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Double Opt-In: Definition
Double Opt-In is a process where users give permission
("Opt-In") to be mailed
by performing two steps: an initial subscription step, and a confirmation step.
The most common double opt-in process is one
where users subscribe to a mailing list by
entering their email address into a
form on a web page.
An email is then automatically sent to
that email address, and the user must confirm
their subscription request by taking some specified
action (usually clicking a link, or replying to the email) -
and users who do not confirm are considered not to have subscribed.
(The main alternative to double opt-in is "single opt-in").
The main advantage of double opt-in is that because of the
two-step process, the list owner can be sure that the email
addresses on the list really are their as a result of user's
request (there is for example no possibility of people maliciously
subscribing people that they don't like - as can occur with
single opt-in).
The main disadvantage of double opt-in is that some users, even if they
really do want to subscribe, will forget to complete the confirmation
step - and thus a certain number of potential subscribers will be lost.
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