How to add a custom unsubscribe link in Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

Launching a course, offer, or product has a predictable side effect: unsubscribes. Every time you send promotion emails, some people click “unsubscribe” and leave your entire list. But what if you could keep them?

A custom unsubscribe link lets subscribers opt out of your launch sequence without leaving your email list entirely. They’ll stay on your newsletter, hear your regular updates, and still get future offers when the timing is right for them. It’s a simple system fix that typically reduces unsubscribe rates and keeps more people in the funnel.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to set up a custom unsubscribe link in Kit (formerly ConvertKit), so you can give your subscribers more control without losing them completely.

Using MailerLite? Check out the step-by-step guide for setting up a custom opt-out link in MailerLite instead.

Why let subscribers opt out of launch emails?

Here’s the reality: some people simply aren’t interested in your current offer. Others have budget constraints, wrong timing, or launch fatigue. Most of them would still value your other content. If you force them to choose between unsubscribing completely or reading launch emails they don’t want, many will just leave.

Offering a middle path (skip this sequence, stay on the list) gives you 3 concrete benefits:

• You reduce unsubscribe rates and keep your list healthier.
• You maintain contact with people who might be ready to buy in the future.
• You build goodwill by respecting what your subscribers actually want to receive.

This kind of segmentation is one of the most effective ways to reduce launch fatigue while keeping your audience intact.

Step 1: Create a simple confirmation page

Before you add a custom unsubscribe link to your emails, you’ll need a confirmation page on your website. This can be minimal. A single paragraph confirming their choice is all you need:

Thanks for letting me know. You won’t receive emails about this launch, but you’ll still get my regular updates.

Host this page on your website somewhere visible (even a simple page will do). You’ll link to it in your launch emails.

Step 2: Set up a tag removal link in Kit

When you write your launch emails in Kit, here’s the process:

1. Find the text where you want to place the opt-out link. A good example: “Not interested or wrong timing? Click here to skip emails about this launch but stay on my list.”
2. Highlight that text and create a link pointing to your confirmation page.
3. In the link settings, select “Tag subscribers who click this link.”
4. Create or select a tag for this launch (for example, “Opt-out: [Product Name]”). Pro tip: create one tag per launch and clear it before your next one. This gives subscribers a chance to hear about future offers even if they skipped the last one.
5. Click Apply.

Any subscriber who clicks the link will now be tagged automatically.

Step 3: Exclude tagged subscribers from promo emails

When you schedule the rest of your launch emails, you’ll want to skip anyone who’s already opted out. To do this:

1. Add a filter group to your email audience settings.
2. Select “none of the following” and choose the opt-out tag you created.
3. This ensures anyone tagged won’t receive the remaining promo emails for that launch.

Step 4: Clear the tag before your next launch

Before you kick off your next launch, remove the opt-out tag from everyone. Here’s how:

1. Go to Subscribers in Kit.
2. Filter by the opt-out tag.
3. Select all subscribers with that tag.
4. Click “Bulk actions” and then “Remove tag.”
5. Refresh to confirm the tag is cleared.

Why clear it? Because someone who skipped your September launch might be excited for your March offer. Give as many people as possible a fresh chance to say yes when the timing works for them.

The impact of giving subscribers control

When you let people opt out of specific sequences instead of your entire list, two things happen. First, your unsubscribe rates drop. Second, and more importantly, you keep people in the funnel who might buy later. You also build trust. Respecting someone’s inbox preference signals that you’re not just trying to maximize opens at any cost.

This approach works especially well for course creators who do regular launches or promotional campaigns. The system scales, the messaging stays clear, and your audience actually has agency.

Where this fits into a funnel that keeps selling steadily

Smarter email segmentation is one piece of a marketing system that keeps working when you’re not pushing. The bigger picture is a course funnel that sells consistently, not just during launches.

If that’s what you’re actually trying to build, my free guide The Evergreen Funnel Fix walks you through a 15-minute exercise with your last 10 students, and shows you what to fix first based on your own answers.

If you’d rather talk through your specific setup with someone, a free Steady Sales Roadmap call is the other place to start. We’ll walk through your whole funnel together and figure out what’s working and what’s not.