Compliance
Opt-out
An opt-out is a person’s request to stop receiving a particular category of calls, texts, emails, or other communications.
An opt-out is a person’s request to stop receiving a particular category of calls, texts, emails, or other communications.
What Opt-out means
An opt-out is a person’s request to stop receiving a particular category of calls, texts, emails, or other communications.
The request may use prescribed keywords or another reasonable method, depending on the channel and rule. Operational systems should not require exact wording when the person’s intent is clear. Scope matters: a revocation can apply to a sender, purpose, channel, or consent category.
How it works
The receiving system captures the request, confirms identity where appropriate, updates the effective permission state, and suppresses covered workflows. The change propagates to connected dialers, messaging platforms, CRMs, and vendors. Any confirmation message must follow the applicable rule.
Practical use cases
Processing a STOP reply to business messaging
Recording a verbal do-not-call request
Unsubscribing a contact from a marketing category
Opt-out handling must be immediate enough to prevent another automation from contacting the person. Centralize state and test every channel that can initiate outreach.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Opt-out matter?
Opt-out handling must be immediate enough to prevent another automation from contacting the person. Centralize state and test every channel that can initiate outreach.
Can a business require one exact opt-out phrase?
Not always. The FCC has clarified that revocation may be made through reasonable methods in covered circumstances. Businesses should configure common language and route ambiguous requests for review.
Primary source: The FCC’s consent-revocation order.
Related concepts: consent managementConsent managementConsent management records, applies, updates, and revokes a person’s communication permissions across channels, purposes, senders, and systems., suppression listSuppression listA suppression list contains contacts or identifiers that a system must exclude from specified calls, messages, campaigns, or workflows., dnc, sms follow up.