the timestamp.
* **Consent History:** A log of all opt-in and opt-out events for this fan, in chronological order.
### In the Directory
The Directory shows small icons next to email and phone fields indicating opt-in status. You can also filter the Directory by:
* SMS Opt-In: Yes / No
* Email Opt-In: Yes / No
### In Lists
List detail pages show the Email Opt-In Rate and SMS Opt-In Rate for the list, so you know what percentage of the list is actually reachable on each channel.
***
## Double Opt-In (Email)
Double opt-in adds an extra confirmation step for email:
Fan enters their email on a form.
Fanaura sends a confirmation email: "Click here to confirm your subscription."
Fan clicks the link. Only then is their `email_opt_in` flag set to `true`.
### Should You Enable Double Opt-In?
| Pros | Cons |
| -------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Higher quality list (confirmed, real emails) | Lower conversion rate (some fans will not click the confirmation email) |
| Better deliverability | Extra friction in the signup process |
| Required by some interpretations of GDPR | May lose 10-20% of signups who do not complete confirmation |
| Proof of consent is stronger | Slower list growth |
For US audiences, single opt-in is fine and standard. For EU audiences, double opt-in is strongly recommended. You can enable it in **Settings → Email → Double Opt-In**.
***
## Best Practices
### Be Transparent
Tell fans exactly what they are signing up for. Your opt-in language should clearly state:
* Who they will receive messages from (your artist name)
* What kind of messages (new music, events, merch, etc.)
* How often (approximately)
* How to opt out (Reply STOP for SMS, Unsubscribe link for email)
> "Sign up to receive text updates from River & Pine about new music, tour dates, and exclusive drops. Approx. 2-4 messages per month. Message & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe."
> "Enter your phone number."
This lacks required disclosure language and does not tell the fan what they are signing up for. This could expose you to TCPA liability.
### Honor Preferences Immediately
When a fan opts out, respect it instantly. Never:
* Send a "We're sorry to see you go" marketing message after an opt-out
* Wait a few days to process the opt-out
* Try to convince them to stay via a different channel
### Make Opt-In Valuable
Give fans a reason to opt in. Instead of "Sign up for our mailing list," try:
* "Get early access to tickets before anyone else"
* "Be the first to hear new music -- straight to your phone"
* "Join the inner circle for exclusive drops and behind-the-scenes content"
### Segment by Consent
Not all fans have opted in to all channels. When planning campaigns:
* Check the SMS Opt-In Rate of your target list before planning an SMS blast.
* Check the Email Opt-In Rate before planning an email blast.
* If a significant portion of your audience is only reachable on one channel, consider a multi-channel approach.
### Re-Engage, Don't Spam
If a fan has been inactive but is still opted in, send a thoughtful re-engagement message before reverting to regular cadence:
> "Hey \[Name], it's been a while! We've got some exciting stuff coming up. Still want to hear from us? Reply YES and we'll keep you in the loop."
If they do not respond, consider reducing message frequency for them rather than continuing to blast.
### Audit Your Consent Data Regularly
Every few months, review your opt-in rates:
* What percentage of your fans are opted in to SMS? Email?
* Are opt-in rates trending up or down?
* Which smart links or forms are generating the most opt-ins?
* Are you seeing more unsubscribes after certain types of messages?
***
## Frequently Asked Questions
Technically yes, during CSV import. But only do this if you have legitimate prior consent from another platform (e.g., they opted in to your Mailchimp list). If you are importing a list you purchased, received from a venue, or scraped from social media, do NOT mark them as opted in. Import them as leads and run an opt-in campaign.
Transactional messages (like order confirmations or shipping updates from Shopify) are generally exempt from opt-in requirements. However, Fanaura's SMS blasts and flows are marketing tools and will respect the opt-out. For transactional messages, use your Shopify email notifications.
Absolutely. Each channel has its own independent opt-in flag. A fan can be opted in to email only, SMS only, both, or neither.
Opting out of SMS or email does NOT delete the fan's data. Their profile, activity history, VIP tier, and all other data remain intact. The only change is that they will not receive marketing messages on that channel. To fully delete a fan's data (GDPR "right to erasure"), use the Delete Fan action on their profile.
Fanaura provides the tools and automation to stay compliant, but ultimately, the responsibility lies with you (the account holder) to use them correctly. Do not import unconsented lists, do not use deceptive subject lines, and do not circumvent opt-out mechanisms. If you use Fanaura as designed, you will be in good shape.
***
## What's Next
Bring in fans with proper consent.
Segment by opt-in status for targeted campaigns.
Send compliant email and SMS campaigns.
Configure your email footer, double opt-in, and business address.