At Omnisend, contacts can have different subscription statuses for Email, SMS, and Push Notification channels. Each status determines what types of messages a contact can receive.
This guide explains how statuses work and how to manage them.
Before You Begin
Contacts added via import, checkout, or signup forms will sync with Subscribed, Non-subscribed, or Unsubscribed status depending on their consent. Learn how import settings affect subscription statuses.
Some channels may not be available on your store platform. Check your integration settings for details.
You can collect push subscribers as standalone contacts.
Omnisend merges email/SMS/push data into a single contact profile to avoid duplicate billing.
Contact Subscription Statuses Explained
Each channel (Email, SMS, Push) has three statuses. Here's what they mean:
Subscribed (Green Badge)
The contact opted in to receive marketing on this channel. You can send campaigns, promotions, and all automation messages to them.
Non-subscribed (Yellow Badge)
The contact provided their email/phone but never opted in to marketing. This happens when customers:
• Place an order without checking the opt-in box
• Abandon a cart or create an account
• Are imported without the "Mark as subscribed" option selected
What you can send: Transactional automations (order confirmations, abandoned cart reminders, shipping updates), but not promotional campaigns. Read more about non-subscribed contacts.
Unsubscribed (Red Badge)
The contact previously subscribed but opted out. You cannot send promotional messages to them. Sending to unsubscribed contacts violates compliance policies and may result in account suspension.
💡 Important: When you send a campaign to a segment, Omnisend automatically filters it to include only subscribed contacts. If your segment has 10,000 contacts, but only 6,000 are subscribed to Email, your campaign will reach 6,000 recipients. Learn more about recipients vs. subscribers.
Check a Contact's Subscription Status
For a Single Contact:
Go to Audience → Contacts
Search for the contact and open their profile
Look for colored badges next to each channel:
• Green = Subscribed
• Yellow = Non-subscribed
• Red = Unsubscribed
You can also manually edit a contact's subscription status from their profile.
For Multiple Contacts (Segment):
Go to Audience → Segments → Create Segment
Select Create from Scratch → Add Filter
Choose Subscription channel is [status] → Select channel (Email/SMS/Push)
What Messages Can Each Status Receive?
The messages a contact can receive depend on their subscription status and the message type. Campaigns and promotional automations (Welcome, Birthday) require subscribed contacts. Transactional automations (order confirmations, abandoned carts) can reach non-subscribed contacts because they're triggered by customer actions, not marketing intent.
Email Channel
Below is a breakdown of which message types can be sent to each subscription status for email:
Message Type | Subscribed | Non-subscribed | Unsubscribed |
Campaigns | ✔️ |
|
|
Welcome Automation | ✔️ |
|
|
Birthday Automation | ✔️ |
|
|
Abandoned Cart/Checkout | ✔️ | ✔️ |
|
Product/Browse Abandoned | ✔️ | ✔️ |
|
Order/Shipping/Cancellation Confirmation | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Order Follow-up & Cross-Sell | ✔️ | ✔️ |
|
Customer Reactivation | ✔️ | ✔️ |
|
Back in Stock | ✔️ | ✔️ |
|
Replenishment Reminder | ✔️ | ✔️ |
|
Custom Workflow (segment/anniversary) | ✔️ |
|
|
Custom Workflow (custom event) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
⚠️ Important: Custom event-triggered workflows send to unsubscribed contacts by default. Use Workflow Channel Settings to restrict this.
SMS Channel
SMS sending permissions differ by region due to compliance regulations. Below is a breakdown for SMS messages:
⚠️ Critical: US SMS Restrictions
Due to CTIA regulations, all SMS messages to US contacts – including transactional messages like order confirmations – can only be sent to subscribed contacts. This applies even if the customer provided their phone number at checkout.
✅ For EU and other countries, transactional SMS can be sent to subscribed, non-subscribed, and unsubscribed contacts.
Message Type | Subscribed | Non-subscribed | Unsubscribed |
Campaigns | ✔️ |
|
|
Welcome/Birthday | ✔️ |
|
|
Abandoned Cart/Checkout/Product/Browse | ✔️ |
|
|
Order/Shipping/Cancellation Confirmation (EU) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Order/Shipping/Cancellation Confirmation (USA) | ✔️ |
|
|
Order Follow-up & Customer Reactivation | ✔️ |
|
|
Product Reviews & Replenishment Reminder | ✔️ | ✔️ |
|
Custom Workflow | ✔️ |
|
|
FAQ
Why do my contacts sync as non-subscribed?
Contacts sync as non-subscribed when they provide their email/phone during checkout, cart abandonment, or account creation, but don't check the marketing opt-in box.
This also happens if:
• Your platform doesn't offer an opt-in checkbox at checkout
• The opt-in checkbox is hidden or not functioning
• You imported contacts without selecting "Mark as subscribed"
• Your platform integration didn't pass consent data correctly
Fix: Test your checkout flow to verify the opt-in box appears and works.
How do I change a contact from non-subscribed to subscribed?
You can convert non-subscribed contacts to subscribed only if you have proof of consent (e.g., opt-in form records, receipts).
⚠️ Converting contacts may affect your billing tier. Learn more about editing contact profiles.
Why does my campaign show fewer recipients than my segment size?
Campaigns automatically filter to include only subscribed contacts. If your segment has 10,000 contacts, but only 6,000 are subscribed to Email, your campaign will reach 6,000 recipients. To check how many contacts are subscribed in a segment:
Go to Audience → Segments → add filter: Subscription channel is subscribed → Email/SMS. Learn more about recipients vs. subscribers.
Can I send transactional SMS to non-subscribed contacts in the US?
No. Due to CTIA regulations, all SMS messages to US contacts – including order confirmations, shipping updates, and cancellation notifications – require explicit opt-in consent. Only subscribed contacts can receive these messages.
For EU and other countries, transactional SMS can be sent to subscribed, non-subscribed, and unsubscribed contacts. Learn more about SMS compliance.
What's the difference between non-subscribed and unsubscribed?
Non-subscribed (yellow badge) = never opted in to marketing but can receive transactional automations. Unsubscribed (red badge) = opted out after subscribing and cannot receive promotional messages.
Why am I billed for non-subscribed contacts if I can't send them campaigns?
Non-subscribed contacts can still receive transactional automations (order confirmations, abandoned cart emails, shipping updates), which drive customer experience and conversions. Only unsubscribed contacts are excluded from billing.
How do I see which contacts are subscribed to SMS?
Go to Audience → Segments → add filter: Subscription channel is subscribed → SMS. You can also check individual contacts by opening their profile and looking for the green badge next to SMS.
Can I send to unsubscribed contacts using custom event workflows?
By default, yes – but we don't recommend it. Use Workflow Channel Settings to restrict sending to only subscribed contacts.
If you cannot find the answer to your question, contact our Support Team via in-app chat or at [email protected].