Create a Preferences Center

A preferences center provides contacts with the ability to update their profile information when they click on the update your preferences link in your email campaign. Contacts can also opt in or out of groups you’ve created or choose how often they want to hear from you, which can reduce your unsubscribe rates.

In this article, you'll learn how to create and publish a preferences center for your contacts.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

• Preferences centers aren’t available for audiences with GDPR-enabled signup forms or websites created with the classic website builder.
• Using a custom domain for preferences centers requires a paid plan.
• The preferences center does not include Mailchimp Inbox message permissions.
• Most email templates automatically include an update your preferences link in the email campaign footer. To learn how to add this link elsewhere in the email, check out our Add an Update your Preferences Link article.
• A published preferences center replaces the update profile form. Emails with an *|UPDATE_PROFILE|* merge tag will link to the preferences center instead. Contacts will be offered a separate email with a link to your preferences center webpage.

How it works

A preferences center is a stand-alone webpage where your contacts can update their profile information and preferences based on the groups you’ve created in your audience. When your contact clicks on the update your preferences link in the footer of your email, they'll get a pop-up modal with an Email Me A Link button. When your contact clicks the button, we’ll send a separate email with an Update your preferences link. The link will take them to your preferences webpage to complete and submit.

Create a preferences center

To create a preferences center, follow these steps.

1. Click Audience, then click All contacts.
   
2. If you have more than one audience, click the Current audience drop-down and choose the one you want to work with.
   
3. Click on Subscriber preferences.

4. If you’ve already created groups in your audience, click Start Building.
   

   If you haven't added any groups to your audience yet, you can add them now by clicking Add Groups To Forms. To continue without adding groups, click Build Your Preferences Center.
   

Great work! This will take you to the preferences center builder, where you can customize the content, design, and URL.

Customize and publish your preferences center

Now, you’ll customize and publish the preferences center using the Customize, Domain, Access, and Publish pages.

1. On the Customize page, you can replace your header text with an image, style your description text, choose a color set and font style, and upload an image from your device.

   

2. Click the header text and click Replace to swap the text with an image from the content studio or from stock photos.
   
3. Click anywhere in the first paragraph to edit or delete the description text, and use the menu bar to style it.
   

4. Click these icons to choose a color set, select a text and button font style, and to upload an image from your device.
   

5. Click Edit fields to expand the panel and toggle the optional audience fields. Visible fields on your signup form will be greyed out and can't be turned off.
   

6. When you’re done editing, click Save and Continue.

7. On the Domain page, choose a URL for your preferences center. You can use a custom domain with a paid plan, or use a mailchimpsites.com domain. Click Save and Continue.
   

8. On the Access page, click Continue.

9. On the Publish page, click Publish. If you need to make changes after publishing, navigate to the preferences center page in your audience and click Edit.

After you publish, contacts who click an *|UPDATE_PROFILE|* merge tag link in your emails will get a separate email with a link to update their profile and interests on your preferences webpage.

Unpublish or delete a preferences center

If you unpublish or delete a preferences center, Mailchimp will change the default "Update your preferences" link in your email campaigns and any other instance of the *|UPDATE_PROFILE|* merge tag to point to the update profile form.

In this section, you'll learn how to unpublish and delete a preferences center.

Unpublish a preferences center

If you need to take a preferences center offline temporarily, you can unpublish it at any time.

To unpublish a preference center, follow these steps.

1. Click Audience, then click All contacts.
   
2. If you have more than one audience, click the Current audience drop-down and choose the one you want to work with.
   
3. Click the Edit drop-down menu next and choose Unpublish.
   
4. Click Unpublish.

Delete a preferences center

Unpublishing the preferences center allows you to use it again in the future, but if you're sure you no longer wish to use it, you can delete it. The customized contents and formatting of your preferences center will also be permanently erased.

To delete a preferences center, follow these steps.

1. Click Audience, then click All contacts.
   
2. If you have more than one audience, click the Current audience drop-down and choose the one you want to work with.
   
3. Click the Edit drop-down menu and choose Delete.
   
4. In the Delete Preferences Center pop-up, type DELETE in uppercase letters and click the Delete button.

Next steps

Check out these additional resources to help you maintain an active, up-to-date audience.

Requirements and Best Practices for Audiences
The Importance of Permission