Gmail adds easily noticeable 'Unsubscribe' link to opt out of mailing lists

Annoyed Gmail users who find it difficult to locate the tiny “Unsubscribe” link that’s hidden somewhere below those irritating group email threads may soon be able to view the link right on top. According to a report by ITWorld, starting this week a new “unsubscribe” link will appear at the top of the header field on marketers’ emails.   The link will initially appear to only a few Gmail users accessing promotional messages and then rolled out globally. The new change will make it convenient for users to locate the unsubscribe tool that appears alongside the sender’s name and email address. [caption id=“attachment_218994” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Easier to find (Image: Techland)[/caption]   Once users click on the link, they can opt out of the company’s emails without leaving the Gmail inbox. This means, when users click the new unsubscribe button, they won’t be redirected to the marketer’s website to confirm the opt-out. Instead, a new pop-up box will appear asking you to confirm or cancel.   Some users have started seeing the new update. Baydin CEO Alex Moore has dropped a note to Techland talking about the new update.  While this could be a nightmare for businesses looking to expand online, by doing so, Google reportedly plans to help businesses become more transparent and to prevent their promotional emails from being marked as spam.   Google’s Vijay Eranti, who heads anti-abuse efforts at Gmail told the news site that customers opt for company’s send-to list but later decide they don’t want to receive such email. “In case they can’t locate the unsubscribe button, sometimes they mark the message as spam, “ he added. If enough people mark it as spam then Google’s system classifies the sender as a spammer.