How the Update Profile Link Works

[user16091]

Does the 'Update Profile' link essentially allow anyone to subscribe to certain emails? I’m concerned because, in my organization, the newsletters/emails sent are based on membership structure. Meaning that members receive different types of newsletters and updates than a non-member. I would like to customize the subscription categories under the 'Update Profile' link, but I don’t want it to allow just anyone to subscribe. I'd like it to be based on their specific membership plan with my organization. Can you advise on how to set this up properly?

[William_A]

Hello @user16091 ,

The only lists that will display on the Update Profile form are the ones you explicitly select to appear. If you have certain lists that you don't want visible for contacts to manage their subscriptions to, then you simply wouldn't select them when editing the UP form.

So in your case, assuming anyone can join the non-member lists, you would simply checkmark those to appear on your UP form. You wouldn't checkmark the member-only ones, and therefore they wouldn't appear on the UP form. Member would not be able to click in or out of lists meant for just members however, assuming that you have multiple member-only lists.

If you're wanting to keep member and non-member lists wholly divorced from each other, including preventing members from being on non-member lists, then that level of management simply wouldn't be possible with the current UP system, and your contacts wouldn't be able to manage their list options at all.

For an overview of Update Profile form functionality and other UP-related elements, see our main article on the topic. 

[user16091]

Hi William,

Thank you, I think I understand what you're saying but I also had a concern with the list options available.

On my website, when users opt to receive specific types of newsletters, they are able to subscribe to emails based on the type of content they prefer. For example: if they want to receive events newsletters, it's sent from one email address, membership promotions are sent from another email, news is sent from another email.

I have set up the corresponding emails in Constant Contact to ensure that each type of newsletter is sent from the designated email address. However, I've noticed that when customizing the options for which users can select which newsletters to subscribe to, the options they see in Constant Contact are based on the lists I've imported. And the list options I have in Constant Contact are based on the membership structure of my organization (e.g., members, non-members, Student members, etc.) rather than the designated emails for the types of newsletters I have set up.

I think what you're saying is to just select the nonmembers list in the UP link and that will only be available to users. But I wanted to enable users to subscribe to newsletters based on the different emails we send the newsletters from, instead of the membership contact lists. Is there a way to do that? 

[William_A]

No there wouldn't be. Our system isn't setup to manage memberships, including hiding and showing list options to specific contacts, based on their membership status in your own internal systems.

You might be able to setup something externally in your main website, for handling members and non-members' list options, sign-up forms, and subscription setting forms, but we wouldn't really be able to provide any insight or support for setting those up.

[user16091]

Okay, thank you. So if I set that up on my own website, how can I ensure unsubscribers will be removed from lists on Constant Contact and will no longer be receiving communications? 

[William_A · Accepted solution]

We wouldn't really have any further insight, beyond providing our API info once you've constructed the forms within your site. Once you've done so, you're welcome to reach out to our Community's API Developer board, or reach out to that team via their main site. 

Since this would be a fully custom form you'd be making on your own, outside our system, to manage your memberships, our ability to troubleshoot or provide any further insight would be greatly diminished.