# Set email subscription status in a workflow

**URL:** <https://community.hubspot.com/t/set-email-subscription-status-in-a-workflow/83719>\
**Category:** Lists, Lead Scoring & Workflows\
**Tags:** workflows, email-deliverability\
**Created:** [June 20, 2023, 8:26am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/set-email-subscription-status-in-a-workflow/83719 "2023-06-20T08:26:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Haro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@Haro](https://community.hubspot.com/u/Haro)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 8:26am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/set-email-subscription-status-in-a-workflow/83719/1 "2023-06-20T08:26:25Z")

</div>

I am attempting to set email subscription status in a workflow. Theres is a setting where I can set new opt status, but there is an note stating:  
“If a contact has opted in or out of a subscription before, this action won’t revert their consent.”

I would like clarification on the following scenarios:  
1.If a contact has opted in to subscription type A, does this mean I cannot opt them in to subscription type B in a workflow?  
2.If a contact has already opted in to subscription type C, does this mean I cannot opt them out of subscription type C in a workflow?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![karstenkoehler](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/karstenkoehler/32/68554_2.png) [@karstenkoehler](https://community.hubspot.com/u/karstenkoehler)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 8:30am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/set-email-subscription-status-in-a-workflow/83719/2 "2023-06-20T08:30:42Z")

</div>

Hi @Haro,

This note is referring to the same subscription type. For example, if a contact has opted out of subscription type A, you can’t revert that change and opt them back in. It’s a safety mechanism.

“ **Please note:** if a contact has previously been opted out of a subscription, that subscription can’t be added with a workflow. This includes if the contact opted out, or they were unsubscribed by a HubSpot user or workflow.” [Manage your contacts' messaging subscriptions](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/contacts/manage-your-subscription-preferences-and-types#update-the-subscription-status-of-contacts-with-a-workflow-professional-and-enterprise-only)

Regarding your two scenarios:

1. No, you can, as it’s another subscription type.

2. As per the note that would be correct but that’s not how the workflow action behaves. I have tested this, see below. Above the subscription history, below the workflow that successfully opted out a contact from a subscription type they checked on a form.

 ![](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/0/4/041f68aabc8eeaabfe5f189954f396b77d481e8d.png)

 ![](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/2/7/2734518b224433a31b99acb3f7b0d55dd06c56e9.png)

Best regards!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Roeland\_RS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/47e85d/32.png) [@Roeland\_RS](https://community.hubspot.com/u/Roeland_RS)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 10:42am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/set-email-subscription-status-in-a-workflow/83719/3 "2023-08-11T10:42:36Z")

</div>

@karstenkoehler do you know if Hubspot ever provided their rational for this ‘safety mechanism’?  
Here’s a scenario where I wouldn’t understand why you can’t do another workflow opt-in after an opt-out:  
- Customer signs a contract for a new product through an e-sign integration  
- Customer checks an optional opt-in in the contract that they can receive marketing emails about other products that may be relevant to them  
- You enroll them to this subscription type by checking a property in the Deal after e-signing and basing a workflow on this  
- After 3 months customer unsubscribes through one of these emails for this type of communication  
- After another 3 months customer signs a new contract for another product and once again checks the optional opt-in to receive marketing emails about other products that may be relevant to them  
- You check the checkbox property in the deal again through the automation - this should trigger the workflow to subscribe them to the same subscription type again  
BUT from what I understand - this will not add them to this subscription type again because of this ‘safety mechanism’?  
Hubspot should make it possible for you to be compliant - they shouldn’t try to play ‘enforcer’ themselves? Or am I missing a valid reason for them to do this?