Contact Preferences and Consent

Each contact has a preferred language setting that controls which language version of bilingual content they receive.

When creating or editing a contact, you can select their preferred language from a dropdown menu. demeterrr currently supports English (EN) and French (FR). The language preference is stored with the contact record and used automatically when sending bilingual communications.

In the contacts list, each contact displays a language badge showing either "EN" or "FR" for quick visual reference. This makes it easy to see at a glance which language each contact prefers.

When you send a bilingual survey, demeterrr automatically selects the appropriate language version for each recipient based on their language preference. Contacts with English preference receive the English version, while contacts with French preference receive the French version.

If a contact doesn't have a language preference set, the system defaults to English. You can update language preferences in bulk through CSV import or individually through the contact edit dialog.

For more information about creating bilingual surveys, see Bilingual Surveys.

Obtaining explicit consent before sending commercial electronic messages is essential for compliance with anti-spam regulations. demeterrr provides comprehensive consent tracking to help you maintain compliance.

Each contact record includes three consent-related fields:

Consent Given - A boolean checkbox indicating whether the contact has provided explicit consent. When you check this box, demeterrr automatically records the consent date and source.

Consent Date - The timestamp when consent was granted. This is set automatically when you enable the consent checkbox and provides an audit trail for compliance purposes.

Consent Source - How the consent was obtained. demeterrr tracks three sources: "manual" for consent recorded through the UI, "import" for consent obtained through CSV imports, and "form" for consent captured through web forms or landing pages.

When you toggle consent off for a contact, demeterrr clears both the consent date and consent source, maintaining data integrity.

Contacts who have given consent display a green shield icon next to their name in the contact detail view. This visual indicator makes it easy to verify a contact's consent status at a glance.

The shield icon appears anywhere the contact's full information is displayed, ensuring you always have visibility into consent status when working with contact records.

The consent source field creates an audit trail showing how each consent was obtained. This documentation is valuable for compliance audits and helps you track the effectiveness of different consent collection methods.

When importing contacts from a CSV file, you can include a consent column to bulk-update consent status. The system automatically sets the consent source to "import" for these records.

In addition to consent tracking, demeterrr manages unsubscribe requests automatically.

When a contact clicks the unsubscribe link in an email or SMS, demeterrr sets their unsubscribed status to true and records the unsubscribe timestamp. Unsubscribed contacts cannot receive surveys or other communications through the platform.

You can view unsubscribe status in the contact detail view and filter the contacts list to show only unsubscribed contacts. This makes it easy to manage your active contact list and respect unsubscribe requests.

Note that unsubscribe status is separate from consent. A contact can have consent but still choose to unsubscribe from communications. Always respect both consent and unsubscribe preferences.

Understanding consent sources helps you track how consent was obtained and maintain compliance documentation.

Manual - Consent recorded by a team member through the demeterrr interface. This typically represents consent obtained through in-person interactions, phone calls, or other direct communication channels.

Import - Consent obtained through a CSV import. Use this when migrating contact lists from other systems where consent was previously obtained.

Form - Consent captured automatically through web forms, landing pages, or public survey submissions. This represents digital consent obtained through your online properties.

The consent source is read-only in the UI and set automatically based on how the consent was recorded.

Obtain explicit consent before importing contacts. Don't assume consent based on past business relationships.

Document consent collection methods. Maintain records of how and when you obtained consent, beyond what demeterrr tracks. This provides additional protection in case of audits.

Update language preferences proactively. Ask contacts their language preference during initial interactions and update their profile accordingly. This improves the customer experience and demonstrates respect for their preferences.

Review unsubscribed contacts regularly. Periodically audit your unsubscribed list to ensure you're not attempting to contact people who have opted out.

Understand implied consent limitations. Express consent is always safer than implied consent. When in doubt, obtain explicit consent.

Keep consent current. If a contact's consent is older than two years, consider reconfirming their consent to maintain best practices.