EmailOS Unsubscribe Command Documentation

The mailos unsubscribe command finds and manages unsubscribe links in your email messages, helping you efficiently unsubscribe from unwanted mailing lists.

Basic Usage

mailos unsubscribe [flags]

Searches through your emails to find unsubscribe links and provides options to manage them.

Command-Line Flags

Basic Options

Flag	Short	Type	Default	Description	Example
--account		string		Email account to use	mailos unsubscribe --account value
--from		string		Find unsubscribe links from sender(s) - comma-separated for batch processing	mailos unsubscribe --from value
--number	-n	int	10	Number of emails to check per sender	mailos unsubscribe --number value
--subject		string		Find unsubscribe links by subject	mailos unsubscribe --subject value

Advanced Options

Flag	Short	Type	Default	Description	Example
--auto-open		bool	false	Automatically open unsubscribe link without prompting	mailos unsubscribe --auto-open
--delete		bool	false	Delete emails after finding unsubscribe links	mailos unsubscribe --delete
--move-to-folder		bool	false	Move emails with unsubscribe links to dedicated IMAP folder	mailos unsubscribe --move-to-folder
--open		bool	false	Open the first unsubscribe link in browser	mailos unsubscribe --open
--quiet	-q	bool	false	Minimal output - only show count of emails found	mailos unsubscribe --quiet

Output Options

Flag	Short	Type	Default	Description	Example
--dry-run		bool	false	Show what would be deleted without actually deleting	mailos unsubscribe --dry-run
--json		bool	false	Output results as JSON for programmatic use	mailos unsubscribe --json

Features

Intelligent Link Detection

The command uses multiple detection methods to find unsubscribe links:

• Header-based: Checks RFC 2369/8058 List-Unsubscribe headers
• URL patterns: Searches for common unsubscribe URL patterns
• Link text analysis: Finds links with unsubscribe-related text
• Service-specific: Recognizes patterns from popular email services (MailChimp, SendGrid, etc.)

Supported Email Services

Optimized detection for major email marketing platforms:

• Beehiiv
• MailChimp
• SendGrid
• ConvertKit
• Constant Contact
• Campaign Monitor
• AWeber
• GetResponse
• ActiveCampaign
• HubSpot
• Pardot
• Marketo

Usage Examples

Basic Search

# Find unsubscribe links in last 10 emails
mailos unsubscribe

# Check more emails
mailos unsubscribe --number 50

Targeted Search

# Find links from specific sender
mailos unsubscribe --from "newsletter@company.com"

# Search by subject pattern
mailos unsubscribe --subject "Weekly Update"

Email Management

# Move emails with unsubscribe links to dedicated folder
mailos unsubscribe --move-to-folder

# Automatically open first unsubscribe link found
mailos unsubscribe --auto-open

Combined Operations

# Find, organize, and open unsubscribe links
mailos unsubscribe --from "[MARKETING_SENDER]" --move-to-folder --open

Output Format

The command provides a detailed report showing:

• Email sender and subject
• All unsubscribe links found
• Count of emails processed

Example output:

Searching for unsubscribe links...

Found unsubscribe links in 3 emails:

1. From: newsletter@example.com
   Subject: Weekly Newsletter - October 2024
   Unsubscribe links:
   - https://example.com/unsubscribe?id=12345
   - https://example.com/preferences?email=user@domain.com

2. From: [MARKETING_SENDER]
   Subject: Special Offer Inside!
   Unsubscribe links:
   - https://store.com/opt-out?token=abcdef

Folder Management

When using --move-to-folder, the command:

• Creates an "Unsubscribe" folder if it doesn't exist
• Moves all emails containing unsubscribe links to this folder
• Provides feedback on the number of emails moved

Safety and Privacy

• Read-only scanning: The command only reads email content for analysis
• No automatic actions: Requires explicit flags for actions like opening links or moving emails
• User confirmation: Interactive prompts for potentially destructive actions
• Clean URL extraction: Removes tracking parameters and validates URLs

Integration with Other Commands

The unsubscribe command works well with other EmailOS features:

# First search and organize
mailos unsubscribe --move-to-folder

# Then read the organized emails
mailos read --folder "Unsubscribe"

# Generate statistics on unsubscribe patterns
mailos stats --folder "Unsubscribe"

Tips and Best Practices

1. Regular cleanup: Run mailos unsubscribe --move-to-folder regularly to keep your inbox organized
2. Bulk processing: Use higher --number values for thorough cleanup sessions
3. Targeted cleanup: Use --from filters when dealing with specific senders
4. Safe browsing: Review unsubscribe links before opening them, especially from unknown senders

Troubleshooting

No Links Found

• Try increasing --number to check more emails
• Use --from or --subject filters to target specific emails
• Some emails may use non-standard unsubscribe methods

Browser Opening Issues

• Ensure your system has a default web browser configured
• Use --open for interactive confirmation instead of --auto-open
• Copy and paste links manually if automatic opening fails

IMAP Folder Issues

• Verify your email provider supports IMAP folder creation
• Check that you have write permissions for your email account
• Some providers may have folder name restrictions