How to create a double-optin using a form

Here are the steps to follow to create a double-optin, where clients must confirm they have subscribed by replying to an email sent after they have requested to subcribe to a communication or register to an event.

In Short

1. Create a field in the project.
2. Create an operational link.
3. Add the operational link in the welcome message of the form.
4. Send message to contacts that have confirmed.

In Details

1. In the project, create a new True/False field and name it DoubleOptin, or any other name that suits you.
   * Do not put this field in the form's subscription fields.
   
2. Open your message and create an operational link.
   Go to Configuration > Messages > Operational links
   1. Click Add a new link.
   2. Provide a name and the URL of the confirmation page shown on your website. This link will need to be copied in your welcome message, within the subscription form.
      For example: "Your subscription is confirmed. You will be receiving our next communications."
   3. Under the Update section, select the field you created on step 1 and assign it the value "1" (true).
   4. Click Add and then Save.
      
      
3. Add the operational link in the form's welcome message.
   1. Edit the welcome message.
   2. Add the operational link you created on step 2 in the content of your message.
      
4. Send the message to contacts who have confirme their subscription.
   1. Create a group of contacts who's DoubleOptin field is Yes.
      
   2. Select this group as the recipient of the message.
      
      

How it works

1. Once the contact sends the subscription form, it is set as Active in the database but the DoubleOptin field you created on step 1 is by default set to False.
2. The welcome message is sent.
3. The contact receive the message and clicks the confirmation link. The DoubleOptin field is changed to True.
4. Communications must only be sent to contacts who's DoubleOptin field is set to True.
5. As for contacts who have already subscribed, you must set their DoubleOptin field to True so they are not excluded from the mailings.
   1. To do so, use the Multiple updates option.
      

      This function lets you add or update a value in a field for all the contacts displayed in the list of results or for just a few of them.

      

      
      

   2. From the result window, click on Multiple updates.
      If you want the update to only apply to a few contacts in the list, you need to preselect them by clicking on each desired contact.
   3. Then, select the field to update as well as the new value to apply to that field, for all or selected contacts, depending on the choice you made. Note that the new value will automatically replace any existing value in that field.
      If you want to use a new field, that does not already exist in the project, you can add it on the fly by clicking on New field. For more info, view Adding a Field to a Project.
   4. Depending on who you want to apply the new value to, select either Apply to all searched contacts to apply the change to all the contacts listed in the result window, or on Apply to only selected contacts to update the field only for the specific contacts that were selected from the list.
   5. Click on Apply for the changes to be applied and saved.