Double opt-in
Double opt-in means a new subscriber is only added to your list after clicking a confirmation link sent to the address they entered, which proves they own it and wanted to join.
Worked example (made-up numbers)
Your waitlist form gets 200 signups in a month. With double opt-in, each gets an email asking them to confirm; 150 click it. Your list has 150 confirmed people instead of 200 unconfirmed addresses.
The 50 who didn’t confirm include typos (gmial.com), fake addresses, people who signed up someone else, and some real people who never saw the email. You lose a few real ones; you avoid emailing the rest.
Single and double opt-in
- Single opt-in: the address is added when the form is sent. Fast, and every signup counts at once.
- Double opt-in: the address is added after the confirmation click. Slower, and some real people drop out, but every address on the list is real and wanted to be there.
What double opt-in protects you from
- Emailing addresses that bounce. Too many bounces hurt your sending reputation, and future emails, including your launch email, land in spam.
- Emailing people who never signed up. Someone can type another person’s address into your form; double opt-in stops that person from being emailed again.
- A list that looks bigger than it is. A confirmed count is the honest number.
Some countries’ rules or your email provider’s terms may also expect proof of consent; a confirmation click is a clear record of it.
Why it matters when you’re starting out
Your waitlist’s first real use is the launch email. If a chunk of the list bounces or marks you as spam that day, the email that matters most is the one least likely to arrive. A slightly smaller, confirmed list usually gets more people through the door than a bigger, messier one.
How to use it well
- Send the confirmation at once, with a clear subject (“Confirm your spot on the … waitlist”).
- Say on the form that a confirmation email is coming.
- Keep the confirmation email short: one button, nothing else.
In Nordva Launch
Every waitlist signup gets a receipt email with an unsubscribe link, on every plan (single opt-in). On Indie and up, signups confirm their address first (double opt-in), and the dashboard shows who has and hasn’t confirmed. Unsubscribed people are always left out of the launch announcement.