# Set up the preference center
Set up email categories so users can choose which emails they receive. For what the preference center is and why to use it, see the [overview](/product/messaging-channels/emails/preference-center/).
## Setup steps
Follow these steps to turn on the preference center and start using email categories.
### Set up categories
To enable category-based filtering and let users manage preferences, set up categories in your project:
1. Go to **Settings > Preference Center**.
2. Click **Set up categories** to define which email categories users can subscribe to (e.g., *Promotional*, *Newsletter*, *Product Updates*, *Events*).
3. In the **Set up categories** modal, review the suggested category list, edit category names if needed, and add new categories with **Add category**. For each category, configure subscription options:
- **Subscribe new** to subscribe new users automatically when they register.
- **Existing users** to subscribe existing users once when you save changes. To subscribe users later or in bulk, [import a CSV file](#import-subscription-categories-via-csv).
4. Click **Save**. Users will see these categories when they open the preference center.
After you save, the subscription pages are ready. See [What happens when users click your links](#what-happens-when-users-click-your-links).
### Add links to your emails
Users manage the categories you just set up through links in your emails. Add two links: an unsubscribe link, so users can opt out, and a preference center link, so users can choose which categories they receive.
#### Unsubscribe link
Add the [unsubscribe link](/product/content/email-content/drag-and-drop-email-editor/blocks/#unsubscribe-link) to your email content. After a click, users go through the [unsubscribe flow](/product/messaging-channels/emails/preference-center/unsubscribe-flow/).
#### Preference center link
Insert a link to the preference center in your emails (for example, in the footer or a call-to-action button) so users can manage their communication preferences. To do so:
- In the Drag & drop editor, select **Manage preferences link** from the **Action type** dropdown. [Learn more](/product/content/email-content/drag-and-drop-email-editor/blocks/#manage-preferences-link)
- In the HTML code editor, use the variable `%%PW_EMAIL_PREFERENCE_CENTER_LINK%%`. [Learn more](/product/content/email-content/html-code-editor/#preference-center-link)
- To copy the placeholder, open the three-dot menu in the top right of the **Subscription categories** section on the **Categories** tab and select **Copy link to Preference center**. Paste it into an email.
### Select a subscription category in your campaigns
When you create a marketing email, select a **Subscription category** in the campaign form or in the Journey email step. Only users subscribed to this category receive the email. Learn how in [one-time emails](/product/messaging-channels/emails/sending-emails/send-one-time-emails/#select-subscription-category) and [Customer Journey emails](/product/messaging-channels/emails/sending-emails/send-emails-via-customer-journey/#select-subscription-category).
### What happens when users click your links
Users land on ready-made subscription pages. The pages work by default, so you don't need to connect them. Which page a user sees depends on what they click: the unsubscribe link and the preference center link lead to different pages, and each page leads to the next one through its buttons.
There are seven pages, and users see each one at a different moment:
| Page | When users see it |
|---|---|
| **Preference center** | They open the preference center link or click **Manage preferences**. They choose which types of emails to receive and click **Save preferences**, unsubscribe from several categories at once, or click **Unsubscribe from all** to opt out of all marketing emails. [Learn more](/product/messaging-channels/emails/preference-center/#full-opt-out-with-the-unsubscribed-emails-tag) |
| **Confirmation** | They click the unsubscribe link, and **Confirm before unsubscribing** is on. |
| **Survey** | They have just unsubscribed, and **Unsubscribe reason survey** is on. |
| **Unsubscribed from category** | They unsubscribed from the category of the email. This is the last page of the unsubscribe flow. |
| **Resubscribed to category** | They clicked **Resubscribe** after unsubscribing from a category. |
| **Unsubscribed from all** | They clicked **Unsubscribe from all**. |
| **Resubscribed to all** | They clicked **Resubscribe** after unsubscribing from all emails. |
To see the steps after the unsubscribe link in detail, read [What happens when a user clicks the unsubscribe link](/product/messaging-channels/emails/preference-center/unsubscribe-flow/#what-happens-when-a-user-clicks-the-unsubscribe-link).
## Manage the preference center
Use the **Categories** tab to add, edit, and delete categories and to check how many users are subscribed to each.
In the table, **Subscribed users** is the number of users currently subscribed to a category. **Auto-subscribe** is **Enabled** when new users are subscribed to the category automatically.
### Add a category
To add a category to your preference center:
1. Click **Add category**.
2. Enter a clear, unique category name.
3. Select **Auto-subscribe new users** to subscribe new users to this category automatically when they register.
4. Select **Subscribe existing users** to subscribe current users to this category when you save it.
5. Click **Add**.
### Rename a category
1. To rename a category, open the three-dot menu next to the category and click **Edit settings**.
2. In **Category settings**, update the category name and set the **Auto-subscribe new users** checkbox as needed: select it to enable auto-subscription, or clear it to disable.
3. Click **Save**.
Once the category is renamed, the values in **`Subscribed Email Categories`** are automatically updated to match the new category name for all subscribers.
### Delete a category
To delete a category, open the three‑dot menu next to it and select **Delete category**.
### Import subscription categories via CSV
Use **Import subscription categories** to import user subscriptions and bulk update the **`Subscribed Email Categories`** tag from a CSV file.
You can open this flow in either of these ways:
1. On the **Categories** tab, open the three-dot menu and select **Subscribe users manually**.
Alternatively, in the main menu, go to **Audience** > **Import CSV** > **Import subscription categories**.
2. Upload your CSV file.
3. Click **Start import**.
4. Review results.
### Disable and enable the preference center
To disable the preference center:
1. On the **Categories** tab, click the **three-dot menu** in the top right of the **Subscription categories** section.
2. Select **Disable Preference center**.
3. In the confirmation dialog, click **Disable**.
To turn it back on, select **Enable Preference center** in the same menu.
3. In the **Set up categories** modal, review the suggested category list, edit category names if needed, and add new categories with **Add category**. For each category, configure subscription options:
- **Subscribe new** to subscribe new users automatically when they register.
- **Existing users** to subscribe existing users once when you save changes. To subscribe users later or in bulk, [import a CSV file](#import-subscription-categories-via-csv).
4. Click **Save**. Users will see these categories when they open the preference center.
After you save, the subscription pages are ready. See [What happens when users click your links](#what-happens-when-users-click-your-links).
### Add links to your emails
Users manage the categories you just set up through links in your emails. Add two links: an unsubscribe link, so users can opt out, and a preference center link, so users can choose which categories they receive.
#### Unsubscribe link
Add the [unsubscribe link](/product/content/email-content/drag-and-drop-email-editor/blocks/#unsubscribe-link) to your email content. After a click, users go through the [unsubscribe flow](/product/messaging-channels/emails/preference-center/unsubscribe-flow/).
#### Preference center link
Insert a link to the preference center in your emails (for example, in the footer or a call-to-action button) so users can manage their communication preferences. To do so:
- In the Drag & drop editor, select **Manage preferences link** from the **Action type** dropdown. [Learn more](/product/content/email-content/drag-and-drop-email-editor/blocks/#manage-preferences-link)
- In the HTML code editor, use the variable `%%PW_EMAIL_PREFERENCE_CENTER_LINK%%`. [Learn more](/product/content/email-content/html-code-editor/#preference-center-link)
- To copy the placeholder, open the three-dot menu in the top right of the **Subscription categories** section on the **Categories** tab and select **Copy link to Preference center**. Paste it into an email.
### Select a subscription category in your campaigns
When you create a marketing email, select a **Subscription category** in the campaign form or in the Journey email step. Only users subscribed to this category receive the email. Learn how in [one-time emails](/product/messaging-channels/emails/sending-emails/send-one-time-emails/#select-subscription-category) and [Customer Journey emails](/product/messaging-channels/emails/sending-emails/send-emails-via-customer-journey/#select-subscription-category).
### What happens when users click your links
Users land on ready-made subscription pages. The pages work by default, so you don't need to connect them. Which page a user sees depends on what they click: the unsubscribe link and the preference center link lead to different pages, and each page leads to the next one through its buttons.
There are seven pages, and users see each one at a different moment:
| Page | When users see it |
|---|---|
| **Preference center** | They open the preference center link or click **Manage preferences**. They choose which types of emails to receive and click **Save preferences**, unsubscribe from several categories at once, or click **Unsubscribe from all** to opt out of all marketing emails. [Learn more](/product/messaging-channels/emails/preference-center/#full-opt-out-with-the-unsubscribed-emails-tag) |
| **Confirmation** | They click the unsubscribe link, and **Confirm before unsubscribing** is on. |
| **Survey** | They have just unsubscribed, and **Unsubscribe reason survey** is on. |
| **Unsubscribed from category** | They unsubscribed from the category of the email. This is the last page of the unsubscribe flow. |
| **Resubscribed to category** | They clicked **Resubscribe** after unsubscribing from a category. |
| **Unsubscribed from all** | They clicked **Unsubscribe from all**. |
| **Resubscribed to all** | They clicked **Resubscribe** after unsubscribing from all emails. |
To see the steps after the unsubscribe link in detail, read [What happens when a user clicks the unsubscribe link](/product/messaging-channels/emails/preference-center/unsubscribe-flow/#what-happens-when-a-user-clicks-the-unsubscribe-link).
## Manage the preference center
Use the **Categories** tab to add, edit, and delete categories and to check how many users are subscribed to each.
In the table, **Subscribed users** is the number of users currently subscribed to a category. **Auto-subscribe** is **Enabled** when new users are subscribed to the category automatically.
### Add a category
To add a category to your preference center:
1. Click **Add category**.
2. Enter a clear, unique category name.
3. Select **Auto-subscribe new users** to subscribe new users to this category automatically when they register.
4. Select **Subscribe existing users** to subscribe current users to this category when you save it.
5. Click **Add**.
### Rename a category
1. To rename a category, open the three-dot menu next to the category and click **Edit settings**.
2. In **Category settings**, update the category name and set the **Auto-subscribe new users** checkbox as needed: select it to enable auto-subscription, or clear it to disable.
3. Click **Save**.
Once the category is renamed, the values in **`Subscribed Email Categories`** are automatically updated to match the new category name for all subscribers.
### Delete a category
To delete a category, open the three‑dot menu next to it and select **Delete category**.
### Import subscription categories via CSV
Use **Import subscription categories** to import user subscriptions and bulk update the **`Subscribed Email Categories`** tag from a CSV file.
You can open this flow in either of these ways:
1. On the **Categories** tab, open the three-dot menu and select **Subscribe users manually**.
Alternatively, in the main menu, go to **Audience** > **Import CSV** > **Import subscription categories**.
2. Upload your CSV file.
3. Click **Start import**.
4. Review results.
### Disable and enable the preference center
To disable the preference center:
1. On the **Categories** tab, click the **three-dot menu** in the top right of the **Subscription categories** section.
2. Select **Disable Preference center**.
3. In the confirmation dialog, click **Disable**.
To turn it back on, select **Enable Preference center** in the same menu.