Gmail’s Manage Subscriptions Feature: What It Means for Cold Outreach (And How to Stay Ahead)

Cold email outreach just got a little tougher.

Gmail has started rolling out its new Manage Subscriptions feature, a tool that could seriously harm your cold outreach. Why? Because with just a few clicks, your recipients could permanently unsubscribe from your emails.

But does this mean cold outreach is dead?

Absolutely not, if you adapt. Here’s what’s changing and how to stay one step ahead.

What is Gmail’s Manage Subscriptions feature?

Gmail’s new Manage Subscriptions feature introduces a dedicated tab that helps users view, manage, and easily unsubscribe from promotional emails.

This feature is currently rolling out and is expected to be available to all users soon.

How does Gmail’s Manage Subscriptions feature affect salespeople and marketers?

Gmail’s Manage Subscriptions feature can have a significant impact on both salespeople and marketers. Here’s how:

1. Increased unsubscribe rate

For email marketers, this means that your promotional campaigns are more likely to be flagged and grouped into a separate tab, making it easier for recipients to unsubscribe even without opening the emails.

For sales specialists, the risk is just as real. If your cold emails or follow-ups are too frequent or feel overly promotional, Gmail may classify them as “subscription-type” content. As a result, prospects may be prompted to unsubscribe with a single click, which can damage your sender reputation and reduce the likelihood of your emails reaching the inbox in the future.

1. Email deliverability issues

If your recipients begin opting out of receiving your emails, it can seriously affect your sender reputation, domain health, and your emails will most likely start landing in spam.

Your next steps

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

One of the best ways to keep your sender reputation in check while still expanding your outreach is multichannel outreach and email warm-up.

Here’s what you can do:

✅ Reach out to your prospect via LinkedIn.

✅ Warm up your email account.

✅ Personalize your emails.

To learn more about each step, check out our video below: