To opt in is to actively agree to receive email from a business. The key word is actively: the person does something that clearly signals agreement, such as submitting a sign-up form, ticking an empty checkbox or clicking a confirmation link. Silence, inactivity or a box that was ticked for them does not count as opting in.
Opt-in is the foundation of consent-based email marketing, which is what India’s DPDP Act, the GDPR and Canada’s CASL all broadly expect. It also matters for deliverability. People who chose to hear from you open, click and buy more, and complain less, than people who were added without asking. Lists built entirely on opt-in are almost always healthier.
Opt-in comes in two main forms. With single opt-in, the person is subscribed as soon as they submit the form. With double opt-in, they must also click a link in a confirmation email. Both are active consent; double opt-in adds a verification step that keeps typos and fake addresses out and gives stronger proof.
Good opt-in wording tells people what they’ll get and how often: “Get our weekly recipes and occasional offers. Unsubscribe any time.” Vague wording such as “Stay updated” is weaker, both legally and practically, because people forget what they signed up for. Where you collect several kinds of consent, such as order updates and marketing, ask for marketing separately.
At a Kochi café’s billing counter, customers can scan a QR code that opens a short form: “Get our monthly menu and birthday treat by email.” Only those who submit the form join the list; the café no longer adds email addresses from bills automatically.
MailNesto forms add people to a list only when they submit, can require a confirmation click per list, and record the form, time and IP address of each opt-in.