What is RFC 8058?

RFC 8058 is the internet standard that makes one-click unsubscribe possible. It adds the List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click header to an email, so a mailbox provider such as Gmail or Yahoo can unsubscribe a recipient with a single POST request to the sender's HTTPS unsubscribe address — no web page, no extra confirmation.

The IETF published RFC 8058 in January 2017 under the title "Signaling One-Click Functionality for List Email Headers". It builds on the older List-Unsubscribe header defined in RFC 2369.

How RFC 8058 works

1. The email carries a List-Unsubscribe header with an HTTPS URL, plus the List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click header.
2. Both headers must be covered by a valid DKIM signature, so they cannot be forged.
3. When the recipient clicks "Unsubscribe" in the inbox, the provider sends a POST request to that URL and the sender removes the address.

Why RFC 8058 matters for senders

Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to support one-click unsubscribe on marketing email and to honour requests within two days. An easy exit also keeps spam complaints down, which protects deliverability. The full guide, with copy-paste headers, is here: one-click unsubscribe (RFC 8058). See also how subscribers unsubscribe with Mailpro and Mailpro's unsubscribe management.

Not to be confused with ARC

RFC 8058 has nothing to do with email forwarding. The standard that preserves authentication results when a message is forwarded is ARC (Authenticated Received Chain), defined in RFC 8617.