Unsubscribes - Updates to RE NXT Constituent record

Heather Reid

What are the specific updates that are done automatically in the RE NXT Constituent record when a constituent clicks the 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom of a mass email sent from Constant Contact?

Also, are the same updates done automatically if the constituent choose to unsubscribe to mass emails through their email carrier or a different method?

In order to identify the unsubscribes not done through clicking 'unsubscribe', I find I need to routinely run a full report of all unsubscribed contacts in Constant Contact and compare the list with our RE NXT database. With the integration between Constant Contact and RE NXT, will all unsubscribes be automatically updated in RE NXT, or only the ones done through the 'unsubscribe' link in a specific mass email?

Patrick Costa

Hi @Heather Reid. Great Question!

When a constituent clicks the "unsubscribe" link in a Constant Contact email, the integration automatically updates the Raiser's Edge NXT (RENXT) constituent record by checking the "Requests No Email" box. This action treats the unsubscribe as a Global Opt-out, preventing the constituent from receiving any future mass emails from the organization through the integration.

If a constituent uses the unsubscribe function provided by their email provider (e.g., the "Unsubscribe" button in a Gmail header), Constant Contact processes this request exactly like a click on the footer link. Consequently, it will sync back to RENXT and mark the "Requests No Email" checkbox.

Manual/Other Methods: Because consent is bi-directional, if a constituent requests to be unsubscribed via another method (e.g., a phone call) and an admin manually updates the "Requests No Email" field in RENXT, that opt-out will automatically sync to Constant Contact to prevent future sends

It is important to note that only contacts being synced from NXT into Constant Contact will be updated automatically. If you import a contact manually (list upload) into Constant Contact, because they are not being synced, our system doesn't know to update that record in NXT for you even if the contact does live in NXT.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Tanner Patnode

Hi Patrick,

We are currently in the process moving over to CC. The global unsubscribe in RENXT Email has been a large issue for us. We want constituents to be able to opt out of individual segments like newsletters, alumni updates, asks, ect. instead of opting out of all emails.

We were told from CC "We have developed 'decentralized consent' to be effective in this integration. Meaning that subscribers can now opt out of channels of communication from you specifically without holistically being unsubscribed when one type of message is opted out".

Does this mean that they are globally opted out unless they manually go into their preferences and select newsletters, for example? How will CC handle using Gmail's built in unsubscribe feature like you mentioned above?

Patrick Costa

Hi @Tanner Patnode That's fantastic news! We are thrilled to have you.

For organizations with multiple entities (chapters, departments) or categories of communication under one database, the integration handles unsubscribes using Consent Categories. Since you can connect multiple Constant Contact accounts to a single Raiser's Edge environment, You can map each Constant Contact account (newsletters, alumni updates, asks, etc.) to a unique Consent Category in Raiser's Edge NXT.

Each account can be tied to a consent category so if a constituent unsubscribes from one specific list/account, they are only opted out of that specific category in RENXT. They will not be globally opted out and can still receive emails from other accounts or the parent organization. Without this mapping, an unsubscribe acts as a "Global Opt-out," marking the constituent as "Requests No Email" in RENXT.

This would be the same for Gmail's built in unsubscribe feature since that email is tied to the specific Constant Contact account that sent them the email.

This setup is not self-serve and requires guidance from Constant Contact support or a Sales Engineer to ensure the accounts are structured correctly. We can schedule a meeting to talk through this further if you need.