How opt-out works
When a customer replies to one of your messages with an opt-out keyword — the keyword on its own, as the entire reply — REDA Connect flags their Lead or Contact as opted out of that channel, and from then on blocks every new message to them on that channel. Replying with an opt-in keyword reverses it. This article explains exactly what triggers an opt-out, what happens when it fires, and — just as importantly — what does not trigger one.
What a customer has to send
Ask customers to send the enabled keyword by itself — nothing else in the message. Test the installed version; this instruction does not certify that every version rejects every fragment or variant.
- Case doesn't matter.
stop,StopandSTOPall opt the customer out. - Sentences are NOT recognised.
please stop,STOP PLEASE,stop messaging me— none of these trigger the opt-out. Use the complete configured keyword for the documented customer workflow. This is a real limitation to plan around: a customer who politely writes a sentence stays opted in, and keeps receiving messages, unless someone notices and flags them manually. - Send the keyword as text on the channel to stop. WhatsApp, SMS, Messenger and Instagram have separate flags; opting out of one channel does not change the others.
Because sentences aren't recognised, tell customers the exact word to send — put "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" in your message text or template footers, not "reply to opt out". Configuring opt-out keywords covers this in practice.
Which keywords exist
The keyword choices are fixed. REDA Connect ships four, and you cannot add words of your own — the two keyword fields on the Connect Account are restricted pick-lists:
| Direction | Available keywords |
|---|---|
| Opt-out | STOP, BLOCK |
| Opt-in | START, UNBLOCK |
What you can choose is which of these are enabled, per Connect Account: a keyword only works if it's selected in the account's Opt Out Keywords / Opt In Keywords fields. A reply of STOP to an account where STOP isn't enabled does nothing. Most orgs should simply enable all four — see Configuring opt-out keywords.
What happens when someone opts out
- The customer's reply arrives and matches an enabled opt-out keyword.
- REDA Connect selects the corresponding opt-out field on the linked Lead or Contact for WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook Messenger or Instagram. See the field guide for placement and manual changes.
-
From that moment, every attempt to create a new outbound message to that person on that channel is blocked with an error — from the feed, from automation, and from bulk sends alike. The error is, verbatim:
Recipient has opted out of receiving WhatsApp Messages.Recipient has opted out of receiving SMS Messages.
The block applies when the message is created, so nothing is silently dropped — the sender sees the error immediately. In a bulk send the effect is bigger: one opted-out person in the selection blocks the entire send — see Tracking a bulk send.
Opting back in
A reply with an enabled opt-in keyword — again, on its own, any capitalisation — unticks the flag for that channel, and messages to that person can be created again. An admin can also untick the checkbox on the record manually, for example when a customer asks in person to be re-added.
The honest limits of opt-out tracking
Automatic opt-out works for people whose messages are linked to a Lead or a Contact — which is the normal case when your inbound messages match Leads and Contacts. Two gaps to know about:
- Conversations filed on other objects (a Case, a custom object, and so on) with no linked Lead or Contact don't set any flag automatically, and sends against such records aren't blocked by a flag either. Opt-out enforcement lives on Leads and Contacts only.
- A reply that isn't the bare keyword (a sentence, a voice note, an emoji) needs a handling process outside the documented keyword workflow; do not assume every installed version rejects all possible fragments or variants.
Handle requests outside the keyword workflow by updating the appropriate channel field on Lead/Contact, or through your custom object’s consent process. See the field guide.
FAQ
No. The keyword lists are fixed pick-lists — STOP/BLOCK for opt-out, START/UNBLOCK for opt-in. You choose which of those to enable per account; you can't add values. If your customers are likely to reply with something else, tell them the exact word to use in your messages, and handle stragglers by ticking the flag manually.
No. Each channel has its own flag on the record. A STOP sent on WhatsApp blocks WhatsApp only; the person can still be reached by SMS until they opt out there too (or an admin ticks the SMS flag as well).
The described REDA Connect automation does not send its own opt-out confirmation. Your provider may send a confirmation and apply a separate block. Do not use another route to bypass the customer's request.
No. The flags are ordinary checkboxes on Lead and Contact, set by REDA Connect's keyword automation or by hand. If another system owns consent, your admin can keep the checkboxes in sync with your own automation — the send-blocking works off the checkbox, however it got set.
Where to go next
- Configuring opt-out keywords — enable the keywords on your Connect Account and test the loop end to end.
- Opt-out fields — four channels on each Lead and Contact.
- Messaging and compliance — what the product enforces and what remains your responsibility.