# Double opt-in (/recipes/double-opt-in)

Double opt-in adds a confirmation step between "user signs up" and "user starts getting marketing email." It's the standard way to avoid mailing typoed addresses, role accounts, and anyone who didn't actually consent.

The trick is `{{subscribeUrl}}`: a per-contact link Plunk auto-injects into every send. Clicking it flips `subscribed` to `true` and fires a `contact.subscribed` event.

## Setup

import {Step, Steps} from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps';

<Steps>
  <Step>
    ### Create two templates

    * A **Transactional** template for the confirmation email, containing `{{subscribeUrl}}`:

      ```html
      <p>Hi {{firstName}}, please confirm your email to start receiving updates:</p>
      <p><a href="{{subscribeUrl}}">Confirm my email</a></p>
      ```

    * A **Marketing** template for the welcome email that goes out *after* they confirm.

    <Callout title="The confirmation must be transactional" type="warn">
      A marketing template targeted at an unsubscribed contact is [silently skipped](/concepts/contacts#emails-by-subscription-state). Use a transactional template for the confirmation specifically — it bypasses the subscription check.
    </Callout>
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Trigger the signup from your backend

    Two calls with your secret key (`sk_*`): create the contact unsubscribed, then track the event that fires the confirmation workflow.

    ```bash
    curl https://next-api.useplunk.com/contacts \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_your_secret_key" \
      -d '{ "email": "ada@example.com", "subscribed": false, "data": { "firstName": "Ada" } }'

    curl https://next-api.useplunk.com/v1/track \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_your_secret_key" \
      -d '{ "event": "signup.pending", "email": "ada@example.com", "subscribed": false }'
    ```

    Both calls pass `subscribed: false`. If you skip the first call and rely on `/v1/track` alone, tracking on an unknown email creates the contact — but defaults it to subscribed, which defeats the point.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Workflow A: send the confirmation

    **Workflows → New workflow**:

    * **Trigger**: `EVENT` on `signup.pending`
    * `SEND_EMAIL` step → transactional confirmation template

    Enable it.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Workflow B: welcome them after confirmation

    **Workflows → New workflow**:

    * **Trigger**: `EVENT` on `contact.subscribed`
    * `SEND_EMAIL` step → marketing welcome template

    Enable it. `contact.subscribed` fires whenever a contact opts in — including via `{{subscribeUrl}}`, the preferences page, or the API — so this workflow handles both first-time confirmations and resubscribes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Reminder if they don't confirm

Extend Workflow A with a `WAIT_FOR_EVENT` step after the send:

* **Event**: `contact.subscribed`
* **Timeout**: `86400` (24 hours)

On timeout, send a single reminder (also transactional). Keep the number of reminders small — repeated confirmation prompts look like spam to mailbox providers as much as to recipients.

## What's next

<Cards>
  <Card title="Unsubscribe & preferences pages" href="/guides/unsubscribe-pages">
    Detail on `{{subscribeUrl}}` and the hosted pages.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Templates" href="/concepts/templates">
    The difference between Marketing, Transactional, and Headless templates.
  </Card>
</Cards>