User Preferences

User Email Preferences

Allow users to control their email subscriptions and notification settings to improve engagement and comply with privacy regulations.

Overview

The user email preferences system enables:

• Individual Control: Users manage their own email settings

• Granular Options: Different notification types can be toggled independently

• Privacy Compliance: Respects user consent and preferences

• Easy Management: Simple interface for preference updates

• Bulk Controls: Option to unsubscribe from non-essential emails

Accessing Email Preferences

For Users

1. Navigate to Profile page from the dashboard

2. Look for the "Email Preferences" section

3. Toggle individual preference switches as desired

4. Changes are saved automatically

For Administrators

Administrators can view (but not modify) user preferences through:

• User management interfaces

• Analytics dashboards showing preference trends

• Bulk email sender (respects user preferences automatically)

Email Preference Categories

Newsletter Subscription

Purpose: Weekly newsletter with DAO updates and insightsDefault: Enabled for new usersUser Control: Can be disabled at any timeImpact: Users won't receive newsletter emails when disabled

Content Includes:

• DAO community updates

• Weekly governance summary

• Member spotlights

• Educational content

• Industry news relevant to the DAO

Governance Notifications

Purpose: Updates about proposals, voting, and governance activitiesDefault: Enabled for new usersUser Control: Can be disabled, but not recommended for active membersImpact: Users may miss important voting opportunities

Content Includes:

• New proposal notifications

• Voting deadlines and reminders

• Proposal status updates

• Governance process changes

• Community discussions

Transaction Notifications

Purpose: Confirmations and updates for financial transactionsDefault: Enabled for new usersUser Control: Can be disabled (not recommended)Impact: Users won't receive purchase confirmations, staking updates

Content Includes:

• Token purchase confirmations

• Staking transaction confirmations

• Reward distribution notifications

• Payment processing updates

• Wallet connection confirmations

Security Notifications

Purpose: Important security alerts and account changesDefault: Enabled for new users (strongly recommended to keep enabled)User Control: Can be disabled (strongly discouraged)Impact: Users may miss critical security information

Content Includes:

• Password reset requests

• Account login notifications

• Security setting changes

• Suspicious activity alerts

• Two-factor authentication updates

Marketing Emails

Purpose: Promotional content, product updates, and special offersDefault: Disabled for new users (opt-in required)User Control: Full control (opt-in/opt-out)Impact: Users won't receive promotional communications

Content Includes:

• Product announcements

• Special promotions

• Partnership announcements

• Event invitations

• Educational webinars

Preference Management Interface

Individual Toggles

Each preference category features:

• Switch Control: Easy on/off toggle

• Category Icon: Visual identifier for each type

• Description Text: Clear explanation of what emails are included

• Color Coding: Different colors for each category type

Visual Design:

• Newsletter: Blue megaphone icon

• Governance: Green bell icon

• Transactions: Purple dollar sign icon

• Security: Red shield icon

• Marketing: Orange mail icon

Bulk Actions

Unsubscribe from All Non-Essential: Quick action to disable most email types

• Disables: Newsletter, governance, marketing emails

• Keeps enabled: Security notifications, transaction confirmations

• One-click convenience for users who want minimal emails

Auto-Save Functionality

• Changes save automatically when toggled

• No submit button required

• Immediate feedback with toast notifications

• Loading states during save operations

Default Settings for New Users

When new users join the platform:

Newsletter: ✓ Enabled
Governance: ✓ Enabled  
Transactions: ✓ Enabled
Security: ✓ Enabled
Marketing: ✗ Disabled (requires opt-in)

This configuration ensures:

• Users receive important operational information

• Marketing requires explicit consent

• Users can immediately adjust preferences

• Compliance with email regulations

Privacy and Compliance

GDPR Compliance

Consent Management:

• Clear descriptions of email types

• Easy opt-out mechanisms

• Granular control over data usage

• Explicit consent for marketing emails

Data Subject Rights:

• Users can view their current preferences

• Full control over email subscriptions

• Easy unsubscribe options

• Data deletion requests honored

CAN-SPAM Act Compliance

Required Elements:

• Clear identification of sender

• Honest subject lines

• Physical address disclosure

• Easy unsubscribe mechanism

• Prompt processing of opt-out requests

Double Opt-In (Optional)

For marketing emails, consider implementing:

• Confirmation email for marketing opt-ins

• Verification of email address ownership

• Documentation of consent timestamp

• Audit trail for compliance purposes

Integration with Email Sending

Automatic Filtering

When sending emails, the system automatically:

1. Checks user preferences: Before adding recipients to send lists

2. Filters by category: Only includes users who opted in for that email type

3. Respects bulk unsubscribe: Honors "unsubscribe all" selections

4. Maintains audit trail: Logs preference-based filtering decisions

Bulk Email Sender Integration

The bulk email sender respects preferences by:

• Pre-filtering recipients: Removes users who opted out of relevant categories

• Showing filtered counts: Displays how many users were excluded

• Category matching: Maps email templates to preference categories

• Override protection: Prevents sending to opted-out users

Template-to-Preference Mapping

Template Type	Preference Category	Behavior
newsletter	Newsletter	Filtered by newsletter preference
new_proposal	Governance	Filtered by governance preference
voting_reminder	Governance	Filtered by governance preference
purchase_confirmation	Transactions	Always sent (essential)
security_alert	Security	Always sent (critical)
marketing_promo	Marketing	Filtered by marketing preference

Analytics and Reporting

Preference Statistics

Track user preference trends:

• Opt-in rates: Percentage of users enabling each category

• Opt-out trends: Which preferences are disabled most often

• Segmentation data: User engagement by preference settings

• Compliance metrics: Marketing consent rates

Preference Impact Analysis

Monitor how preferences affect:

• Email delivery volume: Reduction due to user opt-outs

• Engagement rates: Whether targeted users engage more

• Unsubscribe rates: If granular control reduces global unsubscribes

• User satisfaction: Feedback on preference control

Best Practices

User Experience

1. Clear labeling: Make preference purposes obvious

2. Immediate feedback: Show when preferences are saved

3. Easy access: Link to preferences from all emails

4. Mobile friendly: Ensure preferences work on all devices

Communication Strategy

1. Respect choices: Honor preferences consistently

2. Value proposition: Explain benefits of staying subscribed

3. Frequency control: Don't overwhelm even opted-in users

4. Quality content: Make emails worth subscribing to

Technical Implementation

1. Real-time updates: Preferences take effect immediately

2. Backup preferences: Maintain preference history

3. System integration: All email systems check preferences

4. Error handling: Graceful degradation if preference system is unavailable

Troubleshooting

Users Still Receiving Unwanted Emails

Check:

1. Preference settings are correctly saved

2. Email templates are properly categorized

3. Bulk sender respects preference filters

4. No override flags are set inappropriately

Preferences Not Saving

Investigate:

1. Database connectivity issues

2. User authentication problems

3. Browser compatibility issues

4. Network connectivity problems

Missing Preference Options

Verify:

1. User interface is displaying all categories

2. Database schema includes all preference fields

3. User has proper permissions to view preferences

4. No errors in preference loading logic

Migration and Updates

Adding New Preference Categories

When adding new email types:

1. Update database schema: Add new preference fields

2. Set sensible defaults: Usually disabled for existing users

3. Update user interface: Add new toggle controls

4. Map to email templates: Connect templates to new preferences

5. Communicate changes: Inform users about new controls

Modifying Existing Categories

When changing preference behavior:

1. Communicate changes: Notify users in advance

2. Preserve user choices: Don't reset existing preferences

3. Update documentation: Keep user guides current

4. Test thoroughly: Ensure changes work as expected

This comprehensive preference system ensures users have full control over their email experience while maintaining essential communications and regulatory compliance.